New Copiah-Lincoln Community College President Dr. RonaldNettles said he is aware of the big responsibility he’s taking on,but that he’s ready to take it head-on.

Nettles will be replacing Dr. Howell Garner, who announced hisretirement as of June 30, 2008. Garner has served the college for34 years, the past 11 years as president.

“I am grateful to Dr. Garner for all that he has done for mepersonally and professionally,” said Nettles. “I think if you lookback at the last 11 years that he has been president, you canconfidently say it was the greatest period of growth in the 80 yearhistory of Co-Lin. He has done a remarkable job.”

The Board of Trustees appointed Nettles at the Dec. 6 meeting,shortly after Garner announced his retirement. Nettles, who willbecome Co-Lin’s seventh president, said he plans to do whatever isnecessary to make the transition a seamless one.

“I am truly honored and overwhelmed by this responsibility andtrust and am looking forward to the next six months of working withDr. Garner to ensure a smooth transition,” he said.

Garner said he is confident in the choice of Nettles as hissuccessor, saying the college could expect great things.

“I absolutely believe the institution will be in some verycapable hands,” he said. “Dr. Nettles will do a great job.”

Nettles, 46, is currently executive vice president of theCollege, a position he has held since July 2004. He served asCopiah-Lincoln’s Dean of the Natchez Campus from 1997-2004 anddirector of Community and Economic Development on Wesson Campusfrom 1994-1997. Prior to coming to Co-Lin, he held variousadministrative positions at the University of Southern Mississippifrom 1984-1994.

As such, Nettles said, he plans to continue to make the collegea better place for the faculty, staff and students of the presentand the future.

“I am personally committed to this institution and I lookforward to working with our faculty and staff to fulfill ourmission in the communities we serve,” he said. “I’m very proudabout where Co-Lin is now and where it can go in the yearsahead.”

Nettles, a native of Jefferson County, is a graduate of TrinityEpiscopal Day School in Natchez. He graduated from the Universityof Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree inpolitical science and a Master of Education degree in counselingand personnel services. Nettles received a Ph.D. from theUniversity of Mississippi in Educational Leadership in 1994.

Nettles is a member of numerous professional organizations andcivic clubs including the Mississippi Community College AcademicDeans Association, National Council of InstructionalAdministrators, Mississippi Association of Colleges, Wesson LionsClub, Wesson Chamber of Commerce, Wesson Attendance Center PTA,Adams County Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, RotaryClub of Natchez, Natchez Chamber of Commerce, and has been a youthleague soccer, basketball and baseball coach.

He received the National Institute for Organizations Development(NISOD) Excellence Award (1988), Co-Lin’s High Performance Award(1999) and was a member of Mississippi’s Economic Council’sLeadership Mississippi Class of 1990.

Nettles is married to the former Rosie Jones of Natchez. Theyhave two children, a daughter, Jordan and a son, Brandon. They aremembers of St. Francis Church in Brookhaven.