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Eric Clark Speaks at Mississippi College Graduation Ceremonies


Eric Clark (photo by Joe Ellis)

Former Secretary of State Eric Clark will deliver the keynote address at Mississippi College’s undergraduate commencement on May 9.

Both ceremonies for MC undergraduates on the Clinton campus are booked for the A.E. Wood Coliseum that Saturday.

Commencement ceremonies are set for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Clark presently serves as executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board, a post he’s held since 2008. He heads the Jackson-based agency responsible for overseeing Mississippi’s 15 public community and junior colleges.

Annually, about 250,000 students receive education or training at Mississippi’s two-year schools. Clark managed an agency budget of about $7.2 million in fiscal year 2015 and a staff of 39 employees.

Prior to that, the former Mississippi House member from Smith County served as Secretary of State from 1996 to 2008. At the busy agency in Jackson, Clark was dealing with elections, business services, campaign finance reports, public lands and much more.

A Taylorsville native, Clark is a former Mississippi College history and political science instructor. The Brandon resident also taught the subjects at Belhaven University in Jackson and Jones County Junior College in Ellisville. Clark earned his doctorate in history at Mississippi State University in 1989. He received his bachelor’s at Millsaps College in Jackson in 1973 and master’s in history at the University of Mississippi in 1975.

The keynote speaker at MC’s Graduate School commencement on May 8 at the A.E. Wood Coliseum will be attorney Amanda Green Alexander. The Mississippian is the owner/principal of Alexander Law, P.A. in Jackson. The program begins at 7 p.m. that Friday evening.

Amanda received her bachelor’s from Tougaloo College, a master’s at Jackson State University and doctor of jurisprudence from the Mississippi College School of Law. She’s served as deputy city attorney for the City of Jackson and was named one of the “Top Ten Leaders in Law for 2012” by the “Mississippi Business Journal.”

Earlier that Friday, Hinds Community College nursing/allied health dean Libby Mahaffey will address the MC School of Nursing spring graduation at Swor Auditorium. Mahaffey is a 1974 graduate of the MC School of Nursing.

Graduation ceremonies for the Mississippi College School of Law will be May 15 at First Baptist Church in Jackson. The event will begin at 10 a.m. that Friday.