October 21, 2019
East Central Community College will honor military veterans at its annual Military Appreciation Breakfast Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, on the Decatur campus.
The annual event begins with a complimentary breakfast at 7 a.m. in the Gold Room of Mabry Cafeteria. All community veterans are encouraged to attend.
The keynote address will be given by Stacey Pickering, executive director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board. The board oversees and manages Mississippi’s four Veterans Homes and two Veteran Memorial Cemeteries, trains and certifies almost 100 Veteran Service Officers in the state of Mississippi, and authorizes over 100 education institutions and programs to receive VA educational benefits.
Prior to his role at Mississippi Veterans Affairs, Pickering served as the 41st State Auditor of Mississippi. During his three terms, he received the David M. Walker Award for excellence in accountability from GAO, served on the Domestic Working Group for the Office of the Comptroller General of the United States, and was honored with the National State Auditor’s Association’s National Excellence in Accountability Award in 2012.
In 2009 and in 2013, the Department of Defense honored him with a Patriot Award in recognition of his extraordinary support of its employees who serve in the Mississippi National Guard and Reserve.
Chaplain Pickering serves in the Mississippi Air National Guard with the 186th Air Operations Group, and he is troop leader for Boy Scouts of America.
Pickering and his wife, Whitney, live in Laurel.
In addition to Pickering’s address, members of the college’s vocal music ensemble Vocé will sing the national anthem and trumpeter Angel Mondragon of Forest, a member of the Wall O’ Sound Marching Band, will play Taps.
Posting of the Colors will be by Boy Scout Troop 46 from Decatur United Methodist Church.
For more information on the annual ECCC Military Appreciation Breakfast, contact Dr. Randall Lee, vice president for student services, at 601-635-6375 or rlee@eccc.edu.
