NWCC President Is Speaker At Annual Chamber Banquet
Dr. Michael Heindl
WATER VALLEY – The Water Valley Chamber of Commerce has an exciting lineup for the annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet scheduled Monday, April 8, in the Water Valley First Baptist Church fellowship hall at 6 p.m.
Monday’s events include the presentation of the annual Braswell Hatcher Award, recognition of the announcement of new officers and directors for 2019-20, the awarding of the Elliot Scholarship and Mayor Donald Gray’s inaugural State of the City Address. The leadership will also change, as the gavel will be passed from Chamber President Nell Jobe to Angie Hodge.
Incoming officers who will serve in 2019-20 include Hodge, vice-president Terry Champion, treasurer Raymond Hawkins and secretary Joeli Link. Incoming 2019-20 board members are Clay Ashford, Justin Canterbury, Linda Maynor, Larry Sprouse, Curtis Todd, Julie Tyler, Chuck Upchurch and Jobe.
Northwest Mississippi Community College President Dr. Michael Heindl will be the featured speaker at the banquet. Heindl is the ninth president in the 104-year history at Northwest and assumed duties last July. He served as executive vice president of Administration and Finance at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston prior to coming to Northwest.
A native of Clinton, Heindl holds a Doctor of Philosophy in community college leadership from Mississippi State University (2011), a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University (2001), a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Mississippi College (1997), and an Associate of Arts in general studies/music from Hinds Community College (1994).
He began his career in education in 2001 as golf tournament coordinator at Hinds Community College and also served as an intern for the Mississippi Supreme Court while working on his law degree during that time. In July, 2001 he became dean of students for Wesley College in Florence before being named district director of Admissions and Records at Hinds in 2003. In 2006, Heindl was program specialist for Career and Technical Education at the Mississippi Community College Board, where some of his responsibilities included coordination for all career-technical programs and workforce training for the state’s 15 community colleges.
In 2007 he returned to Hinds, where he worked for four years as dean of students for the Rankin County Campus before being named vice president of the Jackson County Campus of MGCCC in 2011. A year later, he moved into the position of executive vice president of Administration and Finance.
In addition to his administrative experience, Heindl has 16 years of teaching experience, having served as an adjunct instructor for legal courses in both the Department of Business and in the Career-Technical paralegal program at Hinds. He has also taught graduate-level courses in higher education law at Mississippi College and was an adjunct professor teaching Community College Legal Issues in the Community College Leadership doctoral program at Mississippi State University.
Active in a number of professional groups and community organizations, Heindl was president-elect of the Community College Business Officers Association (CCBO), a member of the Gulf Coast Business Council Master’s Class and the Education Strategic Planning Committee for the Mississippi Coast, on the Planning Committee for Leadership Mississippi and an Angel runner for Ainsley’s Angels, a national organization that provides racing/running experiences for special needs individuals.
Among his many accomplishments are the MGCCC Master Trainer Award, CCBO Outstanding Chief Business Officer Award, and Mississippi Top Ten Business Leaders Under 40. He has participated in leadership programs including the AACC Future Presidents Institute, Mississippi Economic Council Leadership Mississippi, and was selected to attend the League for Innovation in the Community College Executive Leadership Institute.
Dinner music will be provided by The Sharecroppers. Tickets for the banquet are $20 each and are available at Mechanics Bank, Turnage Drug Store, Family Hairloom, the Water Valley Chamber of Commerce office or from any board member.
