Following the retirement of Denise Bynum, director of Nursing Instruction, Northwest Mississippi Community College has announced that nursing instructor Lacey Gentry of Batesville has been selected to assume the role.

“Mrs. Gentry’s experience in nursing and Northwest leadership reinforces her selection for this pivotal role,” said Dr. Stephanie Mullins, dean of Health Sciences. “She leads with enthusiasm, passion and dedication to the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program. Northwest Nursing will flourish under Mrs. Gentry’s commitment to pursue excellence while upholding the College’s policies and values.”

A member of Northwest’s nursing faculty for the past 20 years, Gentry has also served as a course coordinator for the last several years.

Responsibilities in her new leadership role include: supervising curriculum development, review and revision; overseeing admission and the selection process to ensure fairness and transparency; supervising strategies for testing and student success; and coordinating recruiting efforts for the Nursing department.

“I look most forward to continuing to nurture students and enhance their knowledge of the art and science of nursing so they may best minister to the needs of their patients,” Gentry said. “It is from my life experience that I have and will continue to help cultivate each student’s educational development, enrich their growing knowledge and help better shape their values and vision as they relate to the delivery of exceptional nursing care.”

Gentry said she also looks forward to continuing to work with Northwest’s nursing faculty in her new position.

“Each one has a rich and varied health care background as well as unique gifts that serve to provide our students with the most excellent nursing education this region has to offer,” she said.

Gentry earned both her bachelor of science in nursing and her master’s of science in nursing degrees from the Mississippi University for Women.

She and husband, Judd, live in Panola County with their three children.