Panola Partnership Named Organization of the Year by Northwest Mississippi Community College

by Sarah Smith

Senatobia, MS (01/27/2025) — The Northwest Mississippi Community College Foundation has named Panola Partnership as the 2025 Organization of the Year and will honor them at the Northwest Soiree - Masquerade Among the Stars on March 29. The Soiree is the college's premiere fundraising and community recognition event held by the Northwest Foundation at the Heindl Center for the Performing Arts.

The Panola Partnership is a multifaceted organization that serves as the driving force behind developing the economy in Panola County, Mississippi. Established in 1996, this non-profit entity functions as a unified office for economic development, human capital and workforce development, tourism and community development, the chamber of commerce for the entire county, and houses the Batesville Main Street Program.

The partnership between Panola Partnership and Northwest Mississippi Community College was born out of service opportunities for both entities.

"We look at our community, our industry community, as being a resource for Northwest, and Northwest offers education and training, which is so important and vital to our industries for their existence," said Joe Azar, director and CEO of Panola Partnership. "So that's why what they do is so important to us as well because that is something that we're able to offer to our customers, our members.

Azar said their goal is for both organizations to invest in each other for the betterment of the community, which is a tenant of the college's vision: to enrich our communities. Many of the opportunities that Batesville has seen in recent years has been thanks to the collaboration of the two organizations as they worked to build a better tomorrow.

"The Concourse has really been something special," Azar said. "The development of the Concourse is providing economic growth for Panola County today and for the future. What Panola Partnership and Northwest have done together is to help build the economic viability of the community. This partnership has introduced new jobs, industry and more into the Panola County communities bringing them into the future with in-demand job training, help getting job placement, and educational opportunities that were not previously available."

Patti Gordon, executive director of Institutional Advancement, is excited about the progress these two organizations are making together.

"It is incredible what Panola County and the city of Batesville have accomplished in making the Concourse a reality," said Gordon. "The time, effort, and energy to secure funding and then to push through the renovation of an old outlet mall into a thriving community college campus is outstanding. The impact it makes on the lives of Northwest students in giving them an opportunity to earn a sustainable wage, while also enriching the community at the same time. It is our privilege to honor Panola Partnership for their dedicated work to the community."

Through visionary leadership, both organizations are forging a future.

"It really is critical that leaders see down the road, see the vision, see the way things could be," said Dr. Michael Heindl, Northwest Mississippi Community College President. "And so, I think that that's been really beneficial. The college's relationship with Panola Partnership, because we're very like-minded in being able to see the future, to be able to see down the road, to be able to see what might be the best for the community."

If you'd like to learn more about Northwest, the Foundation, or the Northwest Soiree, please visit northwestms.edu/foundation. Soiree tickets are on sale now at heindlcenter.org.

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Northwest Mississippi Community College

Panola Partnership Named Organization of the Year by Northwest Mississippi Community College

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