Delta State Univeristy's ninth President, Dr. Daniel J. EnnisCLEVELAND, Miss. — Dr. Daniel J. Ennis, officially stepped into his role as Delta State University’s ninth president June 1. Ennis comes to DSU from Coastal Carolina University, where he most recently served as provost.
When asked about his first impressions after a week on the job, Ennis said, “I’m so pleased. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful. I’ve been surrounded by people wishing me luck, asking what they can do to help. It has been quite remarkable.”
Ennis met with the Cleveland–Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday and was very encouraged by the feedback he received. “They all said, ‘Call on us, we are ready to help Delta State.’” Ennis said that he has been quite impressed by the community’s investment on and off campus — both the actual Delta State faculty and staff community, and the people of Cleveland and Bolivar County.
He said, “With the community behind you, that makes everything so much easier. It makes recruitment easier. If we need help, if we need support, there are a bunch of people lining up to help Delta State succeed.”
Ennis has stated that he plans on being very deliberate about learning the lay of the land before making any kind of policy decisions. He emphasized that he wants to have a clear picture of the state of the university and the input of all stakeholders before embarking on any course of action.
He said, “I want the community to know that Delta State’s future is bright. Delta State is well positioned to succeed. The community and the university are going to be linked arm-in-arm, and I’m so glad to be here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Ennis will be joined in Cleveland in two weeks by his wife, Jennifer, and his eldest daughter, Katie. Katie Ennis recently finished her master’s degree at Auburn, and the younger Ennis daughter, Caroline, is moving to Birmingham to begin graduate school at UAB.
