Anna Faye Kelley-Winders a fter the 2013 commencement ceremony, where she was recognized as the longest-serving employee of MGCCC, 1969-2013.
Anna Faye Kelley-Winders retires after 44 years
Anna Faye Kelley-Winders a fter the 2013 commencement ceremony, where she was recognized as the longest-serving employee of MGCCC, 1969-2013.
Anna Faye Kelley-Winders, former vice president of Community Campus, retired from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on June 30, after 44 years. Kelley-Winders was honored at the 2013 commencement ceremony, held on May 9 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, as the longest-serving employee of the college, and was honored with a concurrent resolution from the Mississippi Legislature on June 21.
A George County native, she was first introduced to MGCCC almost 50 years ago as a student at the Perkinston Campus. She attended Perkinston Junior College from 1964 to 1966 and completed her Master of Education degree at The University of Southern Mississippi in 1968. She began her career as a Business and Office Technology instructor at the Perkinston Campus in fall 1969. After 18 years in the classroom, she held numerous leadership positions – college-wide self-study director, administrative assistant for academic and general instruction, administrative dean of the George County Center, and vice president.
Kelley-Winders, who has worked for four of the 12 MGCCC presidents, says her years spent at the college were a wonderful time. “I have many fond memories of both my time as a student -with excellent instructors who prepared me well to continue my education– and as an employee of MGCCC, with outstanding administrators, faculty and staff who have made an impact on my career and professional life.”
She says her work in many different roles while at the college has given her valuable experience. “During my time at MGCCC, I have had the opportunity to lead various divisions in the college. I have worked in and had responsibility for almost every function of the college,” she says. “The most memorable of those experiences was leading the first college-wide self-study and chairing the Centennial Committee.”
Kelley-Winders was instrumental in designing and developing new credit career-technical programs and many workforce and other non-credit offerings. Through a National Science Foundation grant almost 10 years ago, she established the first Women in Information Technology Conference at the college, which hosts high school females interested in math, science and information technology careers.
Her leadership in developing funding proposals for industry support and partnerships provided career opportunities to thousands of people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After Hurricane Katrina, she was able to secure funding to offer evening and weekend practical nursing and surgical technology programs at no cost to eligible students, of which the majority are women.
She has had responsibility for oversight for more than $17 million in federal and private grants, including those for from the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Mississippi Community College Board Challenge grants, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Mississippi State Department of Education, H1B High Growth and Pathways to Construction grants, National Emergency grants, and the Momentum WIRED grant.