Haynes, Reger join MC History, Political Science faculty

Joy Reger and Col. Charles Haynes now enrich the MC Department of History and Political Science faculty.

Mississippi College has added a pair of experienced directors to its Department of History and Political Science faculty.

Col. Charles Haynes, a seasoned law enforcement officer with more than 25 years of experience in the American criminal justice system, has joined the MC faculty as director of administration of justice, while Joy Reger, an MC School of Law alum, has joined the MC faculty as director of pre-law and paralegal studies.

Patrick Connelly, associate professor and chair of the department, said Haynes and Reger each bring unique teaching backgrounds and valuable field experience to their new roles.

“We are excited for the energy and expertise they will bring to our department,” Connelly said. “Col. Haynes recently served as director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol and assistant commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. He brings a wealth of field experiences and relationships across various sectors of law enforcement that will be valuable for our students.

“Joy Reger comes to us from MC School of Law, where in addition to teaching she served as director of externships and Title IX coordinator. She will allow us to expand in-person as well as online offerings in our Paralegal Studies and Pre-Law programs. She also will continue strengthening our relationship with the law school and the legal community in the Jackson metropolitan area.”

A former officer with the Brandon Police Department and a Mississippi State Trooper, Haynes has also served as a Mississippi Joint Terrorism Task Force officer. He obtained his B.S. in management and his M.S. in leadership from Belhaven University and concurrently served as a special agent for the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and as government affairs director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Haynes was promoted to DPS deputy commissioner of external affairs and served the MBI as an assistant special agent in charge and attained the rank of colonel with the DPS. A Mississippi Highway Patrol medal of valor recipient, Haynes received the Community Service Award from Belhaven University.

Reger earned her B.A. in speech communications at Louisiana Tech University and her master’s in educational leadership from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. She taught in K-5 classrooms before serving in higher education as an instructional coordinator for the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Medical School, where she helped develop a new third-year medical curriculum for the Department of Family Medicine and received the Teacher Par Excellence Award.

She earned her Juris Doctorate at MC Law and returned to Louisiana to practice, where she rose from a law clerk for the 26th Judicial District Court to assistant district attorney for the 2nd Judicial District. An active member of the American Bar Association, the Bossier City Bar Association and the Capital Area Bar Association, she is a Foundation executive board member of the Shreveport Bar Association.