Nicks, Williford Appointed to MSCC Board of Trustees

Local businessmen Milton Nicks Jr. of Marion and Richard Williford of West Memphis have been appointed to the Mid-South Community College Board of Trustees by Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe.

The governor also reappointed Alex Coulter of West Memphis, who has served on the board since its creation.

“We are certainly pleased to welcome our two new trustees,” said Coulter, who is chairing the Board for 2013-14. “Mr. Williford is a long-standing citizen of the county and a successful entrepreneur, and Mr. Nicks is a lifelong resident who has served the community admirably in public and private capacities.”

“The continuing Board members are looking forward to the contributions these two men will make as we all work together to strengthen Mid-South Community College and our county.”

MSCC President Dr. Glen Fenter said the new appointees will help the College build on past successes while looking toward future triumphs.

“I appreciate the willingness of Mr. Nicks and Mr. Williford to serve on the Board of Mid-South Community College. They are staunch and sincere advocates of higher education, and we look forward to working with them in our continuing effort to improve lives in the Delta.”

Nicks replaces Marvin Steele Sr. on the board, and Williford succeeds Philip Neri.

“We will certainly miss Marvin and Philip as they served with great enthusiasm and commitment,” Dr. Fenter said. “Their contributions to the College’s success have been considerable, and we all appreciate their efforts to strengthen our community through higher education.”

Nicks and Williford join Coulter, Mary Meux Toney (vice chair), Lynn Allen, Solon Anthony, Denny East, Hershel Owens, and Harold Scifres as MSCC trustees.

Nicks, a retired Arkansas State Police sergeant with 26 years of service, is a co-owner of Nicks Construction LLC in Marion. The Crittenden County native, who also worked several years at the Earle Police Department, pastors the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church at Earle.

He said his work in the ministry was not something planned. “My father was a minister, but I never thought I would do it. Then seven or eight years ago, I was led to it. It’s been rewarding.”

When approached about the possibility of serving on the MSCC Board, Nicks said he “jumped” at it.
“I feel really honored to be able to serve on this board,” he said. “I’ve been involved in community activities ever since I was a young adult, and I’ve had family members (including his son) come through the college.”

“It’s an institution that I feel like has really been positive and productive for this county. I just want to be a part of helping it continue to grow and to develop the things that we need here.”

Nicks said he had minimal exposure to higher education as a teenager but always understood the importance of it.

“When I graduated from high school in 1968, college opportunities weren’t quite as plentiful as they are now,” he recalled. “You basically got out of school and went to work.”

As a parent, he encouraged his children to pursue higher education. Nicks’ older daughter earned two healthcare degrees, and two of his other children used college to help prepare for the workforce.

Nicks and his wife, Joann, are grandparents of five and great-grandparents of two. Their oldest granddaughter is an MSCC graduate and a second-year teacher at Bragg Elementary School.

Williford, a native of Helena who owns Williford Realty Company, Inc., said he also welcomes the opportunity to serve.

“I’m familiar with all of the board members and look forward to working with them,” he said. “It’s really a good situation for me because I’m not coming in with a lot of strangers. We’ve all been friends for a long time.”

“I’m very pro-education. I think there’s nothing that will help these young people more than education. It unlocked a lot of doors for me. I was lucky to have the opportunity for a college education. It’s meant the world to me. Anything I can do to help education in my community and for my family is what I want to do.”

Williford earned a college degree from Mississippi State University after graduating from high school in Helena. When he finished college, Williford moved to Marion. A certified public accountant, he went to work for what is now Jackson, Howell & Associates.

He later left the accounting firm to enter the real estate profession. He partnered with the late Rob Hale to help develop Marion into a thriving community.

“When we started out in Marion, there were not many people there, about 500,” he recalled. “We started developing and building and had a pretty good run in Marion.”

He has worked more than 45 years in all phases of the real estate profession.

Williford and his wife, Martha, are the parents of one daughter, Kelly Nelson, and grandparents of two grandsons. Martha is a retired school teacher, and Kelly works at the Arkansas Workforce Center on the MSCC campus. One of the grandsons is working with the family business while the other is enrolled at MSCC this fall.

Members of the Mid-South Community College Board of Trustees, who are appointed by the governor, serve without compensation. The Board, which meets quarterly, establishes and reviews basic policies that govern the institution.

For information about MSCC, visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway, West Memphis, see the website at www.midsouthcc.edu, call (870) 733-6728, or email admissions@midsouthcc.edu.