Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will recognize the Alumni Hall of Fame and Sam Owen Award inductees at a dinner and awards ceremony in their honor at 7 p.m. on October 16 at the Golden Nugget in Biloxi. The honorees will also be recognized at the pep rally and during pregame activities at 1:30 p.m. on Homecoming Day, October 18.

The 2014 Alumni Hall of Fame and Sam Owen Award honorees are the following:

Dr. Gregory D. Spanier, Pharmacist

Jackson County Campus

Dr. Greg Spanier graduated from Pascagoula High School in May 1986 and joined the U.S. Army. He matriculated at the Jackson County Campus in spring 1989. At first, he pursued a general course of study and joined the Drama Club. In time, he changed his major to pre-pharmacy and graduated on May 12, 1993. After MGCCC, he transferred to Xavier University in New Orleans, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and attended the pharmacy school, receiving his doctorate in 1996. Spanier, the co-owner of Burnham Drugs, also owns a MacNarb Gaming franchise and a Sunsational Tan franchise. He is a member of the Mississippi Pharmacists Association, Gautier Men’s Club, Gautier Business Association, Elks Lodge, and the Gautier Planning Commission.

Dr. Robert T. Watts Jr., DMD

 Jefferson Davis Campus

Dr. Robert Watts, of Biloxi, attended the Jefferson Davis Campus 1980-1982. He is an oral surgeon with Gulf Coast Oral and Facial Surgery clinic in Biloxi. Watts, president of the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners in 2013-2014, received his dental degree from The University of Mississippi in 1987 and attended an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program at Vanderbilt University, receiving his specialty certificate in 1991.

Upon returning to Biloxi, he went into private practice. His professional memberships include the American Association of Dental Boards, Southern Conference of Dental Deans and Examiners, American Dental Association, American College of Dentists, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Mississippi Dental Association, and the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Prentiss C. Havens, CEO

Perkinston Campus

Prentiss Havens, a native of Vestry and a 1948 alumnus of Perkinston Junior College, received a basketball scholarship while at Perk. He was a member of the P Club, the Wesley Foundation, the YMCA, and was voted Cutest Boy the two years he was on campus. He is the founder and chairman of the board of Seismic Exchange Inc., a New Orleans-based company he formed on February 27, 1975. The company has eight locations in the U.S., with headquarters in Houston, Texas.

Havens and his wife, Dolores (“Dee”), established the Prentiss C. and Dolores M. Havens Family Foundation to support needy and worthwhile causes. The Havenses enjoy the opportunity to give to the MGCCC Foundation and support the scholarships they established, which have been awarded since 1993. The Havenses were platinum sponsors of the recent Scholarship Gala, to which they donated $25,000. Havens is a lifetime member of both the MGCCC Alumni Association and the Bulldog Club.

Anna Faye Kelley-Winders

Sam Owen Award

Anna Faye Kelley-Winders, retired from MGCCC after 44 years of distinguished service, serving on the college’s Executive Council for 13 years. A native of George County, she attended the Perkinston Campus from 1964 to 1966. Afterward, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, plus 76 additional graduate hours from The University of Southern Mississippi.

She served as a college business instructor for 18 years; was director of Self-Study and administrative assistant for Academic, General Instruction and Student Services; administrative dean of the George County Center; vice president of Community Campus and Institutional Development; and retired as the vice president of Community Campus on June 30, 2013. She was recognized as the longest-serving employee at the college during the May 2013 commencement ceremony.

Tickets for the Alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony are $40 and can be purchased online at mgccc.edu by clicking on the Homecoming banner at the top of the website. For more information about the event, contact the MGCCC Alumni Association at (601) 528-8900.