A rose to Col. John J. Nichols and Col. Douglas Gosney, who became Nichols’ official successor Friday as Columbus Air Force Base 14th Flying Training Wing Commander. Wing commanders serve a two-year hitch, which usually is long enough for the community to really get to know the wing commander well enough to miss him when he is gone. This is especially true with Col. Nichols, but then, that always seems to be the case. We expect it will be the same with Col. Gosney when he makes his exit two years hence. While we will certainly miss Col. Nichols, we appreciate his service to our community as he leaves for his new assignment at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. We also look forward to getting to know Col. Gosney. The long history of wing commanders who serve us well and so gracefully truly enriches our community. We salute them both.
A rose to the organizers, sponsors and volunteers for another successful “Sounds of Summer” concert series, held on four Thursdays each summer. As always seems to be the case, the series continues to be a great event for our community. We salute, too, the souls who braved Thursday’s particularly hot weather to enjoy the final concert of the series. Events such as this provide us all an opportunity for fun and fellowship and make good use of the Columbus Riverwalk. So thanks to everyone. We’ll see you all again next summer.
A rose to the members of the Columbus Redevelopment Authority, which last week reached an agreement with the Columbus Municipal School District to take over efforts to find a buyer for the Lee Middle School, which has been vacant for five years. The 14.4-acre property could be a great source of revenue for the schools and the city and could also serve to raise the profile and value of surrounding properties. We are especially encouraged by this development, based on the talents and experience these members bring to the table. The board members are John Acker, an insurance agent; property developers Mark Castleberry and Andrew Colom; certified public accountant Tommy Lott and Realtor Robert Rhett. That’s a pretty good lineup.
A rose to Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State University, both of whom has been recognized by “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” which named the two schools as among the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work for 2016.” This is MUW’s fourth year to receive the distinction and MSU’s first time on the prestigious list.
The W ranked highly in the categories of collaborative governance, job satisfaction, professional/career development programs, respect and appreciation, supervisor/department chair relationship, teaching environment and tenure clarity and process.
MSU was recognized for high marks in collaborative governance, confidence in senior leadership, facilities, workspace and security, job satisfaction, professional/career development programs and tenure clarity and process.
We are proud of our universities, not only for the work they do in educating our young people, but for providing an outstanding work environment for their employees.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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