STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Mississippi State University Extension Service has a familiar face directing its outreach efforts in the coastal region.

LaTawnya Holliman has been named regional Extension coordinator for the coastal region’s 21 counties effective April 1. She began the role on an interim basis in April 2020.

Regional Extension coordinators provide leadership for MSU’s outreach efforts in the region and provide administrative direction to Extension agents in the development, implementation and evaluation of Extension’s educational programs. The primary objective of each program is to improve economic and social conditions in the county, region and state.

2022 marks Holliman’s 26th year as an MSU Extension employee. She started with MSU Extension in 1996 as an agent-in-training in Bolivar County. The next year, she became a home economist and 4-H agent in Marion County. In 2002, she was appointed county director there. She was named the southeastern region’s family resource management area agent the following year. In 2014, she became county coordinator in Forrest County.

Holliman holds a bachelor’s degree from Alcorn State University and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, both in family and consumer sciences.

“Tawnya has had several roles throughout her tenure with MSU Extension and has excelled in each one, including her latest post as an interim coordinator,” said Steve Martin, MSU Extension associate director of county operations. “Her familiarity with the position and institutional knowledge make her a great fit to lead our Extension personnel in southeast Mississippi.”

Holliman is based at the Coastal Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, one of four Research and Extension Centers in the state. The region has 56 full-time and 18 part-time Extension staff.