Dr. Temika Simmons Named Director of MDCC Greenville 

Moorhead, Miss. (May 6, 2024) — Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) named Dr. Temika Michael Simmons as director of its Greenville campus.

Simmons, who began at MDCC on April 15, brings more than two decades of education and leadership experience to her new role. Most recently, she was chief public relations officer for Delta Health Center, a regional organization with 17 locations across six counties. Prior to that, Simmons was a tenured faculty member at Delta State University, where she taught psychology, advised doctoral students and led a number of campus and community initiatives. 

Dr. Ben Cloyd, vice president of effectiveness and enrollment at MDCC, says Simmons brings a tremendous blend of experience, both on the faculty and administrative side of education, as well as in community outreach and leadership.

“This hire is proof of the college’s commitment in Greenville to be a premier destination for local students,” says Cloyd. “Her leadership, with those areas of expertise, is really going to allow the college to thrive”

With a recently launched culinary arts technology program and new skilled trades programs on the way, Cloyd says MDCC at Greenville has a good momentum going—with plenty of opportunity for growth. 

“We see Simmons as the catalyst to taking the good work that’s already in place to the next level—in terms of enrollment, in terms of the community understanding the quality of these programs and how they can change lives for students in our area.”

Transforming lives is a calling for Simmons. Born and raised in Mississippi, she says she wants people in the Delta region to know “there is an oasis of opportunity, even among the challenges.” That’s why one of her short-term priorities is reintroducing MDCC to the Greenville—and greater Washington County—community.

“We want to make sure people know what we offer, what’s right in their backyard,” she says. “A lot of our kids think they have to go somewhere else to live out their dream. But they can cultivate and refine it right here.”

She and Cloyd are especially excited about growing the Middle College program, a partnership with area public schools that allows juniors and seniors to earn an associate degree and a high school diploma at the same time. Additionally, a dual enrollment program allows high schoolers to earn college credits while still in high school. Simmons sees these programs as a way to boost the local workforce or help students get a running start—and save money—on their four-year degree.

Simmons has a deep passion for the Mississippi Delta and, as a parent raising her children here, she is sensitive to the challenges facing the area—but also recognizes the many ways it can flourish.

“We’re a region with an enormous need. And MDCC and its talented [faculty and staff] are committed to answering that need,” says Simmons. “I’m ready to tell that story—that wherever someone is trying to get, we can probably help them get there.”

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About MDCC Greenville: Formerly called the Greenville Center for Higher Education, the MDCC Greenville campus offers a variety of career-focused degree and workforce training programs in the skilled trades, health sciences, and culinary arts. One of four MDCC locations, the Greenville campus opened in 2001.

About Dr. Temika Simmons: Prior to her appointment as director of MDCC at Greenville, Dr.  Simmons was chief public relations officer for Delta Health Center, Inc. and, before that, a tenured member of the psychology faculty at Delta State University. Her campus involvement included serving as chair of the Winning the Race Conference, director of the Local Government Leadership Institute, and other leadership roles. An award-winning educator, her honors at Delta State include the Lady Statesman Emerald Award of Excellence and the Diversity Award for Excellence. Simmons has a bachelor of science in elementary education from Jackson State University, a doctorate in educational psychology from Howard University and a master's of business administration from Strayer University.  A board member of the Mississippi Humanities Council and Higher Purpose Co., she resides in Greenville with her husband, Mayor Errick D. Simmons, and their children.