The homemade addition to the name placard on Mignonne Ater’s desk signifies her newness on the job, but not her newness to the community.

And those community connections are what the new dean of the Ferriday branch of Louisiana Technical College wants to build on.

Ater, whose first day on the job was Thursday, has served as the head of the Health Services Department at the Shelby M. Jackson Campus for 12 years.

&uot;I’m working with faculty and staff that I’ve worked with for years,&uot; she said.

&uot;It is an environment I’m very comfortable in, but it is still a little overwhelming.&uot;

Ater is still teaching nursing classes during the transition between jobs and mapping out ways to achieve her goals as dean.

&uot;One of my goals is not only to continue and strengthen the workforce but to make the community aware and involved in what we do.&uot;

The Ferriday branch of the school is one of 40 branches of Louisiana Technical College all with a mission to provide skilled employees for local business and industry. The Shelby M. Jackson Campus has a summer enrollment of 170 and is anticipating 250 in the fall.

Becoming dean has been a goal of Ater’s for about seven or eight years.

The position opened up about four months ago when the previous dean retired. LTC Vice Chancellor/Provost Leonard Garrett said Ater met all the qualifications.

&uot;We believe her to be the best candidate for the job,&uot; Garrett said.

&uot;It (her experience with the school) was one of the things we liked. But we also liked her commitment and work ethic and desire to build community.&uot;

A screening committee accepted and reviewed applications for the job, narrowing the field to three and selecting Ater.

Ater said she felt her nursing background has well prepared her for the job.

She has been a practicing, registered nurse for over 20 years.

&uot;I really feel my nursing education experience has prepared me in many ways for this broader administrative role. It is not unusual for nursing educators to move on up.&uot;

Tbe Ferriday campus has a health services department that offers practical nursing and EMT courses, a business technical department that offers courses on computers and accounting and a trade and industry department that includes welding and refrigeration classes.

&uot;I’m very excited, all the potential is there to grow and be even more vital,&uot; she said.

Ater said she plans to work with the Chamber of Commerce, city officials and community groups to find ways to involve the campus with the community and vice versa.

&uot;I will do it in a very direct, one-on-one way,&uot; she said. &uot;Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. We are here for the individuals.&uot;

Ater has a master of science in nursing from Northwestern State University and a bachelor of science from Alcorn State University.