11/7/2017 - Wesson, Miss.

Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives Dr. Casey Turnage was honored as one of two Alumni of the Year at Copiah-Lincoln Community College's Homecoming celebration, held recently on the campus in Wesson.

A 1992 Co-Lin graduate, Dr. Turnage holds a bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi. She served in various administrative roles at Southern Miss, including associate registrar and NCATE director for teacher education programs during her 17 years at the university.

In her role as director of policy and strategic initiatives, Dr. Turnage works closely with all levels of education, including K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, to support a seamless education system. She has overseen the articulation agreement between the community colleges and universities and worked with community college registrars to implement a reverse transfer associate degree process.

Currently, she spearheads the Complete 2 Compete initiative, a statewide university and community college campaign aimed at helping adults with some college credit, but no degree, return to college to complete the requirements needed to earn their degrees.

In addition, Dr. Turnage serves as the associate executive director for the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, where she assists with the credentialing and recertification processes at the national office. She is a member of St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood and has two children, Clayton and Audrey.

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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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