August 26, 2026

By Michael Stewart / EMCC director of publications

Brad Skelton took over as East Mississippi Community College’s new workforce director in the first week of August.

Skelton’s office is located at The Communiversity, EMCC’s training facility dedicated to training students for careers in advanced manufacturing.

“One of my primary duties is to serve as a liaison between EMCC and our local industries to ensure we are providing the training they need to maintain a skilled workforce,” Skelton said.

Other duties include overseeing short-term workforce training programs and industry-specific instruction for current or future employees.

The Communiversity, EMCC’s 145,638-square-foot facility, serves as an educational hub for workforce development. Advanced manufacturing programs at The Communiversity include Precision Machining & Manufacturing, Engineering, Drafting & Design, Electrical Technology, Mechatronics Technology, Industrial Maintenance and Systems Based Automation.

The Workforce Services division offers numerous noncredit programs designed to help people upgrade their skills or obtain new ones in a broad range of areas that include HVAC, welding Phlebotomy and certified nursing assistant, to name a few. The Communiversity also works with area industries to provide training specific to their needs for both current employees and prospective hires. 

“One of the things I would like to do early on is survey our local industries to see what their needs are so we can provide classes to fill any of those skills gaps,” Skelton said.

Skelton replaces Joe Cook, who served at EMCC for nearly 24 years before retiring in March of 2026.

“Joe did a great job as workforce director and the task of finding a suitable replacement seemed daunting at first,” EMCC Vice President of Career Technical and Workforce Education Dr. Michael Busby said. “I am excited to have someone of Brad’s caliber come on board. He has the knowledge and experience to step into the role and make an immediate impact.”

Prior to accepting the job at EMCC, Skelton was employed as a learning and development lead at Tronox Inc.’s pigment plant in Hamilton, which processes a titanium dioxide white pigment used in a variety of products, such as paints, coatings, plastics and paper, to name a few.

“I worked alongside a team of trainers I had who were responsible for making sure our employees were compliant with OSHA rules,” Skelton said. “We trained them on plant processes, how to be safe, and how to be valuable employees.”

Prior experience includes work with career technical education programs for the Mississippi Department of Education and at Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit, where he was involved in developing CTE curriculum.

“At the Department of Education, I was a program supervisor for high school career technical education courses, in areas such as automotive service, law, public service and all the various other programs they offer,” Skelton said.

He also worked for three years in a learning and development role in the Human Resources Department at MSU, where he earned a master’s degree in education. Skelton also has an undergraduate degree in Golf & Sports Turf Management and worked in that field at city parks and golf courses in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama early in his career.

A Scottsboro, Alabama native, Skelton resides in Pheba with his wife, Amy, who works at MSU’s Career Center. The couple has a son, Marshall, who resides in New Jersey, and a daughter, Sarah, who is finishing her final year at MSU.

Skelton said he is excited about his new role at EMCC.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the importance of establishing good relationships and one of the things I am looking forward to the most is getting to know our industry partners and identifying ways we can help them to be successful,” Skelton said. “The other side of that is providing people in the communities we serve the skills needed to flourish in their careers. It is rewarding work and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of that effort.”