Officials are being tight-lipped on the details of a “mutually beneficial” partnership announced Monday between Jefferson Davis Community College and the City of Brewton.
Described as a “new long-term” effort that “should prove mutually beneficial in economic development, workforce training, service learning and quality of life improvements, the initiative was briefly touched on by Mayor Yank Lovelace at Monday’s council meeting. Lovelace said additional details would be released in the future; however, a press release sent by the city discussed the partnership’s potential.
“We are excited about the potential this agreement brings to the city and to the college,” Lovelace stated in the press release. “It is impossible to overstate the importance of the college to our city and to the future economic well-being of our area.
“Supporting the college and its programs is key to workforce training and ultimately to attracting a diverse economic base here,” it stated. “Leadership there is forward-thinking and progressive and those are the kind of partnerships the city is seeking.”
Attempts to reach JDCC interim president Dr. William “Bill” Blow were unsuccessful Tuesday; however, in the same press release, Blow said that no community college could progress without the support of the community it serves.
“With both the City of Brewton and the College working on a shared goal, which is to advance both, there is unlimited potential in developing the workforce, enhancing the community’s quality of life and improving nearly every aspect of our academic programs,” the statement read.
 Multiple projects in the near future will feature the city teaming up with JDCC administration, faculty and students, officials said.
In the release, Dr. Don Kelly, JDCC’s dean of business affairs, said everyone benefits by JDCC “remaining one of the finest academic institutions in the state.”
“The college is one of the hidden gems in the region,” Kelly said in the release. “We have a remarkable faculty, exceptional academic programs, and impressive facilities such as our Patterson Auditorium. 
“While the college is located near downtown Brewton, it is also adjacent to some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the area,” he said. “This partnership will allow us to focus on areas that benefit both the college’s and the city’s long-term goals. 
“I am new to the area and very impressed with the foresight of the city’s leadership in support of the college,” he said. “With the leadership of the Mayor Lovelace and President Blow, this will certainly be a great partnership.”