Northwest's Dr. Don Jones Finishes from Leadership Lafayette
Senatobia, MS (09/22/2023) — Northwest Mississippi Community College's dean of Oxford Center, Dr. Don Jones, is among one of the 25 graduates from Leadership Lafayette on August 31, 2023.
This marks the 33rd year of Leadership Lafayette. It's hosted by the Oxford Chamber of Commerce which has over 740 members in the Oxford-Lafayette community. This program is part of an eight-month long course built on service, volunteering, and leadership.
Dr. Jones said this program was a growth opportunity, and he learned a lot about himself and his community. He said it was a chance to meet other community leaders in Oxford. In his experience, this was an opportunity to see leaders come together hoping to build a better city.
"As one of the older members of the cohort I was amazed at the creativity and critical thinking on display," Dr. Jones said. "It forced me to stretch my thinking and not just pontificate on my past experiences-there are new and different ways to create solutions. By networking, listening, and allowing everyone on the team to play to their individual strengths we were able to accomplish great things!"
Dr. Jones since joining the Northwest Community has become a vital member. He proudly calls the Oxford Campus the "Cool Kids Club" and excitedly shares every moment of what his campus is doing on his social media.
"Coming to NWCC with Dr. Heindl's consistent emphasis on developing leaders was a wonderful moment in my career," Dr. Jones said. "Being allowed to participate in Leadership Lafayette has added even more insight to my experience. I worked closely with people of various backgrounds, education levels, personalities, and ethnicities in an organization with a common goal: to develop leaders to make Oxford/Lafayette the best community it can be. I saw no power struggles, no authoritarianism, no rancor, no glory-hounds. Everyone just rowed the boat together."
The projects that Leadership Lafayette focused on projects that focused on Faulkner Alley lighting and art project, Keep Oxford BEE-utiful, OxfordMS.Cares.com, and the Snack Down. Dr. Jones worked on the Bee-utiful project where they planted pollinator gardens around Oxford. "This year's class had unprecedented chemistry in their small groups," said Pam Swain, Leadership Lafayette program director and President/CEO of the Chamber. "They each had a great amount of passion for their community and worked hard for the organizations they got involved with through their projects. I salute this unique group of leaders for the lasting impact they have left on this community through their determination and goals with their community projects."
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Photo of Leadership Lafayette team provided by Dr. Don Jones