Human Resources Newsletter 3rd Quarter 2018

Third Quarter*2018

MCCB Human Resources Quarterly Newsletter

Cynthia Jiles

What’s Your Story? - Spotlight

Featured In This Issue

Dr. Andrea Mayfield

There is nothing one cannot do! I believe life is what you make of it. There are many things I can tell you about my life. Some are laden with tragedy, loss and adversity. Most are laden with my spirit for adventure. In all, my essence is one of determination and bold adventure. Education has always had a special place in my heart as a result of my own experiences growing up. I grew up in a traditional 1960’s family atmosphere with a mother and father married for 50+ years, and 3 brothers. Growing up in a small southern college town, I spent my time reading and finding ways to create my own adventures. My 8 th birthday party where the fun activity was to cut down the neighbors swing and slide down the red dirt banks to the creek. Thinking about it today, I am sure the mothers didn’t anticipate muddy children after my party. The neighbor game me the tire swing (I cut down) when they moved and it hangs today in my parent’s yard. As a young child, I frequently argued with my brothers in back seat of my parent’s station wagon. At one point during our arguments, my father threatened to put me out of the car as we traveled down I-20. I said “fine”. He pulled over. I got out and started walking. I was told my mother screamed at my father to go back and get me. At 5, my trusty bicycle took me on some really fun adventures until a neighbor saw me crossing a bridge as I rode out of town. I didn’t have my bicycle for a while. Walking home from the bus stop, I made a habit of admiring the wildlife. I put snakes in my lunch box and quite regularly would throw rocks at a mass swarm of bees hanging from the tree limb and then run. I suppose I thought I could run faster than the bees could fly. Growing up playing football with neighborhood boys after school in the grass lot close to my home, I decided it was time for my career in football to begin. In the 8 th grade I went out for spring training for the football team. I stayed after school to practice and lift weights…until my mother found out. Every time I thought about running away from home…my idyllic life that I didn’t know I had…my big plan was to pack some things and go live in the woods behind the house. I spent a lot of time in the woods and loved the quiet solitude I found there. Today I feel most “at home” in the deep woods…day or night. I attended Marion Military Institute for my high school years. As a Ranger, I had opportunities to engage in the fun I relished. Operation exercises in the swamp and hiding in a beaver den to evade the opposition to win the game was a thrill. I took opportunities to pick up “trophies” to leave in the shower of the barracks. Let’s just say, my roommate was not thrilled. As I write this article, I see vivid images of events in my life.

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What’s Your Story? Dr. Andrea Mayfield

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Welcome Aboard!

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Sound Bite

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Upcoming Events

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Birthdays

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Wellness Message

We Are a TEAM Because We Work

Together With Respect, Trust, and Care for Each Other.

Employee of the Quarter

Valeria Williams

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HUMAN RESOURSES NEWSLETTER

What’s Your Story? – Spotlight - continued

That summer, I had an opportunity to canoe the boundary waters. Spending two weeks in the remote wilderness living on lake water and MREs was a blast. The highlight came when we failed to hang the fish oil in the tree before going to bed. I woke to someone outside the tent grabbing my leg. After repeatedly telling whoever was doing it to “STOP”, I left the tent and discovered a bear. I grabbed a heavy branch and whopped the bear on the butt. It ran into the woods behind the tent. I followed to see what the bear was “doing”. That bear was sprawled out on his belly licking pudding that SOMEONE on this team dumped out. I thought the bear looked so cute I wanted to pet him. Let’s just say that didn’t happen. In college, the university always had a spring concert. This particular year, Bad Company came to perform. I volunteered to be a part of the “roadie” crew. During the concert, I was charged with posting on top of a scaffold 40 feet up with lights and a headset. My job was to take direction and spotlight the performers on stage by cue. It was one of the hardest jobs. I thought it was cool to eat dinner with the band and introduce my baby brother to his rock star idol. While teaching the sciences at the community college where I was employed, I had some adventures outside the classroom. As a 4 th grader, I sustained a broken bones from riding a unbroken horse bareback. After my college class, I decided to ask the locals if I might ride their horses…knowing I hadn’t been on a horse since 4 th grade. The local horse owner said he had a great barrel racing horse and wanted to know if I could ride. My response tongue in cheek was, “of course I can”. Well I mounted the horse and gave commands to have him pick up speed and gallop as fast as he could. I hung on for dear life…until the horse made a 90 degree turn. I hobbled for 2 months trying to heal. I was lucky! I brushed myself off, hobbled to the horse, managed to mount and took him HOME. My husband George and I enjoyed the outdoors each and every day through the commercial hunting operation we owned and operated called The Roost. I met many people from all over the world and felt quite proud when we went to an outdoor expedition in the city and people recognized me….not him. This was before “Lee and Tiffany”. I had a show that aired on the Outdoor Channel before it was cool. Whitetail 101-Bushnell Outdoors hosted by Dave Watson. The focus was the Biology of Deer and the field application by understanding the animal. Camera crews would regularly come to The Roost to film. When one of the camera crew got poison oak in his eyes, I became the ad hoc cameraman. A rainy hunt 40 plus feet in the air hanging off of a “platform stand” the size of a dinner plate, was no easy feat. Add concentration and camera work to boot and what a RUSH! Other than my hunting, the biggest rush…most exhilarating burst…was experienced during my days as a pilot. Yep, I said it. I flew Cessna and Piper aircrafts for fun after teaching at the college. It was common for me to finish teaching Friday, drive to the local air strip (airport) and fly to MO to hunt for the weekend with George. Bag a turkey and fly back Sunday in time for work. For me, connections to adventure, to nature, to people, to common goals and interests…have value. Perspectives differ among people and those who have felt the rush of exhilaration mixed with fear, heard a turkey gobble in the spring, seen a flush of a wild covey of birds or witnessed a 10-point buck chase a doe understand my essence, my determination to live life as an extended ADVENTURE. Because this article is not supposed to be lengthy, I am skipping 98% of my adventures.

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HUMAN RESOURCES NEWSLETTER

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Welcome Aboard –

Sound Bite 11 Ways to Be More Effective at Work 1. Trim Your Task List 2. Swap Your To-Do List for a Schedule 3. Stay Organized 4. Change Your Self-Talk 5. Make Bad Habits More Difficult to Indulge 6. Prioritize 7. Plan Tomorrow Tonight 8. Use Idle Time to Knock Out Admin Tasks 9. Schedule Meetings with Yourself 10.Communicate and Clarify 11. Find More Ways to Do More of the Work You Enjoy

Dear New MCCBers:

It is our pleasure to welcome you to MCCB!! We have enjoyed meeting you and look forward to opportunities to become better acquainted.

Shamiko Allen Jasmine Baker Jennifer Bell Lisa Bonds Kenecha Brooks-Smith Erica Buxton

Carla Causey Tony Chiang Shuronda Claiborne Victoria Davis Veronica Dunning – July 16

Patti Fleming Marilyn Griffin Robin Griffith Carl Henderson Lajuna Ivory Dr. Scott Kolle Jowanda Magee April May Falana McDaniel Ashley Mitchell Tunga Otis Tonya Pickens Steven Randle Alexas Rayford Melissa Readus Sheriece Robinson

Upcoming Events –

Trustees Conference Biloxi, MS

July 12-13

Professional Development(s) FISH Philosophy Workforce Summer Conference

July 19

August 2-3 August 16

Jevelyn Smith Theresa Tate Lisa Smith

Leadership Skills

Dealing w/Difficult People TEAM BUILDING EVENT

September 20

TBD

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HUMAN RESOURSES NEWSLETTER

BIRTHDAYS Ed Roberson Dexter Holloway

July 4 July 7 July 9

Shuronda Claiborne

Dee Polk

July 16 July 19 July 20 July 25

Angenette Dixon Jim Southward Valeria Williams Kenneth Wheatley Jacob Goodwin Jowanda Magee Dr. Shawn Mackey Dr. Rachel DeVaughan

August 10 August 15 August 23 August 23 August 26

Shalon Farris Theresa Tate Shamiko Allen Missy Saxton Tony Chiang

September 3 September 9 September 14 September 14 September 14 September 22 September 24 September 30

Ray Smith

Dr. Micca Knox Kimberly Jones

Wellness Message - Shana Hansen

So, what has been happening this quarter? Exciting things! C3 is ramping up its efforts to promote a sustainable health and wellness model to the complex employees and thereby our community. C3 continues to offer weekly yoga sessions, monthly chair yoga sessions, Lunch and Learns, and a host of participant challenges. All of these have garnered profound support from the complex employees and we constantly receive rave reviews. Several of the challenges C3 has offered: The Walking Challenge, C3 Recipe Swap, the C3 180 Day Makeover Challenge and the Couch to 5K Challenge. Additionally, Kelly McBride, certified personal trainer & weight loss specialist, graciously hosted a Lunch and Learn in our monthly series and led our first ever 5k Run and Walk, the Couch to 5K challenge. On April 7, 2018, C3 participated in the 8 th Annual Hot Diggity Dog 5k & Walk hosted by the Mississippi School for the Blind. It was such a fun event that C3 plans to make this an integral annual wellness event! Challenge participants have shown and provided first-hand testimonies that the organization of these activities are well worth the time and money invested. Participants have been motivated to challenge themselves and their co-workers. This has added a friendly competitive atmosphere to the education complex.

C3 Challenges kick off August 1! Watch your emails and the C3 Facebook page – Announcements to come! What’s Your Story? Would you like to tell your story? We would love to hear it! Submit a bio to be included in an upcoming newsletter.

We have experts. We want to hear from you. Email HR@mccb.edu to submit your question.