M I S S I S S I P P I H I G H E R E D R E V I E W

PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

VALMADGE T. TOWNER

President & Superintendent

Coahoma Community College & Coahoma Agricultural High School

EDUCATION

PH.D. IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI, 2010

MASTER’S IN DIVINITY PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, 2006

MASTER’S - EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION, 1997 MASTER’S - MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, 1994 BACHELOR’S - MATHEMATICS, 1991 ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY

ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE - MATH-ORIENTED COMPUTER SCIENCE, 1989 COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PROFESSIONAL PATH

PRESIDENT & SUPERINTENDENT | 2013-PRESENTCOAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE & COAHOMA AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF PUPIL SERVICES | 2011 - 2013DESOTO COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

SUPERINTENDENT | 2001-2010QUITMAN COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

PRINCIPAL | 1999-2002QUITMAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL

SOCIAL

Institutional: https://www.facebook.com/CCCTigers

Institutional: https://www.youtube.com/CCCoahoma

Institutional: @_TigerNation

Professional: @DrTowner

Q: Where did you grow up?A: Marks, MS

Q: Significant Other?A: Wait and see.

Q: Children?A: Yes (my mom and dad).

Q: In 25 words or less, can you explain what you do?A: I am President of Coahoma Community College and Superintendent of Coahoma Agricultural High School.

Q: What does your school do exceptionally well?A: It takes students from where they are, and prepares them for four-year colleges and universities; or it helps them become job-entry ready.

Q: What are the best traditions on your campus?A: Coahoma Community College’s motto: “The College That Cares”. It is evidenced daily in how we accommodate the peculiar needs of our students.

Q: What has been your proudest moment in your current professional role?A: My proudest moments would be the purchasing of our Greyhound charter bus, and the construction of the new Vivian M. Presley Administration Building.

Q: What is the most challenging issue facing the community college system today?A: Funding; we have to do more with less in this age of soon-to-be, performance-based funding.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned in college? A: To be organized and thoughtful about what you need to do so that you can be successful on a daily basis.

Q: Who was your favorite professor / instructor or class in college? A: The late George Green, he taught Calculus I and Calculus II at Coahoma Community College.

PRESIDENT VALMADGE T. TOWNER AT HOME IN THE BOARD ROOM OF THE VIVIAN M. PRESLEY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S MAIN CAMPUS

2

Q: What changes in Mississippi higher education do you anticipate over the next 10 years? A: Performance-based funding will be a dominant factor, and schools are going to have to compete more vigorously with for-profit schools.

Q: An anonymous donor has just left $10 million dollars to your school. The only stipulation is that you must spend the money within 1 year.  How do you spend it?A: I would have academic scholarship offerings, setup a legitimate honors program and dormitory, and have some faculty

seats that are endowed.

Q: Other than Mississippi Higher Ed Review, what news sources do you consult regularly?A: Education Weekly, Education Advisory Board research, College Board publications and the Achieving the Dream Project publications.

Q: What book(s) are you reading right now?A: The View from the Helm: Leading the American University during an Era of Change, Presidential Transitions, and The First 90 Days.

Q: What is your favorite movie of all time? A: Coming to America

Q: What is your favorite musical artist / band of all time? A: Nat King Cole

Q: What's the best thing you ever ate? A: Fried Cheesecake

Q: What's your favorite getaway / vacation spot?

A: New Orleans

Q: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A: Commercial Pilot

3

DR. TOWNER PAUSES TO GREET A COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT AT FALL 2013 REGISTRATION

Q: What would people be surprised to know about you? A: That I’m really a “backseat” type of guy that struggles to accept compliments and accolades.

Q: Name something on your bucket list, and tell us whether it has been crossed off yet. A: I walked the Great Wall of China.

Q: What is the best advice you ever received? A: Don’t lose your blessings by mistreating your elders.

Q: What is your favorite quotation?A: “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Profiles in Leadership is a recurring feature of Mississippi Higher Ed Review intended to highlight and amplify the efforts of those who work in Mississippi Higher Education.

4

@MSHigherEdRev