FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 15, 2005

Governor Barbour Appoints Harrison to Southern Regional Education Board

(Jackson, Miss.)—Governor Haley Barbour today announced the appointment of Dr. Charles Harrison, of Pontotoc, to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). The SREB assists state leaders by directing attention to key education issues and conducting studies that help states and institutions form long-range plans, actions, and policy proposals. Mississippi is one of the 16 member states of the SREB, which serves as the nation’s first interstate compact for education.
“Dr. Harrison is an excellent choice,” Governor Barbour said. “He has years of educational experience that make him well-qualified to serve in this capacity, and I feel confident he will successfully perform his duties as an active SREB member.”

Dr. Harrison is director of the Accountability Plus Project, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, and Educational Consultant at the University of Mississippi-Tupelo Advanced Education Center. Previously, he has worked as the executive director of the UM Advanced Education Center and Assistant Professor of Educational Administration, Superintendent of the Pontotoc School District, and Assistant Superintendent for Tunica County Schools. Dr. Harrison was a member of the Mississippi State Board of Education and the Itawamba Community College Board, and has spoken at several national conferences on topics such as “Developing a Comprehensive Plan for School Improvement” and “Computer Applications to Educational Management.”

He served as president of the Mississippi Academy for School Executives, member of the Mississippi State Department of Education Statewide Testing Committee, and member of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents. Dr. Harrison received the Mississippi Administrator Development Network Leadership and Service award in 1994 and the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges 10-year Service award in 1997. In 1999, he was selected to receive the Distinguished Leadership and Service Award from the City of Pontoon and was recognized by the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents for Outstanding Achievement in 2000.

Dr. Harrison attended East Central Junior College and is a 1971 graduate of Mississippi State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology and social studies education and a master’s degree in secondary education. Dr. Harrison received his doctorate of education from the University of Mississippi in 1981 and has pursued additional coursework through the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University.

###