Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 17 December 1998 — Page 23

The Muncie Times, December 17,1998, Page 23

BIOGRAPHIES

Renee Conley

Dr. Charles Coleman

Bom to Aamir Shabazz and Carol Upchurch Conley, Renee Conley, 31, is a Muncie native who resided in the Whitely community who has made great strides. She has seven brothers, Anthony, Jerome and Marq, Ashanti, Ak’bar, Aamir, and Rob. Growing up in the Whitely area, Conley attended George Washington Carver Elementary School, McKinley Middle School, and graduated from Muncie Central High School in 1984. She received her Bachelor Degree in political science from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1988. While at IU, she was active in the Black Student Union and was also president of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She continued on to receive her law degree from Indiana School of Law in 1991. She then returned to Muncie and worked in the Accounting department of Pyromet Industries Inc. She also passed the State Bar Exam in 1993.

have the right to representation. That’s what is supposed to present balance in the judicial system,” previously said by conley. Conley said that these days you need God. Do your best and He’ll take care of the rest. Conley said that she also enjoyed writing and at one particular time, she was working on a manuscript titled Is There No Color in Truth? Conley has received eight varsity letters for her athletic abilities in basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis. As a former high school athlete, she said she could understand why some young people see pro sports as a ticket to success and influence. She said that athletics can get you in the door. Education keeps you in the room. Conley currently resides in Anderson, In.

“I don’t regard myself as unique or having done anything spectacular. Anyone else who was willing to set goals and work

hard can be successful,” said Conley. She said she was raised in an environment where an interest in education was nurtured and encouraged. “I always knew when I was growing up that I was going to college. There were too many things wrong in Muncie that had to be right before blacks could achieve equality. I wanted to be an advocate for the people. That’s why I knew I had to go to law school. I don’t think the law is always equal. Everybody should

Renee Comley

Bom in Muncie on December 29, 1953 to Willie Coleman, Sr., and wife Marie, Dr. Charles Coleman resided at 1104 N. Central Ave. with his sister Maria. The Coleman’s were members of the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Coleman attended Blaine Elementary School through fourth grade but completed his elementary schooling at Longfellow. He then attended Kuhner Junior High School and graduated from Central High School. Coleman decided to attend Indiana

University in Terre Haute, Ind., because it had a sound teacher’s education program. In a previous interview with the Times he said, “it was an opportunity to get away from home and enhance my chances of success. I felt this would be a place

that was more conducive to learning.” He earned his bachelor degree in

secondary education.

After graduating in 1976, he earned his masters in public administration in 1977 and a secondary administration license in 1980 from Ball State

University.

He also earned his doctoral degree in education administration from BSU

in 1990

Before becoming superintendent of the Marion Community School system in 1994, Coleman worked summers as a social studies and math enrichment teacher for Muncie Community Schools from 1977-79. During that time, he also worked as assistant to the director of alternative school, teacher of adult education, teacher of social studies at middle school and high school level, and as a teacher of Youth Employment Training Program (YETP). He later taught at Franklin Middle School, then Muncie Northside School. In 1990, he accepted the position of project leader trainer at Ball State University and then moved to Marion

High School where he served as dean of students from 1980-83. He later became vice principal from 1983-84 and then from 1984-85, Coleman worked for the Southwest Allen County Schools in Fort Wayne first as assistant principal of Homestead High School. He later became principal of Lane Middle School during 1985-86, and moved to director of classified personnel in Fort Wayne schools from 1986-87. In 1987, he became the director of classified personnel for student services and held that position

until 1991.

He’s also worked as an adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion since 1993. Several of his professional accomplishments included such key components as mission statement, belief statements, goals,

objectives, and various cost-saving strategies. Instituting a collaborative form of interaction with the Teachers Association in 1995, and significantly expanding School-Community Partnerships and the Volunteer Program. Coleman also implemented such plans as the ‘Elementary Racial Balance Plan,’ the ‘Target Success Program,’ and the ‘Guidance and

Counseling Program.’

Coleman was a board member in such community and college organizations as the Marion General Hospital, Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Wayne Urban League, Fort Wayne Educational Foundation, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Montessori School, the Eliminated Drunken Driving in Allen County (EDDAC), Allen County Public Library and the Urban League in Marion. Coleman is affiliated with such professional organizations as the Indiana Association of public School superintendents, the Indiana urban Superintendents Association, the national School Boards Association, the See COLEMAN pg. 25

Dr. Charles Coleman