New EMCC president prepares to take reins

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
June 17, 2004
Rick Young has two main goals when he takes over as president of East Mississippi Community College in July.
His first goal is to improve the educational opportunities and traditional courses as well as the technical education courses, and he wants to work more with local businesses and industry.
EMCC announced last week that Young will replace Tommy Davis, who retired after serving as EMCC's president for 14 years. Davis said that he thinks the college's board made a good decision.
Young, a Louisiana native, said he knows he has big shoes to fill when he takes over as EMCC's president, but believes he is up for the challenge.
Before being named as the college's new president, Young was vice president of EMCC's Golden Triangle campus. He came to EMCC 30 years ago to start a marketing program.
As vice president, Young oversaw the overall operations of the Golden Triangle campus. He established and implemented the first community college distance learning lab in Mississippi during the early 1990s and participated in the expansion to online classes.
Young said he is planning to look into more funding sources for the school, such as partnering with local industries and applying for grants. He said he wants EMCC to be a strong player in attracting new businesses to the area.