Elliott

Meridian Community College President Scott Elliott will retire in the summer after leading the school for 20 years. 

The college announced the retirement in a news release late Wednesday afternoon. However, Elliott hinted to faculty and staff at the college during the opening faculty meeting a week ago that he would soon leave. 

“Being part of the MCC family has been the greatest blessing of my 33 years in higher education administration,” Elliott said in the news release.

Elliott is the third Mississippi community college president to announce their retirement this academic year. MCC Board Chairman Alex Weddington said in the news release a new president should be named by early summer.

Since named Elliott was named MCC President in 1998, the community college’s annual budget has more than doubled to $52.9 million, reached record enrollment for several years, topping at 4,500 students in 2010. The school strengthened workforce training education, and adult basic education courses to serve close to 10,000 students annually. 

However, Elliott also led the community college during times of reduced state funding. He said said he considers the school’s growth during these times a top achievement of his professional career.

Another highlight of the Elliott era was 13 consecutive years with MCC ranking first for highest grade point average in the state among all 15 community colleges when students transferred to Mississippi universities. MCC also had the state’s highest graduation rate for community college for four consecutive years.

During Elliott’s leadership, MCC received the coveted Bellwether Award sponsored by the University of Florida for excellence in economic development programming. The school has also received national recognition for community college excellence.

In athletics, MCC became and remains the only community college in Mississippi to win a national title in soccer, recorded two national runner-up finishes in golf, and national rankings and state and regional titles in golf, tennis, softball, track and baseball. Moreover, the Eagle athletic department won the Halbrook Award three times for having the highest student-athlete graduation in the state.

Terry Dale Cruse, administrative director and head of campus at Mississippi State University-Meridian, said Elliott has been a strong academic partner and advocate for students at MCC and the partnership with the local MSU campus. On a personal note, Cruse said the MCC president has always remained positive and supported him.

“Since I arrived, he’s always had great things to say about the progress of MSU-Meridian and has been really responsive to any questions I’ve had,” said Cruse, who arrived in Meridian two years ago.

Meridian Mayor Percy Bland said Elliott’s leadership has helped grow the city and region through traditional and nontraditional education programs.

“The college has continued to be a leading force in education, workforce development and skills development in this region,” Bland said. “He’s had great vision to understand that a lot of our citizens need to connect a skill set to a job.”

Barbara Jones, who retired from MCC in June, worked with Elliott in multiple roles, most recently as vice president of operations. She said his financial savvy in dealing with budgets, desire to grow professional and educational opportunities for the area, and concern to improve the region built a legacy that won’t be forgotten.

“He had done his very best to help people in Meridian find a job,” she said.