Adrian Montague selected for Maxine Smith Fellows Program

Adrian Montague, Jackson State Community College admissions officer and recruiter, is among thirteen faculty and staff members from the College System of Tennessee's 21 colleges and universities statewide selected to participate in the 2021-22 Class of the Maxine Smith Fellows Program. This is the program's 15^th cohort.

Adrian has been with JSCC for one and a half years as an admissions officer. During that time, he has demonstrated a passion and dedication for helping students. As a former captain of the U.S. Army who successfully completed three combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, Adrian sees himself eventually serving the college in higher leadership roles.

The Maxine Smith Fellows Program provides professional development, training, and advancement opportunities for participants from traditionally underrepresented groups at the College System of Tennessee, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), and the state's locally governed public universities. Members meet monthly for a year, starting this month.

In addition to the professional development of the class members, the program stimulates increased collaboration among institutions, the development of a statewide network for program participants, and an overall increase in the diversity of ideas, thoughts, and experiences within senior leadership ranks at Tennessee public higher education institutions.

"Maxine Smith Fellows alumni have advanced to senior leadership positions, including seven Fellows who have gone on to serve as presidents at colleges and universities in Tennessee and in other states. Many of them have said that the Maxine Smith Fellows experience contributed to their success," said Dr. Wendy J. Thompson, TBR vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness and Maxine Smith Fellows program administrator.