MCC Hall of Fame Inductee: William (Skip) Scaggs
The classrooms, the baseball field, and even a basement hallway in Meridian Community College’s Todd Library all played a part in William (Skip) Scaggs’ life.
For Scaggs, MCC was transformative.
“I am somewhat a child of this community college and hold dear its values of service and opportunity,” Scaggs said. “I share these personal traits with the College, and they have guided me in my career.”
This year, Scaggs will be inducted into the Hall of Fame; he’s one of four who will be honored for their achievements. MCC recognizes a group of servant-leaders who have distinguished themselves in their professions and community service with the Hall of Fame award, which is sponsored by the MCC Foundation.
Scaggs is the executive director of the North Mississippi Industrial Development Association (NMIDA), a position in which he has held for more than eight years. The NMIDA expands across parts of 30 counties in North Mississippi, from Kemper to DeSoto counties.
With nearly 30 years of experience in economic development working at the federal, state, regional, and local levels of economic development organizations, Scaggs has been described as a strategic thinker who passionately works to strengthen communities.
He’s president of the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association, president of the Southeastern Automotive Manufacturers’ Association, chairman of the North Mississippi Medical Center Amory Gilmore Board of Trustees, senior warden at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen and a member of the Itawamba Community College Board of Trustees.
His passion for economic development and serving communities has familial roots, too. Scaggs grew up with MCC in his backyard. His father, William (Bill) Scaggs, served as the first president of the College, and the campus was part of daily life for the Scaggs family.
From Fall 1987 through Spring 1989, Scaggs carved out his own MCC experience and found an expanded view of his community. “This was not high school, and it wasn’t exactly the college experience my high school peers left for. I shared classes with people my parents' age who were either just curious about learning or recommitting to an opportunity that education could bring them,” he said.
“Learning alongside so many shaped my commitment and belief in the value of opportunity for those who are willing to strive for it,” Scaggs noted.
His learning experiences expanded to the baseball diamond as Scaggs was manager of the Eagle Baseball Team, working alongside Coach Carlton (Corky) Palmer. “I wasn’t a player, and I wasn’t a coach, but there was some layer in between where I got to see behind the curtain of both, and it was magical,” Scaggs remembered.
“It was like a front row seat to leadership, management, determination, and effort all rolled together. It wasn’t a classroom, but I learned a lot. On top of that, the camaraderie and brotherhood of sports is hard to match.”
In addition to his MCC associate degree, Scaggs earned a bachelor of arts in American Studies from Stetson University and a master of public policy and administration from Jackson State University. He’s also completed numerous professional development courses from the Gavin School of International Management at Thunderbird, Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
His best memory of MCC? Meeting his future wife.
“We were leaving the same Spanish class in the basement of Todd Library and walking down that long hall by the then media center. That’s where we spoke for the first time. Of course, I was a bumbling idiot, and she later confessed to thinking as much, but my persistence paid off. We dated for several years before getting married. I still remember the taupe color of the walls,” he said.
Scaggs and his wife, Dr. Brenda Thornhill Scaggs, also an MCC graduate, have been married for 29 years and have two children, Zachary, 21, and Carter, 19.
Visit meridiancc.edu/halloffame for more information.