[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College celebrated the 2017 Instructors of the Year at the annual Spring Reception held on March 23 at the Hospitality and Resort Management Center in Biloxi. One instructor is chosen from each of the college’s campuses to receive the honor.
Tommie Ann Broome, of Moss Point, was chosen as Instructor of the Year for the Jackson County Campus. She is the lead instructor for the Process Operations Technology program and has taught at MGCCC since 2003. Before beginning her tenure at the college, she worked for Chevron Pascagoula Refinery for 23 years as a process operator, spending more than 10 years of her Chevron career in the Learning and Development Department for the refinery. An MGCCC alumna, she received her bachelor’s degree in career and technical education from William Carey University in Hattiesburg.
Tommie has been involved with North America Process Technology Alliance since 2003 when she began teaching. “Their curriculum was what we needed to get the classes started,” she says. “Having that curriculum helped us get the program off the ground, and it was and has been a wonderful curriculum.” Tommie served as Education co-chair of the Standards and Quality Committee for NAPT before moving to her current position as Education co-chair of the Curriculum and Education Committee. She still serves as an auditor for program endorsements for the S&Q Committee.
After three years at Perkinston, they moved the program to the Jackson County Campus. The program has grown successfully over the years. “We now have a full day program and a full night program with almost 300 students,” she said. “It has been a phenomenal trip, getting this program off the ground and watching it grow to what it is today.”
In 2016, Tommie led a group of students in forming a troubleshooting team to participate in the qualifying round for the Third National Troubleshooting Competition held in Texas. The three-member team from MGCCC was one of only eight teams invited to participate in the nationals, out of 25 teams competing at the qualifier. “I was very proud of these students and what they accomplished,” she said. “It was a very tough competition, and our students performed very well.” She plans to take a team again this year.
“Teaching is fun,” she said. “I come in to work looking forward to the day ahead. Why? Well, because I love what process is all about. No two days are the same, and you have to be good at solving problems. Teaching is certainly the same way, and that’s probably why I like both occupations so much. I want to share my love of process with my students. I know they are initially attracted by the money they make, but I want them to love their careers as much as I have.”
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
