Education Roundtable

The GCF Education Roundtable was formed as the board of GCF considered the prospects for economic development in Grenada County.  With approximately 30% of our 21,000 souls living below the poverty line and roughly as many illiterate, it is difficult for any county to thrive. Efforts to recruit new employers will likely be frustrated in what is already a highly competitive market, and the burden on the remaining citizens becomes intolerably high.

People from across the community were invited to join the Roundtable, which meets periodically to discuss opportunities in the education arena, especially in the early childhood development sector in Grenada County as our youngest citizens are the future leaders and workforce pipeline.  We have a great deal to celebrate (click here for summary), but need to seriously increase the numbers of our graduating seniors who attend college. We need to reduce teen pregnancy, among the highest rates in the nation. We need to provide our employers with a well-educated and flexible workforce capable of learning and learning as demands shift. And we need to help families connect pursuit of education with their own self-interest.

For all families, Grenada County needs to offer top notch early childhood development, as many different kinds of research show that supporting a child’s early development – social, emotional, intellectual, physical – is THE most important investment a family and a community can make in its own future prosperity.

Members of the Education Roundtable include:

Charles Latham, Founder, Eagles Mentoring Program, 100 Black Men of Grenada, Inc., & Chamber Unity Committee

Dr. David Daigneault, Superintendent, Grenada School District

Jim Haffey, Vice President, Holmes Community College

Sabrina Howell, Partner, Harlow Law Firm

Janet Kinard, Realtor, Coldwell Banker

Joe Lee, Publisher, Grenada Star

Keith Mitchell, Regions Bank

Slade Redwine, Workforce Development, Holmes Community College

Halle Ricketts, MSW, Head, Social Services, MS Department of Health, District 1

Glenn Smith, Director, Grenada Chamber of Commerce

Valinda Smith, Grenada Adult Education Services

Joe Trevino, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, ADP, Inc.

Jan Walton, MSU County Extension Service