ICC Schedules Commencement Ceremonies

FULTON, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – Approximately 600 students will participate in two commencement ceremonies, which are scheduled for May 14th in the Davis Event Center at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus.

Ceremony times include Associate of Arts, 11 a.m., and Associate of Applied Science, 3 p.m.

Speakers for the ceremonies will be former Mississippi Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, who is now the vice president for Campus Services of Mississippi State University, A.A.; and Sean Suggs, vice president of Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, A.A.S.

At MSU, Tuck is responsible for providing vision and strategic leadership for campus operations, which includes campus landscape, facilities maintenance and repair, utilities production and distribution, faculty and staff housing, sustainability, campus planning, design and construction.

She also has leadership roles in several MSU committees including chairman of the Special Events and Game Day Operations committee; president and director of the MSU Educational Building Corporation, MSU Community Engagement Committee and the MSU Athletic Council.

She has also served as a mentor for Leadership Excellence for Accomplished Professionals program and as chairman of the board for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership.

Tuck was elected Lt. Gov. of the State of Mississippi in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003. Prior to serving as Lieutenant Governor, Tuck was Secretary of the Senate, overseeing its day-to-day operations, earlier serving as a State Senator for five years.

Her recognitions include selection as the 2015 Ambassador by the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women, the 2013 Friend of the Student Association Award presented by the MSU Student Association, and a member of the Honor Society of Phi  Kappa Phi.

She serves as a board member for Friends of Mississippi Veterans and as an active member of the Women in Higher Education Mississippi Network.

She was elected as the Statewide Coordinator for WHEMN for 2011-13 and as the recipient of that organization’s Leadership award. Tuck is a member of the Official Mississippi Women’s Club and the MSU Women’s Club.

Additional honors are one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women; President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, the only Mississippian to serve on this prestigious committee; and the 2007 Mississippi State University Alumna of the Year – College of Arts and Sciences.

Tuck earned the bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University.

Prior to taking over as manufacturing vice president, Sean Suggs served as the vice president of administration at Toyota’s Blue Springs plant that produces the Corolla, Toyota’s highest volume selling vehicle in the world.

In his current role, Suggs is responsible for all areas of automotive manufacturing, including body operations, paint and assembly and encompasses all areas of engineering, production and maintenance.

His automotive career began in 1998 at Toyota’s vehicle assembly plant in Princeton, Ind., where he was hired as a team leader.

During his 10-year tenure, he served in several roles and was named general manager of quality planning in 2008.

Prior to rejoining Toyota, he served as director of strategy, administration and human resources from 2011-13 at Nissan’s North American headquarters in Franklin, Tenn.

During his five years with Nissan, he also directed production quality at the company’s manufacturing and assembly plant in Canton.

He currently serves as a board member for the Center for Manufacturing Excellence at the University of Mississippi, the Toyota Wellsprings Endowment Committee, the Community Development Foundation and the Tree of Life Clinic.

In the past, Suggs supported several state and regional nonprofit and economic development organizations in Tennessee and Mississippi.

He earned the bachelor’s degree from Oakland City (Ind.) College and the master’s degree (business administration) from Auburn University.

He and his wife, Janet, reside in Tupelo, which places him close to his six children and their families.

AMY TUCK

SEAN SUGGS