The Petal Education Foundation is proud to announce the selection of Mrs. Nadine Shannon Coleman of Petal as The Petal School District’s 2019 recipient of the “Champion of the Year Award.” Coleman will be honored at the annual homecoming parade scheduled for Thursday, September 26, and a “Tailgating” reception before the game on Friday night. A plaque will be presented to Mrs. Coleman during festivities on Friday, September 27, at the annual homecoming football game.
Coleman’s family moved to Mississippi in 1983. After teaching kindergarten for eight years, she then moved to the position of Director of the District’s Parent Resource Center where she remained until her retirement in 2016. Under her leadership, the Center received numerous state and national recognitions for their work to support families and children.
Nadine has been involved in various programs in church life including coordinator of vacation Bible School, teacher of Bible School, Sunday school and pre-school choir. During 2018, she taught Bible School and was a volunteer at summer church camp. During 2018, she also served on the committee for the children’s department of the church’s building project and on the committee to explore moving the Christian Women’s Job Corps program under her church’s outreach work.
Because of Nadine’s extensive commitment to the community, she was recognized as the 2005 Bobby Runnels Leadership Award winner by the Petal Chamber of Commerce. She was named Administrator of the Year in 2013 by Petal School District and was named by the Petal News as the 2014 Person of the Year. She was recognized as Mentor of the Year by Big Brothers/Big Sisters for mentoring a student throughout her entire schooling – kindergarten through graduation. She counts this opportunity as one of the biggest blessings she could have received and still remains in contact with the former student, now a mother of three boys.
Mrs. Coleman has served as a charter committee member with notable leaders from the Mississippi State Early Childhood Institute, the Barksdale Reading Institute, the Mississippi Department of Education, the Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the Mississippi Legislature, the Mississippi Governor’s office, Mississippi Community College Board, Mississippi State University Extension Service, Head Start, the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and several non-profit organizations including DREAM and United Way of Southeast Mississippi.
Retirement allows Coleman to still be directly involved with the community’s Excel By 5 work which she was involved in prior to Petal becoming Mississippi’s first certified Excel By 5 community in 2007. During 2018, when Petal became re-certified as an Excel By 5 community, she was serving as the chair of the Petal Excel By 5 Coalition and steering committee. Additionally, she volunteered weekly in 2018 as a classroom reading tutor and as an assistant in the science lab at Petal Elementary School. She assisted with screening of pre-school children and other activities through the Nadine Coleman Center for Families and Children, the Center she founded and that was named by the Petal School Board in her honor in 2016 when she retired.
Nadine has continued to serve on the state Excel By 5 Board of Directors since its inception in 2005. During her time on this board, she has served as secretary, President and current past president. She has been directly involved in Excel By 5’s work across the state and has seen its growth from four certified early childhood communities in Mississippi to currently 34 certified communities.
Nadine is also currently serving on the Mississippi THRIVE advisory board, a Child Health Development Project through The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center and is funded through the Health Resources Services Administration.
Nadine is a 26-year member of the Cosmopolitan Club. While she previously served in various positions in Cosmopolitan Club as President, Secretary and chair of various committees, she is presently serving as Conservation Chair. Nadine was named the 2018 Cosmopolitan Club’s Clubwoman of the Year.
Nadine is the wife of the late David Coleman. They have two children Shannon Coleman Decker Newsome and Mike, granddaughter, Caroline and grandson, Cole, daughter, Mary Ellen Mangum and granddaughters, Ally, Molly, Macy and grandson, Kristofer.