Two women known for their contributions to Leflore County education have named to a list of Mississippi's top 50 business women.
Celia Emmerich and Dr. Patsy Mitchell have been recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal. The list will appear in the magazine Aug. 20.
Emmerich, founder of Communities in Schools of Greenwood-Leflore County, said the honor was very satisfying.
"You work hard, and you try to be productive, and it's nice when somebody recognizes that you have been productive," she said.
The magazine sent the award winners questionnaires. They were asked, among other things, to list some of their most satisfying accomplishments and give advice to other women on how to succeed.
Emmerich listed CIS as a fulfilling effort. The program, whose Leflore County chapter was launched in 1991, helps students identified as being at risk of dropping out of school.
She has remained a consultant for the organization and said she is working to have a state CIS office set up so the program can be replicated in other areas of Mississippi. She taught English and history in high schools for 14 years.
She said selling advertising for the Commonwealth after the Emmerich family bought it was satisfying as well.
Emmerich advised women to enjoy their children and do something productive for their communities.
Mitchell, administrator and founder of Maranatha Education Center, said she was both honored and humbled to be included in the magazine's list.
Maranatha, which started work in 1985 with six students, now has as many as 250 at one time, from 22 Mississippi counties and 20 states.
Classes start Sept. 4.
Its in-school, correspondence classes and adult education programs all are very strong, said Mitchell, who worked for the Leflore County Schools for 15 years.
Mitchell said women in business must have "made-up minds," must be able to take criticism and must know what they are supposed to be doing.
She said Maranatha specializes in motivating students at all learning levels, from those with attention deficit disorder to gifted students. She added that it is also the only school she knows of that allows students to make up years that have been lost for various reasons.
