Boosting Valley economy is part of EGCC’s mission

By Denise Dick | July 24, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Eastern Gateway Community College’s new president believes part of the college’s mission is to help the Mahoning Valley economically.

“Our job is to help strengthen the Mahoning Valley’s economy,” said Jimmie Bruce, who started July 13 as the college’s president.

The way EGCC can do that is to ensure that its programs and courses align with the workforce needs of the community, he said.

“That’s one of the things community colleges exist to do,” Bruce said.

Laura Meeks, president for 15 years, is retiring next Friday.

Bruce spent Thursday visiting both the Valley Center downtown and the Warren Center, talking to employees, answering questions and familiarizing himself with the facilities.

Another part of its Valley mission is “to help students achieve success,” he said.

Bruce previously served as dean of student success and chief student-affairs officer at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, Texas.

One of the biggest differences between that institution and EGCC is the size. Northwest Vista has about 16,000 students, and most of its students transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

EGCC’s enrollment is about 2,800 and growing. Most of its students are adults returning to school to earn a degree or certificate. But there are similarities, too.

Both schools serve students from underprivileged backgrounds, people who struggle economically as they wrestle with life’s challenges, he said. That could mean a job loss or lack of college readiness.

During his first 90 days as president, Bruce plans to spend a lot of time listening to people at the college as well as those in the communities surrounding them.

Bruce, a native of Kentucky, earned his doctorate of education in educational leadership at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, Texas; a master’s degree in organizational communication and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., and also worked at a community college in Kentucky.