June 10, 2003

NEXT MEETING, JUNE 16… we’ll present the winners of the 2003-2007 Rotary Mentor Scholarships. This will be an outstanding program, and you’ll want to be in attendance.

LAST MEETING, JUNE 9… Dr. Wayne Bennett, Dean of the College of Engineering at Mississippi State University, told us about the importance of engineering in Economic Development. High-tech companies interested in relocation to the south are looking for quality engineering graduates, and the capability of the engineering schools nearby are very important in the decision-making process. Wayne shared with us the substance of meetings he had with Nissan long before they announced their location in central Mississippi, and of the competition with other potential sites. He told us, as he had told them, a lot about the nationally-recognized school of engineering at MSU, where 2100 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students are studying. With three nationally-recognized centers and ten undergraduate degree programs, 110 faculty – 49 of whom are registered engineers – MSU ranks very high nationally in virtually every category in which engineering schools compete. MSU’s goal is to turn out engineers who are equipped to work in today’s world. The key to the future is high tech, and MSU has us positioned to play an important role in it. Thanks to Judy Adams for arranging and introducing this program.

MENTORS, TAKE NOTE… Mentors for our current and former Rotary Scholarship students are requested to invite your students to be our guests at the June 16 meeting, when we present our four new scholarship winners.

YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS… has approved the following new member proposals. If no objections are received within seven days, they will be introduced to the club as new members:
• John Lawrence, President, Downtown Jackson Partners. John was proposed by Wirt Yerger.
• Chris Klotz, Partner, Coxwell & Associates, PLLC. Chris was proposed by Janet Scott.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER… We are still working on the possibility of moving to a new location for our meetings. This will be presented and discussed at the joint meeting of the boards on Friday, June 13th. One thing that is being checked on is whether the paving of the parking area at the Agriculture Museum has been completed. Please continue to help us in seeking new members for our club. Our membership report for the year indicates that we are just about to break even with where we were at the beginning of the year. Your assistance in this effort will be greatly appreciated. – Howard