Panola College
January 4, 2024 - The Panola College Alumni Association is currently seeking nominations for its 2024 Alumni of the Year award. Nominations for this year’s award may be submitted through February 2 by completing the online form at panola.edu/alumni.
Presented annually during the spring semester, the award recognizes alumni who have enhanced the reputation of the College by distinguishing themselves in their careers and have made significant contributions to their community through professional service, public service, and civic activities.
“We know that there are many incredible alumni of the College that deserve recognition for their accomplishments,” said Jessica Pace, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “It is always inspiring to hear our Alumni of the Year speak to the graduates at commencement each spring.”
The nominee must be a Panola College alumnus, someone faculty, staff, students, and alumni will take pride in and be inspired by, and be present at the May 2024 commencement ceremony. The complete list of criteria may also be found at panola.edu/alumni.
Those with questions may contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at Panola College by calling 903-693-2029 or emailing alumni@panola.edu
Board Secretary Richard Thomas accepts his 30-year service award.
December 12, 2023 - Panola College honored 19 faculty and staff members, who represented a collective 215 years of service to the College, with awards at an annual holiday luncheon on December 12.
Christina Oldham accepts her 20-year service award.
“It is with great pride that we recognize the anniversaries of our faculty and staff,” said Dr. Gregory Powell, Panola College President. “At this important milestone, we express our sincere appreciation for their dedication. We strongly believe that each individual employee has the opportunity to add great value to Panola College.”
Mark Dickerson, Kasi Broussard, Jason Cook, Trellis McCann, and Laura Vance accept their 15-year service awards. Denise Welch, who has also served 15 years, is not pictured.
Board Secretary Richard Thomas was recognized for 30 years of service with the College; Christina Oldham was recognized for 20 years; Trellis McCann, Denise Welch, Kasi Broussard, Jason Cook, Mark Dickerson, and Laura Vance for 15 years; Kimberly Bishop, Bobbie Smith, Kelley Hammond, and Misty Coleman for 10 years; and Alan Howard, Angie Musgrove, Yvette Royal, Dr. Sherlynn Hall, Chasity Klingler, Larry Wade, Jr., and Carol Brightwell for five years.
Kimberly Bishop, Misty Coleman, Kelley Hammond, and Bobbie Smith accept their 10-year service awards.
Carol Brightwell, Dr. Sherlynn Hall, Alan Howard, Chasity Klingler, and Angie Musgrove accept their 5-year service awards. Yvette Royal and Larry Wade, Jr., who have also served 5 years, are not pictured.
Pictured are (from left), Dr. Linda Welsh, Dr. Greg Powell, Dr. Rebecca Morris, Tryphena Walker, Natalie Oswalt, Rachel Weekly, Whitney McBee, Angie Musgrove, and Dr. Bubba Adams
December 1, 2023 - The Texas Success Center has selected Panola College as the recipient of the 2023 “Rising Star” Rose Award in Recognition of Scaling Excellence. The prestigious award recognizes the College for its efforts in transforming its culture to become a more student-centered institution.
“Being presented with this award is a great honor and a true testament to the progress that is being made at Panola College,” said Dr. Bubba Adams, Vice President of Instruction. “Thank you to the dedicated faculty, staff, and students who made this possible.”
The Texas Success Center commended the College for demonstrating the most growth in scaling the essential practices of the strategy across four foundational pillars that lead to transformational change.
In particular, the College made substantial gains in designing program pathways and aligning the math course within each program pathway. Additionally, the College ensures that all students have access to career exploration and that faculty have made strides in embedding opportunities for experiential learning into the classroom.
The College also made considerable improvements in advising practices, ensuring advisors have the information they need to monitor all students for success, and that students have access to and understand their progress through the program pathway to enable them to achieve credential completion.
These comprehensive reforms have significantly transformed the student experience, with 20 out of 23 essential practices positively impacting a wide range of students.
The College’s Pathways Committee accepted the award at the Texas Pathways Institute, recently held in Houston, Texas, with 500 attendees representing 48 colleges statewide. The Committee includes Dr. Greg Powell, Dr. Bubba Adams, Natalie Oswalt, Whitney McBee, Dr. Rebecca Morris, Angie Musgrove, Tryphena Walker, and Rachel Weekly.
November 7, 2023 - Panola College is proud to announce the endowment of the Reeves Family Scholarship Fund, established by the Reeves family in honor of their family heritage and the achievements of their relative, Jim Reeves.
Jim Reeves was one of country music’s most successful singers in the 1950s and 1960s. He scored hits like “Blue Boy,” “Billy Bayou,” “Four Walls,” “Home,” and “Am I Losing You.” He scored his biggest hit, “He’ll Have to Go,” in 1959-1960, which topped the country music charts and hit #2 on the pop charts.
The Reeves Family Scholarship Fund will be awarded annually to a student who is majoring in one of the fine arts.
November 1, 2023 - The Gas Compressor Association (GCA) donated $15,950 to Panola College’s School of Energy on October 26, 2023. The donation was presented by Joni Rice, Vice President of Human Resources, Chad Roberts, CEO, and Elisa Flores, Human Resources Manager, of Estis Compression and McClung Energy Services.
“The GCA has been a faithful donor to the energy program, and these funds will go toward expanding the hands-on equipment and scholarships used in the petroleum and compression fields of study at the College,” said Daniel Hall, Chair of the School of Energy.
Hall was joined by Jessica Pace, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Michael Pace, School of Energy Instructor, and Mary Chance, Assistant to the President/Grants Coordinator, to accept the donation, which took place inside the School of Energy lab on the Panola College campus in Carthage.
“The compression industry has one of the highest demands for skilled workers, and we are excited to have these partnerships that directly impact our students with training and job opportunities,” added Hall.
October 27, 2023 - The Panola College Fine Arts department will present a collaborative performance of “The Sound of Music” on November 3, 4, and 5 in the Q.M. Martin Auditorium, featuring band, choir, and theatre students.
The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, follows an ebullient postulate who serves as governess to the seven children of the imperious Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household – but as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire von Trapp family must make a moral decision.
The show will feature a trove of cherished songs, including “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and the title number, “The Sound of Music.” The final collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the musical won the hearts of audiences worldwide and earned five Tony Awards and five Oscars.
Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at panola.booktix.net or at the door prior to each performance. The Friday and Saturday performances will take place at 7 p.m., and the Sunday performance at 2 p.m.
October 17, 2023 - The M.P. Baker Library at Panola College will host “A President’s Vision,” an exhibition examining U.S. presidents’ aspirations as well as illustrating the programs and initiatives that advanced their visions, October 2 through November 10, in the Fay Allison Gallery.
“I am very excited to welcome this traveling exhibition to our gallery,” said Amanda Clements, professor of fine arts at Panola College. “My hope is to expand across the College’s curriculum to encourage student engagement, as well as to offer a variety of topics of interest, along with the visual arts, for our community to be a part of."
The exhibition is funded through a grant from the Panola College Foundation, and is produced by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“We are so very appreciative of the Foundation and all the work they do to enrich the college experience for all of our students,” added Clements.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during the Library’s normal operating hours, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Library by calling 903-693-2052 or emailing library@panola.edu.
The Library will host the traveling exhibition “Lonesome Dove” from January 29 through March 8, 2024.
September 26, 2023 - After a remarkable 24-year journey of tireless dedication and unwavering commitment to the mission and values of Panola College, Dr. Gregory Powell has announced he will retire in August 2024. Dr. Powell's illustrious career at Panola College has left an indelible mark on the institution and the countless students whose lives he has touched.
Dr. Powell assumed the role of President at Panola College in June of 2000, and throughout his tenure, he has guided the institution to unprecedented heights of achievement and success. Under his leadership, the Chronicle of Higher Education has consistently recognized Panola College to the honor roll as a Great College to Work For 12 consecutive years in all 10 possible categories.
"It has been my greatest pleasure to serve as President of Panola College. I especially appreciate the strong partnership enjoyed by the Board, the faculty, the staff, and myself," said Powell. "The commitment of our faculty and staff to our mission is inspiring. It is why we have seen such tremendous growth and achievement at Panola College. Together, we cultivated a culture of upward mobility and opportunity for all students."
Dr. Powell's dynamic leadership is evident through remarkable achievements, including a substantial increase in enrollment from 1,400 to 2,800 students. During his tenure, he has awarded an impressive 10,500 degrees and certificates, reinforcing Panola College's vital role in the community.
Dr. Powell spearheaded significant campus expansions throughout his tenure, including student housing, the library, the student center, a science building, a music building, and energy buildings. In addition, he renovated buildings such as the Monk Building, W.C. Smith Building, and Merle Glass Building. The renovated and newly erected buildings provide students with state-of-the-art facilities that are conducive to learning and personal growth.
Dr. Powell's fiscal stewardship ensured the College's long-term financial stability and growth. According to the 2022 State of Texas' Composite Financial Index, Panola College is considered the healthiest financially out of all Texas community college districts.
Board of Trustees Chair, Mr. William Goolsby, expressed the Board's deep gratitude for Dr. Powell's transformative leadership, stating, "Dr. Powell's visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to the College's mission, and dedication to the betterment of the educational community have left an enduring legacy that will be celebrated and remembered for generations to come. As he prepares to embark on a well-deserved retirement, we salute his remarkable achievements and wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life. He has set the bar high for future Panola College leaders and will be deeply missed."
Powell's career in higher education began at Texas State University as an interim government professor. Powell recalled how he felt after his first lecture to more than 130 students, "I remembered walking out of that first class thinking, 'I cannot believe people get paid to stand up here and talk about politics and government.' I knew then that education was what I wanted to do."
Dr. Powell's passion for teaching and leadership roles led him to Kilgore College and Middle Georgia College before becoming Panola College's longest-tenured president.
For his advocacy of higher education in multiple areas, Powell has received state, regional, and national awards. In addition to his accolades in higher education, Dr. Powell was actively engaged with the community as a Panola County Chamber of Commerce member, which honored him with the 2012 Citizen of the Year Award, Panola County Rotary Club, and Panola County Industrial Development Foundation. He was also named Stephen F. Austin Alumni of the Year in 2013.
The retirement of President Dr. Gregory Powell marks a significant moment in the history of Panola College, as the institution celebrates a transformative leader whose dedication to educational excellence has inspired and empowered generations of students.
"Serving as Panola College's President has been the honor of a lifetime. I am enormously proud of the organization that Panola College has become, and I know that it has even greater things ahead," Dr. Powell said.
September 13, 2023 - Panola College is still one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For program.
The results, released in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of 194 colleges and universities. In all, 72 of those institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with Panola College included among the small universities with 500 to 2,999 students.
Panola College won honors in all 10 categories this year – a first for the College:
Job Satisfaction & Support;
Compensation & Benefits;
Professional Development;
Mission & Pride;
Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness;
Confidence in Senior Leadership;
Faculty & Staff Well-being;
Shared Governance;
Faculty Experience;
Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging.
Panola College was also named to the Great Colleges Honor Roll, a status granted to only 42 colleges each year who are highlighted most across the recognition categories.
“Being recognized in this way for 12 consecutive years is a very satisfying affirmation of Panola College, but our real goal is not recognition – it’s being a community that values the needs and contributions of everyone,” said Dr. Greg Powell, Panola College president. “I am extremely proud of the Board of Trustees, the faculty, staff, and all of our students.”
The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institution questionnaire that captures employment data and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.
The Great Colleges to Work For program is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all current and previously recognized institutions, visit the Great Colleges program website at GreatCollegesProgram.com and GreatCollegesList.com.
ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results.
September 8, 2023 - Panola College theatre will present “Greater Tuna” by Joe Sears, Jaston Williams, and Ed Howard as its annual dinner theatre production on Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23, and as a dessert matinee on Sunday, September 24.
“Greater Tuna” is a comedy about the third smallest town Texas, Tuna, where its citizens are loyal to the local radio station, the Lion’s Club is too liberal, and Patsy Cline never dies.
“We are very excited about this show, and would love for everyone to come enjoy an evening of dinner, laughs, and theatre,” said Kim Funderburk, director of theatre at Panola College.
Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 6:30 p.m. for the Friday and Saturday performances. Dessert will be served and the show will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All performances will take place in the Elizabeth R. Hedges Studio Theatre.
Performances are by reservation only and space is limited. To reserve tickets, visit panola.booktix.net. Tickets are on sale now through September 15.
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