East Central Community College Most Beautiful and Most Handsome Pageant co-chairmen Maria McLeod, left, and LeAnne Shirley are pictured with the Outstanding Pageant of the Year Award presented by the Mississippi Association of Pageant Judges Board.

    DECATUR – The Mississippi Association of Pageant Judges selected East Central Community College’s Beauty and Beau Pageant as Outstanding Pageant of the Year recently. Each year, the association presents an award for an outstanding pageant that recognizes excellence in the pageant industry. The award was presented to Maria McLeod, co-chairman of the ECCC pageant, during the organization’s annual awards’ banquet.

    The Mississippi Association of Pageant Judges Board made selection of this award. The pageant was judged and nominated by a member of a panel of judges selected from the Mississippi Association of Pageant Judges membership who feel the pageant is excellent in areas of organization, contestants’ knowledge of competition expectations, knowledgeable and rehearsed masters of ceremony, attention to detail in decoration, programs, admission, score sheet and tabulation structure and contestant flow, etc.

    “For East Central to be recognized by such a distinguished group as the Mississippi Association of Pageant Judges is quite an honor especially considering the number of pageants throughout the state with which they are involved each year,” McLeod said.

    Shirley agreed with McLeod and said she was exceptionally excited to receive the news that the pageant had been chosen for such a prestigious honor.

    “There is a lot of work, behind-the-scenes prior to the pageant actually takes place that is key to the success of the event,” Shirley said. “We are fortunate to have a good group of people working together to host a top-notch production.”

    The ECCC Pageant Committee members include co-chairmen McLeod and Shirley, Bill Wagnon, Ronald Westbrook, John Everett, Ed Girling, Gennie Taylor, Deanna Rush, Daniele Brock, Amanda Walton, Carla Jacome-Cluff, Barry Karrh, Stacey Pollock, Kristie Pilgrim and Mae Thornton.