Chad Graham, left, and Kimberly Rush recently graduated from the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy. Submitted photo

Meridian Community College employees Chad Graham, dean of University Transfer, and Kimberly D. Rush, associate dean of advising, retention and student success, were two of the members of the May 2025 graduating class of the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy.

The MCCLA was developed in 2009 by the Mississippi Community College Foundation to address the projected need for upper-level leaders in the Mississippi community college system. The MCCLA is organized around the needs of future community college leaders, specific to the Mississippi community college system.

The academy’s term is a year-long investment; participants meet from June to May. The program consists of workshops created to strengthen supervisory and management skills, using participants’ current work situations to apply new skills and tools. It is also an opportunity to network and enhance system-wide collaborative efforts.

Graham said the program provided insights into the complexities of leadership within the community college system, “making me feel much more prepared to take on future challenges and responsibilities,” he noted.

Rush said, “I learned that despite the challenges in higher education, we work diligently to help our students succeed.”

Both MCCers noted that the program also offered more than just learning new strategies.

“The chance to collaborate, discuss best practices, and learn from these colleagues was beneficial,” Graham said.

Rush added, “MCCLA enabled me to nurture relationships, network, gain support, and remind me of the great work that we do.”

Graham holds a doctorate in leadership with a concentration in higher education from American College of Education, a master of science and educational specialist degrees in counselor education and school counseling from Mississippi State University-Meridian, and a bachelor of science degree in psychology from William Carey College.

Rush holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Alabama A&M University and a bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of West Alabama. She is a licensed professional counselor in Alabama and Mississippi.

To learn more about Meridian Community College, visit meridiancc.edu. To learn more about the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy, visit mccfms.com/mccla.