Meridian Fire Chief Michael Evans was awarded East Central Community College’s 2024 Distinguished Service Award on Saturday as the college celebrated homecoming at its Scooba campus.

Evans grew up in the community of Preston, about 30 miles northwest of EMCC’s Scooba campus. Like many Kemper County residents, he was a regular attendee at the college’s athletic games.

A professional firefighter by trade, Evans served three terms and 12 years as the District 45 representative in the state House of Representatives, which covers portions of Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba and Winston counties.

“During my time in politics I spent a lot of time at EMCC and talked to the presidents at the college all the time,” Evans said. “One of the last things I did for the college as a representative was help get $2 million in state funding for the construction of a career technical center at the Scooba campus.”

During the regular 2023 session, Gov. Tate Reeves and members of the Mississippi Legislature approved the funding for the estimated $6 million project to be built west of Sullivan-Windham Field. Evans, who sat on the House Ways and Means Committee, helped steer the project during what would be his last year in the state House.

“We brought a lot of money back to my district over the past 12 years for projects like that,” Evans said. “The $2 million for EMCC was just a small part of it. Every year I made sure my volunteer fire departments back home received funding, along with the Neshoba County and Winston County sheriff’s offices. There were other projects for EMCC as well.”

“Michael has been a great partner to EMCC and we are grateful for all that he did for the college during his time as a legislator,” EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said. “EMCC has been fortunate to have a great group of people representing our district in the Mississippi Legislature. Their support, along with that of Gov. Tate Reeves and a host of state agencies, has been crucial to our continued success.”

Last December, Evans was named the new chief of the Meridian Fire Department. His appointment to the position is the capstone of more than three decades of prior service as a firefighter.

When he was 15, Evans joined the Preston Volunteer Fire Department.

“I just loved being a firefighter,” he said. “When I graduated from high school, my father asked me what I wanted to do and I told him I wanted to go to the fire academy and become a fireman.”

After graduating from the Mississippi State Fire Academy in Jackson, he was hired by the Philadelphia Fire Department as a basic firefighter, working there for 23 years before retiring as a battalion chief. During his time with Philadelphia, the department added a third fire station and the daily roster grew from five firemen to 12.

“Meridian is totally different,” Evans said. “They’ve got 80-something guys and seven fire stations. It is a whole lot bigger department than what I was used to when I came to Philadelphia. I love it in Meridian. There is always something going on. If we keep averaging the way we are now, we are going to run right at 4,000 calls this year.

“We’ve got a really good group of guys that are well trained and care about the people. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.”

During the work week, Evans and his wife stay in an apartment they rent in Meridian. They return to their home in Kemper County on the weekends.

“I still volunteer with the Preston Fire Department when I’m home,” Evans said. “We live just north of DeKalb and if their fire department has a call, I will jump in my truck and respond with them too.”

The most rewarding part of being a firefighter is helping other people, he said.

“You are seeing people in what is possibly the worst moments of their lives,” Evans said. “They probably have something terrible going on and when you can do something to help them feel better, that is the best feeling in the world.

“There are some bad days. I’ve seen hundreds of people who have passed away in terrible accidents and that can wear on your mind, but the good you can do for people outweighs the bad.”

Evans said he found the same sense of satisfaction as a legislator.

“A lot of people think you are going to go down there and make all of these big laws and do all of these things but that is not what it is all about,” he said. “Being a legislator is about helping the person back home who doesn’t have a voice. It’s about helping that poor little old lady who has been trying to get in touch with the Social Security Administration and couldn’t ever get them on the phone. You call them and tell them, ‘Hey, you call this person right now. She needs some help.’

“I’ve always had a heart to serve others and that is what has been so rewarding about my work as a fireman and a legislator. I’ve been blessed to be able to help others and do what I enjoy.”

Evans is married to his high school sweetheart, Heather. The couple has a daughter, Hannah Johnston, who, along with her husband, William, have a son, Juan.

As a Kemper County native, Evans said EMCC has always been important to the community in which he was raised.

“Having EMCC in Scooba is a very big deal to people who live here,” Evans said. “You have a lot of families who can’t afford to send their kids off to college somewhere. They can go to EMCC for pennies on the dollar and get a degree in welding, nursing or all kinds of other fields right here at home. That’s a big burden off these families.”

In addition to Evans, EMCC also recognized Macon native Larry Anderson as the 2024 Alumnus of the Year.

Anderson, a product of Noxubee County High School, is the head men’s basketball coach at MIT who has led his team to 10 NCAA tournament wins and a final four run. He has 432 career wins, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the EMCC Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

This past May, Anderson, who was the keynote speaker during EMCC’s graduation ceremonies on the college’s Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses, received his associate’s degree from the college, which was presented to him by EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks.

“Larry is a living testament to the power of education and the opportunities it can unlock for those who have the drive and determination to succeed,” Alsobrooks said. “We are proud of Larry and all that he has accomplished and couldn’t be more pleased that he is a product of EMCC. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the Alumnus of the Year Award.”

Anderson was one class short of graduating from EMCC when he transferred to Jackson State University. He was able to transfer credit he earned from a course at Rust College to EMCC to satisfy the requirements needed to receive his diploma 41 years later.