Allie Rose Parker, Student Government Association president at Delta State, recently became the first student member of the Board of Directors for the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n
Parker was appointed to the position at the recommendation of Board President Heather Robinson \u201901, \u201903. She will begin her duties next month.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a special opportunity for me because I have the chance to interact with some of the people who work so hard to make Cleveland the awesome city that it is,\u201d said Parker. \u201cAs a student, I feel that I’ll be able to learn from these men and women and gain experiences and knowledge for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCleveland is a unique city because the residents here care so deeply about DSU,\u201d she added. \u201cWith this position, I hope to involve the city even more with events happening on our campus. Community events are such a big thing in Cleveland, and with the city and Delta State working together, I think we will see some really great things accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chamber Executive Director Judson Thigpen \u201978 said he\u2019s thrilled to bring a student voice on board.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel a strong bond with Delta State, especially with the faculty and staff, and we wanted to become more mindful of the things students would like to see,\u201d said Thigpen \u201978. \u201cWe really value Allie Rose\u2019s input as she represents the student body, and we expect that each year the SGA president would serve this role for the Chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Vernell Bennett, Delta State\u2019s vice president of Student Affairs, said this is the perfect opportunity for Parker to strengthen the university\u2019s bond with the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great opportunity for Allie Rose and very insightful of the Chamber to include the student voice on its board,\u201d said Bennett. \u201cIn doing so, I believe they\u2019ll see a marked increase in DSU students being engaged in their programming and activities. I think it\u2019s mutually beneficial because it allows both entities to capitalize off of the strengths of the other. DSU students will benefit from the Chamber\u2019s programming, services, networking opportunities and possible merchant mentorships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bennett noted that this has become a semester of firsts for Parker. She also became the first Delta State student to have voting privileges on the President\u2019s Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Delta State President William N. LaForge echoed Bennett\u2019s praise for this opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very moved that the\u00a0Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber\u00a0invited\u00a0our SGA president to be on the board,\u201d said LaForge. \u201cJust as Allie Rose will serve on the President\u2019s Cabinet, now the Chamber has the benefit of student input for the community. It\u2019s a wonderful illustration of town-gown relations and the engagement of students who have very important perspectives. She will be a great member of their board.\u201d<\/p>\n