Surrell and Beggs graduate from leadership program
Holmes Community College's Director of Business Services Matt Surrell and Ridgeland Campus Evening Coordinator and Health, Physical Education and Recreation Division Chair and Instructor Ryan Beggs recently graduated from the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy.
The MCCLA is organized around the practical needs for future community college leaders, specific to the Mississippi community college system. The program was developed in 2009 to address the projected need for upper-level leaders in the Mississippi community college system.
Surrell has served as director of business services for 10 years. Prior to his position at Holmes, he worked as an assurance/audit senior associate for HORNE, LLP, in Grenada for seven years following a one-year internship with the company.
Surrell earned a bachelor of business administration in accounting from Millsaps College and his master of accountancy from the University of Mississippi. He is a member of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) Business Managers Association, the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers (SACUBO), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and of course, CCBO.
He was named the 2015 Outstanding Business Officer of the Year for Region VI by the Community College Business Officers organization. This award is given to business officers who have made outstanding contributions to business and financial management in higher education.
A man dedicated to his community, Surrell currently serves as the chairman of the board of the Winona Montgomery Consolidated School District Board, as a volunteer coach for youth baseball and soccer teams, and as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and active member of local mission efforts for Winona Church of Christ. His hobbies include watching Ole Miss athletics, hunting, fishing, and running.
Surrell and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Winona and have three sons: Paxton, 12, and Kasen, 8, and Rylan, 5.
Beggs, who lives in Brandon, holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in physical education, both the from the University of New Mexico, where played and later coached.
After receiving his master's degree, he served as assistant baseball coach at the University of New Mexico for two seasons and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for six seasons. He also taught in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department at Gulf Coast. In addition, he served as pitching coach for the Wareham Gateman in the Cape Cod League for eight summers. During that time, the Gatemen won the league championship twice.
Beggs came to Holmes in 2008 as assistant baseball coach and as an instructor in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department on the Goodman Campus. He left coaching in 2015 but continued teaching in Goodman and on the Ridgeland Campus. He became the division chair in 2015 and also added the title of Evening Coordinator on the Ridgeland Campus in 2018.
While Beggs no longer coaches, he remains an avid baseball fan. In addition, he enjoys horse racing and football. He is content to be at his home in Brandon where he enjoys working in the yard, grilling, and the solitude of his backyard. He also enjoys frequent trips to New Orleans and Mobile.
Beggs is married to Gail Beggs and they have three children, Emmy, Lindsey Claire Hutchins (Hunter), and Trae Muse, as well as two grandchildren, Ty and Sunny Mae Hutchins.
Previous MCCLA graduates from Holmes include: Diane Allgood, Dr. Alice Austin, Dr. Mike Blankenship, Dr. Michelle Burney, Dr. Don Burnham, Martha Cofer, Dr. Kathryn Cox, Dr. Stephanie Diffey, Steve Diffey, Dr. LaWanda Herron, Dr. Joye Jones, Dr. Luke Jones, Kay Kelly, Dr. Tonya Lawrence, Dwight Myrick, Bronwyn Martin, Slade Redwine, Dr. Larry Webster, Dr. Amy Whittington and Dr. Amy Wolgamott.
