PARK HILLS – Mineral Area College will hold its annual Commencement Ceremony at 7 pm on Friday, May 12, 2023, in the Bob Sechrest Field House. 388 students will graduate in the college’s 99th annual event.
Tickets are required to attend, with each participating graduate receiving six to share with family and friends. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the Mineral Area College YouTube page.
Commencement Speaker
This year’s speaker is Lt. Col. John Francis who began his career in the Missouri National Guard as a Combat Engineer in 1988 and was promoted to Sergeant before becoming an officer within the Army Aviation Branch in 1994.
He has served in a variety of assignments and staff positions at all levels through the Joint Task Force and Theater level and his overseas duty tours include: Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Israel, Germany, and Panama. He has completed multiple courses to include Airborne, Air Assault, Sapper Leadership Course, Instructor Pilot Course, Master Fitness Trainer, National Training Center Observer/Controller and many more.
He has flown a multitude of different aircraft to include the UH-1, UH-60, OH-58, C12, Jet Rangers, and various other fixed wing aircraft. His highest decorations include the Legion of Merit, 3 Meritorious Service Medals, an Air Medal, along with a Meritorious Unit Citation and the Army Superior Unit Award. He retired in 2016 with more than 28 years of service.
A graduate of Fredericktown High School, he received an associate degree from Mineral Area College, has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education and a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from Southeast Missouri State University, and a Master of Science in Aviation Safety from Central Missouri State University.
He has been a NASA Space Shuttle Recovery Program Air Mission Commander, flown as a CBS and FOX news pilot/reporter in St. Louis and is currently an Army Junior ROTC Instructor at the Fredericktown R-1 School District. Additionally, he is a lifetime member the Army Aviation Association of America, the Missouri Army National Guard Association, the National Guard Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a member of the Missouri State Teachers Association.
LTC Francis is married to Mrs. Sherry Francis who is the Vocal Music Director for Mineral Area College. Their daughter Melody is a 2021 MAC graduate and is currently pursuing a Biology Degree at Missouri Baptist University.
Simmons Distinguished Service Award
The N. Gayle and Rowena Simmons Distinguished Service Award is one of Mineral Area College’s highest honors. It is given to a community member who has had an affiliation with the college and distinguished themselves in outstanding community service. We are pleased to be honoring Harvey Faircloth of Park Hills with this year’s award.
Faircloth served on the MAC Board of Trustees for 18 years, first joining the Board in 2005 and retiring this April. As a Trustee, he worked with three MAC Presidents, supported numerous campus growth initiatives, and most recently helped the college weather the pandemic.
His long-term service to the college has been motivated by his belief that MAC is the greatest asset of the area. Ever the supporter of staff and students, he is a familiar face at events all over campus, from academics to athletics to the arts. His dedication to the college over the past 18 years has provided a strong foundation upon which MAC can grow. He says, “I’m looking forward to what the future holds with the expansion of new buildings, curriculum and activities under the great leadership and employees we have at MAC.”
Some highlights of infrastructure improvements during his tenure as a Trustee include, Fine Arts Theater renovations, Field House seating upgrade and expansion of Allied Health facilities (2007); remodeling of the Fredericktown Outreach Center to include additional classrooms and a science lab, remodeling of science labs and expansion of student services on the main campus (2011); updates to the C.H. Cozean Library (2013); renovation of the North College Center and Fine Arts Theater Lobby (2017); construction of the William Dickerson Welding Technology Center and HVAC buildings (2022); and addition of the 80,500 sq. ft. Industry and Technology Center which will open in Fall 2023.
In addition to his service to MAC, Faircloth is an active member of the community, having served on the Central R-3 school board for 33 years; two terms on the Missouri School Board Association Board of Directors; 43 years as a Lions Club member; and a member of the Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce. He’s a member of Farmington First Baptist Church where he serves as Deacon, sings in the choir and has participated in several overseas mission trips. Local sports fans know Faircloth from his 42 years umpiring high school and college baseball, 25 years officiating high school basketball, and as Central’s football (49 years) and basketball (31 years) announcer.
Throughout the years, he has been honored with many awards including the Missouri State High School Activities Association Distinguished Service Award (1991); KREI-KTJJ 110% Award (1999 and 2009); Park Hills Citizen of the Year (2003); Missouri Interscholastic Athletics Association Distinguished Service Award (2003); Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award for Umpiring (2013); and the Lions Club International Melvin Jones Award.
Born and raised in Flat River, Faircloth graduated from Flat River High School in 1959, and after a semester at Southeast Missouri State University, transferred back home to Flat River Junior College (FRJC). He says the small classes and great instructors made coming home to FRJC the best decision he could have made. He later completed a Bachelor of Science and Master of Behavioral Science from The National College of Education, now National Louis University.
Faircloth credits FRJC Dean Dr. Gayle Simmons with helping him get an interview at AT&T in 1961. Thus began a more than 30-year career with the company during which he worked in offices throughout Missouri including Jackson, Hillsboro, Flat River, and St. Louis. He also was a small business owner locally as a partner in The Floor Store in Park Hills, and after his retirement from AT&T, worked part-time for Bess Photography and was the owner/operator of Harv’s Trophies.
Faircloth has been married to his wife Mary Lee, also an FRJC graduate, for 60 years. They have three children, Eric, who passed in 1989, Laurie (Mike) Hatfield, and Scott (Michelle) Faircloth; one foster daughter, Maxine (Ken) Lanman; and are proud grandparents to three grandchildren, Erika Hatfield, Baird and Ollie Faircloth.
Distinguished Alumni Award
This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award honors Dale Wright of Farmington. He serves as a Missouri State Representative for the 116th District, which includes portions of St. Francois and Madison counties. Before his election to the Missouri House of Representatives, he had a 48-year career in the healthcare industry.
Wright earned his associate degree in Business Management from Mineral Area College in 1973 and later completed the Healthcare Business Management Program through the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
When asked how MAC impacted his life, Wright said, “Absolutely no question; the education I received at MAC was the cornerstone of my entire career! Whatever success I’ve achieved, it is a result of the things I learned and experienced at MAC.”
That career began at Mineral Area Hospital in Farmington, which influenced his decision to attend MAC so he could earn a promotion from warehouse stock boy to the hospital purchasing agent. He continued to move up the ladder to various management roles within the industry, eventually retiring as divisional president and chief contracting officer at Amerinet, Inc., a national healthcare group purchasing organization with contract sales of $7.5 billion.
He recently retired as managing partner at healthcare consulting company, Actalur Group, LLC, as well as Angle Medical Solutions, a pharmaceutical and medical device distributor.
Wright has received numerous awards during his career, including the Rising Star Award from Cardinal Healthcare Corporation, Manager of the Year from Health Services Corporation of America, and Healthcare Executive of the Year from Allegiance Healthcare Corporation. He was also named to the Who’s Who of American Healthcare Executives.
He has a long history of serving the community. In addition to serving in the Missouri House of Representatives since 2018, Wright was a member of the Farmington City Council, serving on the public safety, administrative, and public services committees. He currently serves on the city’s Police Personnel Board. He’s a former member of the MAC Foundation Board, where he served as the Vice-President of the Executive Committee. Wright was a founding board member of the Missouri Hospital Associations’ Healthcare Purchasing Council. He also served on the MCII Sheltered Workshop board, including two terms as president.
Wright and his wife Denise attended MAC together and formed many lifelong friendships during their time here. She later returned to the college as an Assistant Professor of English, retiring in 2017. They have three children (all MAC graduates), eleven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.