Alumna Jeanna Dacey Wilkes will serve as the new director of Student Life at Delta State University.Jeanna Dacey Wilkes ’12 ’13, a native of Hernando, Miss., is welcomed as the new director of Student Life at Delta State University. In this role, Wilkes will be responsible for directing and supervising the office of Student Life, with the main goal of assisting students and their parents outside of the classroom.
She takes over after the retirement of longtime director Elsie Lynn Ervin.
“I am delighted to serve within Student Affairs as director of Student Life,” said Wilkes. “I am eager to work with various student organizations and help improve our student engagement across campus. It’s an honor to serve my alma mater and the student body once again, and bring my experiences to this position.”
Involving students in campus life activities will be vital to her role as director. Wilkes will serve as team leader for the Confidential Assessment Response Team, advise the five fraternities of the Interfraternity Council and three sororities of the Panhellenic Council, manage the DSU Parents Association, coordinate the annual Orientation program, and serve in other capacities to support the division of Student Affairs.
Wilkes graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Delta State in 2012 and was named student director of Orientation, Student Government Association president, and Omicron Delta Kappa vice president. Additionally, she assisted the director of Student Life, Student Organizations Committee and the DSU Parents Association. She was also actively involved in the National Campus Leadership Council, American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Geller SGA Presidents
In 2012, she was named to the DSU Hall of Fame, Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities, and received the Bobby Rowe Memorial Outstanding Leadership Award, and the H.E.A.D.W.A.E. Student Honoree Award from Delta State and Mississippi Public Universities. She completed her MBA from Delta State in 2013 while serving as an admissions recruiter in the Office of Admissions.
Wilkes joined the Student Success Center as the Student Success Advisor in 2014. In this role, she coordinated campus-wide Academic Advising Services, academically advised all undeclared students, managed the S.O.S. (Stay Okra Strong) Early Alert program and worked closely with Orientation and First Year Seminar.
Currently, she resides in Cleveland and continues to serve as an instructor for First Year Seminar, DSU’s United Way division chair and is member of the American Association of University Women.
Dr. E.E. “Butch” Caston, serving as the interim vice president for Student Affairs, is thrilled to have Wilkes join the team.
“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to employ someone of Jeanna’s abilities and experiences at Delta State in the position of director of student life,” said Caston.
