Thursday, June 23, 2005
Alsobrooks takes over Workforce Education at PRCC

   HATTIESBURG - Scott Alsobrooks has been named the new Director of Workforce Education at Pearl River Community College, replacing Ed Felsher, who is retiring June 30.
    Alsobrooks, 38, comes to PRCC from the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was an industrial engineer with the Lean Enterprise Center at the University of Southern Mississippi. His new appointment was approved by the PRCC Board of Trustees earlier this month.
    “The opportunities presented at the Woodall Advanced Technology Center are exciting,” said Alsobrooks, who attended PRCC from 1986-87.  “I hope to continue the success that the current Director has had as well as bring some new ideas to the forefront.
    “As Director of Workforce Education and the Woodall Advanced Technology Center, my goal is to develop lifetime partnerships with business and industry by creating and delivering effective workforce training programs that help business and industry profit.  A skilled workforce will enhance our economic activity not only by attracting new
industry but by strengthening our existing businesses.”
    Alsobrooks holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University and a M.S. in Engineering Technology from USM.
    He has been with the Lean Enterprise Center (formerly the Mississippi Technology Extension Partnership) since the inception of the program in 1997. In that time, he  has concentrated his efforts on assisting companies improve their operations utilizing Lean
Manufacturing and Six Sigma techniques. 
   These efforts consist of training workers in utilizing tools and techniques as well on the shop floor implementation. He has trained thousands of workforce members and managed many projects for clients resulting in several millions in savings.
    Clients served by Alsobrooks include Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Parker Hannifan, Cooper Tire, United Plastics, Warm Kraft, BlendCo, and  others. He is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Institute of Industrial Engineers.
    “Scott brings to Pearl River a wealth of experience related to Workforce Education as well as high levels of energy and enthusiasm,” said Dr. John Grant, Vice President for Instruction. “The College is indeed fortunate to have an individual of his caliber coming to work with us.”
     Previously, Alsobrooks worked with Johnson Controls as Supervisor of the Fluid Component Processing Facility at Stennis Space Center.  Prior to that, he worked as an operations engineer for Rockwell International also at Stennis.
    He has developed workshops and facilitated improvement projects in quick changeover, total productive maintenance, 5S, Visual Management, Activity Based Costing, Work Cell Design, Kaizen Leadership, Statistical Process Control, DMAIC and Value Stream Mapping. He co-chaired the 2002 Gulf Coast Lean Manufacturing Conference and has presented at several manufacturing and industry conferences and meetings.  He was also an adjunct instructor in the School of Science and Technology at the University of Southern Mississippi.
    Alsobrooks begins his new position July 1.
    “The first few weeks at PRCC I will spend with my staff at the Woodall Center,” he said. “I will also start visiting economic and industry leaders in different communities within our district to begin building relationships and to try and understand some of their specific workforce needs.”
     Alsobrooks and his wife, Annabelle, have one son, Ayden.