Billy Stewart will be retiring as president of East Central Community College June 30, 2020.
While the news was a shock to the institution and to Newton County, it’s just as much of a shock to Stewart himself.
While the 30-year veteran in education, he didn’t begin thinking about retirement until August. After discussions with his wife and much prayer, Stewart made the decision to step down in early October. Board of Trustees Chairman Jimmy Hollingsworth asked Stewart to wait one additional month to make sure that he certain in his decision to retire.
However, Stewart is certain that it is time to move on. His retirement was announced at the November 12 ECCC Board of Trustees regular meeting during an executive session.
“Through a lot of prayer, I feel like God said it’s time for me to retire,” Stewart said “I trust him. I wouldn’t normally make a decision like this. I’m a planner. When I’m entering a dark room, I look for the light switch first so I can see what I’m doing, but there’s no light switch. I can’t see what’s in the room, if there’s even a floor. That’s a new feeling for me. I don’t know what’s next for me, but I trust this is the right time for me to move on.”
Stewart, a native of Pearl, is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi in 1990. Upon graduation, Stewart went right into work in the Mississippi education system. He was announced as the college’s eighth president on March 22, 2012. At East Central, Stewart initiated a strategic planning process that resulted in the 2020 Vision, which included a long-term desire to be nationally recognized and locally preferred while meeting the educational and training needs of all residents of the college district.
Next year, the 2020 Vision plan will be completed, and a new period of strategic planning will begin. He felt it would be unfair to a new president to create a new strategic plan and then retire not long into the execution of that plan.
“By retiring now, the new president can come in and develop the long-term strategic plan instead of I develop a plan and then hand it off to the new president to fulfill,” Stewart said. “I really think this is also a good time for the institution as well. The new president can come in and go through the strategic planning process. Then, he will have a plan that he made and instead of the planning process being completed and not having any input in the new plan.
“We will also be visited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. So the new president will also have a chance to get familiar with the institution so that he will be ready for the reaccreditation process.”
Speaking of the 2020 Vision, Stewart said ECCC was able to complete most of the goals contained within that plan with a few that will be implemented within the next year.
While ECCC has seen tremendous growth and received numerous accomplishments, he attributes that the people who went before him.
“It’s due to the Ovid Vickers, Alice Pounceys, Tom Carsons, others who have names on the buildings of our campus and all of the teachers and employees we’ve had in the past,” Stewart said. “They laid the foundation for the success that we have had.”
As far as what’s next for Stewart, the only plans he has right now is to continue to be the president of ECCC until the end of his contract and then to spend time with his mother to help her go through the extensive collection of books owned by his late father. The Stewarts also plan to rent a home and stay in Decatur to allow their daughter Emily, a junior at Newton County High School, a chance to complete her high school education.
Stewart said the most rewarding part of his job has been the relationships that he’s built with students, teachers, staff, board of trustees and the community members.
“The thing that I’ll remember the most is the lives that I’ve seen changed,” Stewart said. “Students who felt called to come here and leave here changed. That’s what I’ll remember the most.”
However, Stewart said he doesn’t care if anyone remembers him or what he did during his tenure at ECCC.
“There’s a Casting Crowns song that says ‘And I, I don’t want to leave a legacy, I don’t care if they remember me, Only Jesus. And I, I’ve only got one life to live, I’ll let every second point to Him, Only Jesus. All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won, Will crumble into dust when it’s said and done, ‘Cause all that really matters, Did I live the truth to the ones I love? Was my life the proof that there is only One, Whose name will last forever?’ That’s truly who I am. I don’t really care if anyone remembers what I did or who I am. All I want them to remember is Jesus.”
