African-American two-year college presidents from around the country visited Selma yesterday as a part of the President’s Roundtable conference taking place all week long in Birmingham.
Published 12:00 am Monday, October 18, 2004
The presidents were accompanied by members of the Larkin Institute for Mentored Leadership, a program designed to prepare senior-level African-Americans executives for positions as community college presidents.
According to Dr. James Mitchell, President of Wallace Community College – Selma, the President’s Roundtable is committed to promoting professionalism and professional development amongst African-American senior level staff persons at community colleges and the Larkin Institute is one of the ways they fulfill this commitment.
“The (Larkin) Institute simultaneously provides mentorship, training and leadership,” said Mitchell. “They train people to go the next level.”
Wallace Community College along, with Lawson State Community College in Birmingham and other historically black community colleges in Alabama are sponsoring this year’s President’s Roundtable in Birmingham.
The group previously met
in Alabama and visited Selma, they requested a return visit.
“They wanted to take this tour,” said Mitchell of the groups visit to the National Voting Rights Museum and the Edmund Pettus Bridge. “It’s important for college presidents to see and experience this history in Selma.”
The college presidents and members of the Institute had a luncheon on the Wallace Community College campus following their tour of the Museum and the bridge.
State Senator Hank Sanders delivered the key note address.