Bobcat Bulletin

e-Newsletter  bobcat  


       A publication of the JCJC Alumni Association & JCJC Foundation

                                    July 2016 - Vol 6, Issue 11
Web Services Links to Giving & Event Registration
In This Issue
In This Edition:

Registration 

Alumni Accomplishment-
Robin Robinson

Alumni Accomplishment- 
Sam Britton

Alumnus Gives Back

JCJC Student Earns National Award

Irby Earns Four National Awards

Buffington Named Tennis Coach

Kirtland Nominated for Skip Bertman Coach of the Year

Softball Coaches Earn National Honors

Calendar of Events

Wedding Announcements

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Quick Links
Greetings Alumni and Friends!
 I am certain that you all have heard by now about our baseball team winning the National Championship via the NJCAA Division II World Series. Needless to say, we are excited! Likewise, our softball girls played for the National Championship and finished runner up. All in all it has been a fantastic summer. I know there will be more on that in this newsletter, so I will not steal the thunder!
  Another thing to mention is that we will be increasing our social media presence as we move forward. We will utilize Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the word out to you our dedicated alumni and friends about everything that is going on here at Jones and with your Alumni Association and Foundation.
  We will keep you informed about everything from tailgating to fundraisers. We hope that you will make every effort to like, follow, and tweet, whatever the case or your preference may be.
  You can find us on Facebook -@jcjcalumnifoundation, Instagram- jcjcfoundation_alumni, and Twitter -@JCAdvancement. Hope you will join in and keep up. Don't be afraid, this social media thing was new to me, but now I have realized how easy it is and how you can stay informed!
  By now you should have received your renewal for the alumni association. If you have not, please contact us at 601-477-4145 or log on to our website. We also ask that you help us connect with lost alumni and get them involved. Just pass their information along to us as well.
  Here's hoping you had a great 4th of July and a great finish to the summer. We'll see you at tailgating on September 1.

Until next time......Go Bobcats!!

Charlie Garretson
Vice President of Advancement
Director of Alumni and Foundation

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Fall Registration 
   If you are thinking about taking a college class this fall, register now!! Fall classes begin August 22 and the last summer session begins July 11. 
  Call the JCJC Office of Recruiting at 601-477-4116.

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Alumni Accomplishment-Robin Robinson
 Congratulations to Robin Robinson who has been elected as the 2016-17 Mississippi Economic Council Chair.  She is currently the Director of Organizational Development and Corporate Communication at Sanderson Farms, Inc. 
  Robin is a JCJC Alumni Association Life Alumnus.  She has served on the JCJC Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors since 1999 and has been serving as the Board President since 2010. She was an chosen as Honor Alum in 2014.  
  Robinson began her career at Sanderson Farms in 1978 at the Laurel Processing plant as a cost accountant after graduating from USM.  In 1981, she was promoted to chief accountant at Laurel processing and in 1986, she was promoted to chief internal auditor with responsibilities for auditing all aspects of the organization. After a couple more promotions over 15 years, she was named to her current position at the corporation.
  Her service on other boards and organizations is extensive, which include being the president of the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, president of the United Way of the Pine Belt, and national president of Business and Professional Women/USA.     
Alumni Accomplishment-Sam Britton
 Congratulations to Sam Britton who was appointed recently to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).  As a result, the Commissioner of the Mississippi Public Service Commission was also named to multiple national committees for the national agency. The Laurel resident was elected to serve on the NARUC Investment Committee, Committee on Electricity, as well as the Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal. 
  NARUC was founded in 1889 and is dedicated to represent the State public service commissions who regulate utilities that provide essential public services such as energy, water, power and telecommunications. Located in Washington, D.C., NARUC serves State public utility interests before the three branches of the Federal government and various independent Federal agencies.
  Britton is a native of Waynesboro and a graduate of JCJC and USM. Along with his C.P.A. and 30 years of accounting experience, he has held positions with the offices of the state auditor and state tax commission.  Commissioner Britton was elected Public Service Commissioner of the Southern District in 2015. 
  Sam Britton is a JCJC Alumni Association Life Alumnus and is a former board member of the JCJC Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors.
Alumnus Gives Back 
   Smith County native and 2002 JCJC graduate, Michael Hamilton was awarded the Navy's, "Dr. Charles J. Cohen Award of Excellence for Science and Technology" in 2014. The center said Dr. Hamilton's research is "fundamentally reshaping the way our Navy will fight and defend our country in the future...(by) paving the way for delivering new and more effective interaction modalities to the war fighter, with the potential to greatly increase the combat readiness of current and future naval warfare systems." 
  He returned to JCJC recently to inspire students and thank the teacher who inspired and mentored him, Mary Boleware.  While talking with engineering majors, Dr. Hamilton wanted them  to know he was just doing his best at his job, everyday; he didn't spend 
time figuring out how to be famous.  
 Dr. Hamilton recently moved back to Mississippi to continue researching and mentoring students at Mississippi State University.  He is a research professor at the extension location at the Engineering Research and Development Center at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering in Vicksburg. Additionally, Dr. Hamilton is an affiliated professor with the Industrial and System Engineering Department in Starkville.   
   To read more about Dr. Hamilton and his visit with JCJC students click on the story from Teresa McCreery: Dr. Michael Hamilton Inspires Students 
JCJC Student Earns National Award
  Hattiesburg resident and recent JCJC graduate, Natalie Beth Seales was one of 19 students from across the country to comprise the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society's, All-USA Community College Academic Team.
  The English major learned she earned the highest score on the PTK essay and application she submitted in November from JCJC President, Dr. Jesse Smith in March. Her top score automatically designated Seales as a New Century Scholar and made her eligible for the national honor.
 In April, Seales learned she was selected to receive the Guistwhite Scholarship too.   
  To read the entire story click on the link:All-USA Community College Academic Team
Irby Earns Four National Awards
  Jones County Junior College's Mason Irby has racked up in the post-season with four national honors. Just recently,he was named to the NJCAA National Team, which will compete in the 82nd annual National Baseball Congress (NBC) World 
Series this summer.
  Earlier this month, the Southeast Lauderdale High School product was named an NJCAA Division II first-team All-American.  Last year, the Southern Miss signee was named a second-team All-American as a catcher.  In June he was selected to be an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove winner. JCJC's Tyler Graves and Josh Pankratz were Gold Glove winners in 2014.  Finally, Irby was chosen as one of ten nationally to earn the Marucci Elite Hitting Award.
  Irby's 1.000 fielding percentage with 92 putouts and five assists helped the Bobcats to a school-record 54-9 mark this past season and the NJCAA Division II World Series championship.  He also posted a .387 batting average with eight home runs and 76 RBIs this year. He had 16 doubles, three triples and stole 32 bases. He had a .604 slugging percentage.
  The NBC World Series will be held July 29-Aug. 13 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. The NJCAA National Team will compete against elite teams from across the country in the NBC World Series.
To see the complete NJCAA National Team, go to www.njcaa.org.
Buffington Named Tennis Coach
  JCJC 2004 graduate and former tennis player for the Bobcats, Brooks Buffington has been named as the new men's and ladies tennis coach.  The Collins native replaces Mark Easley who will focus on being Dean of Students full time. Easley was promoted last August but asked to coach his final year while in his new position. He had been the tennis coach for 17 years.
  The Lady Bobcats were 14-1, finished second in the MACJC/Region 23 Tournament and finished 18th in nationals in Tyler, Texas, while the men's team was 11-5, finished third in the MACJC/Region 23 Tournament and finished 21st in nationals in Plano, Texas.
  To read more about Coach Buffington, click on the link: Buffington named Tennis Coach
 Kirtland Nominated for Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award
  Jones County Junior College's baseball head coach, Chris Kirtland was among the finalists for the 2016 Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year Award.
The award honors the nation's top collegiate coach from any level of college baseball. The
 finalists were announced by the National College Baseball Hall of 
Fame in June with the winner announced July 2.
  In his first season as head coach of the Bobcats, Kirtland
 guided JCJC to a 54-9 record and the NJCAA Division II World Series championship - the first national championship for an MACJC school in baseball.
  The award finalists and winner are selected by a national committee of active and retired coaches from all levels of college baseball.
  "The coaches on this list have either won a national championship, or are in the running, so they've all had great years," said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. "Any of them would make worthy recipients."
  Among the other finalists for the 2016 award are four Division I coaches who will lead their team into the College World Series, including two for the first time -- Andrew Checketts from UC-Santa Barbara and Gary Gilmore from Coastal Carolina -- as well as Florida's Kevin O'Sullivan and 2014 Bertman Award winner Tim Tadlock from Texas Tech. and the winner, Tim Scannell from Trinity (Texas) University (NCAA Division III).
  The other finalists include coaches of six championship teams: Kirtland, Greg Brown from Nova Southeastern (Florida) University (NCAA Division II),  Jeremiah Robbins from Lewis-Clark (Idaho) State College (NAIA), Ryan Cougill from Yavapai (Arizona) College (NJCAA Division I) and Doug Wren from Tyler (Texas) Junior College (NJCAA Division III).
  The award recognizes coaches at every level of college baseball. Paul Mainieri from LSU won the award last year, and Mike Dickson from NJCAA Division III Gloucester County College earned the award in 2013.
  Bertman coached at LSU from 1984 to 2001. During his tenure, he won five national championships and was named National Coach of the Year six times. He coached 31 players who went on to play Major League Baseball and was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2006. Since that time, three of his players have joined him in the Hall of Fame.
  The award, sponsored by Easton Sports, was presented as part of the College Baseball Night of Champions ceremony July 2, in Lubbock, Texas. The Night of Champions event also features the announcement of the winners of the National Pitcher of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award as well as the 2016 National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductions. The winners of the Johnny Bench Award and the Dick Howser Trophy also will be recognized.
 For more information on the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions, contact the Hall of Fame at (806) 749-CBF3 or visitwww.collegebaseballhall.org.
JCJC Softball Coaches Earn National Honor
  The Jones County Junior College softball coaches the NFCA NJCAA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year.The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced the news from the NFCA's national office in Louisville, Kentucky.
  Head coach Chris Robinson, associate head coach Bob Herrington and assistant coach Carlos Castro led the JCJC ladies to a runner-up finish to LSU-Eunice in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in Clinton in May. JCJC finished the season 50-8 and won its first-ever Region 23 title by defeating LSU-Eunice twice on its home field.
  The Lady Bobcats had 21 straight victories during the season and won its fourth MACJC tournament title in five years and also appeared in the national tournament for the fourth time in five years. For more information, go to www.nfca.org.  Courtesy: Shawn Wansley, JCJC SID
Calendar of Events

Mark your calendars for these upcoming E
vents
   
October 15 
Homecoming 


For more information call the Alumni Office at 601-477-4145 or email: [email protected] 

Wedding Announcements
Congratulations!!!
to the following JCJC alumni who recently married or are engaged:


*Shelby Robinson of Mize and Benjamin McLeod of Ellisville were married 
May 21. McLeod is a 2011 JCJC graduate. 

*Kelsey Messemore of Laurel and Richard Blackwell of Laurel were married May 21.  Blackwell is a JCJC graduate. 

*Carol Upton of Sylva-Bay and Christopher Powell of  Greenbrier, Arkansas were married June 4. Upton is a 2013 JCJC graduate. 

*Meagan Smith of Quitman and Robert Boatner of Meridian were married 
June 4. Smith is a JCJC graduate.

*Danyele Chance of Silver Creek and Rease Patrick of Ellisville were married June 11. Both are 2012 JCJC graduates.

*Kaleigh Byrd of Laurel and Stephen Smith of Laurel were married June 18. Smith attended JCJC.

*Cassidy Graham of Richton and Steven Mathis II of Waynesboro were married June 25.  Both are JCJC graduates.

(The above couples' wedding announcements were found in local newspapers. We would love to hear from everyone. Please email your news and announcements to [email protected]

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   Do you remember when...   

         In 1974 when a ladies basketball team was brought back after an 18 year absence? 

 

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Sincerely,

JoAnna Newcomb 
JCJC Alumni Coordinator 
 
The Bobcat Bulletin is produced and written by the JCJC Marketing Team.