A group of Edgecombe Community College employees recently completed a two-year leadership program at the college.

Eleven faculty and staff were members of Cohort Three of the Edgecombe Leadership Initiative, an institute for selected employees who are interested in improving their knowledge of the community college system and of the operations and functions of the community college.

The group represented all divisions of the college, including curriculum and continuing education instruction and administration, financial aid, student services and the library.

Edgecombe Leadership Initiative graduation ceremonies were held Feb. 22, with Dr. Audrey Jaeger, associate professor of higher education at N.C. State University, providing the keynote address.

Dr. Jaeger is 
co-executive director of the National Initiative for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness in the Department of Leadership, Policy and Adult and Higher Education at N.C. State. Her remarks at the Edgecombe Leadership Initiative graduation focused on emotional intelligence in the workplace.

She teaches courses in organizational theory, foundations of research and scholarship, governance of higher education, and student affairs.

Her research examines the roles of current and future faculty and pays particular attention to the role of community engagement as it relates to faculty and students.

Edgecombe Leadership Initiative is a two-year institute at Edgecombe that features workshops and seminars during the first year and an internship within a division of the college during the second year.

All full-time faculty and staff are eligible to apply.

Members of Cohort Three are George Anderson, director of customized training; Carlene Bateman, English/humanities department chairwoman; Teresa Bottoms, financial aid advisor; Laura Clark, health occupations coordinator; Jerry Harper, director of College and Career Readiness; Tim King, director of respiratory therapy clinical education; Ed Ormsby, director of the Small Business Center; Deborah Parisher, director of library services; Katrina Sessoms, basic skills instructor; LaShawnda Washington, basic skills instructor; and Jonathan Wirt, dean of students.

J. Lynn Cale, associate vice president of instruction at the college, coordinates Edgecombe Leadership Initiative activities.