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Skeeter's Site (Skeeter is my nickname!) I am originally from Morgantown, Mississippi, which is a small village of 300 people about 30 miles west of Hattiesburg. This community was organized by my ancestors in the late 1800s and most of the residents are somehow related to each other. It is nestled along Pearl River with a few creeks nearby as well. When I was a child my grandfather operated the country store and was also the Postmaster. The Post Office was housed inside the store. The central point of the community was-- and still is-- the local Church of God. I was raised in a nurturing, Christian environment with many positive role models. Some of the greatest people on earth were my childhood mentors. I had an awesome childhood in Morgantown. In January 1994 I moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, to attend Lee University (another great place). This was just after the Ellis Hall fire and on-campus housing was limited. Learning that I might have to live off-campus was overwhelming-- because coming from a town of 400 to a city as large as Cleveland was a BIG change. I almost went back to Mississippi until a bed was located in the storage room of Hughes Hall. For two weeks that is where I slept while camping out in the dorm's TV room during the day. Finally a room opened up on the third floor of Hughes Hall. Who would have thought that today I would be a faculty member on the campus and have my own office? :-) I graduated from Lee University in December 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communication, Public Relations. I then enrolled in the School of Information Sciences at The University of Tennessee @ Knoxville (Go Vols!!!), where I earned a Master of Science in Information Science in 2002. I am also a 2001 graduate of the Georgia Archives Institute, and I previously worked for eight years at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center. There I served as the official Archivist of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) from January 1999 to August 2003. I am also a former curator at the Museum Center at Five Points in Cleveland, Tennessee. I am currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Organizational Leadership at Regent University. Among my professional activities, I am a member of the Tennessee Library Association, where I serve on the Board of Directors as a member of the Publications Advisory Board. I am a member of the American Library Association and the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). I also serve as the Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Historical Society of Church of God Movements. In Mississippi, I am a lifetime member of the Marion County Historical Society. I am a former member of the Society of American Archivists, where I served several years as the Tennessee Key Contact Representative. A member of the Morgantown Church of God, I previously served there in various ministerial capacities, including as Minister of Youth and Children. I am also a published author. My hobbies include reading, traveling, writing, fishing, hiking, boating, and playing X-box with friends. I spend most of my time involved in the activities at Lee University. As for my job (which I love!), I teach students how to use library resources for their research papers, and I also serve as an academic advisor to about 30 students. I work in the Reference area of the library, and I coordinate the special projects within the building. I enjoy helping people, and my office is usually full of students. This is a great place to be!
Little known facts about me: I raised chickens when I was a child and sold eggs. (I even sold a rooster for $12.50-- a long story.) I used to own horses, and my first pony was named Chico. I am a volunteer deputy sheriff. |