Bevill State Community College’s Leslie Hartley is carrying on a legacy of service and giving. 

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill

To Leslie Hartley, being a servant leader means providing others with the encouragement and the resources they need to become the very best they can be. Whether it’s as a classroom instructor or behind the desk as Vice President of Instructional and Student Services at Bevill State Community College, serving others will always be the first pillar of importance in Leslie’s work.

Leslie grew up in Pickens County, Alabama, with the dream of becoming a psychologist. Since she loved the science of the mind and helping others, psychology seemed a perfect combination of those two loves. For her college education, she attended Bevill State Community College in Fayette, The University of Alabama, and Mississippi State University. While working as a graduate assistant at MSU, she had the opportunity to present lectures to students. This revealed a new love to Leslie: teaching. 

After earning her master’s degree, Leslie applied for a position as a psychology instructor at Bevill State Community College in Jasper. She started that job in 2000 and hasn’t looked back. Through 13 years as a classroom instructor and 8 years in various administrative positions, she can’t imagine working anywhere else.

“I am a big believer in the mission of community colleges; rural community colleges especially are so essential to the communities they are in,” Leslie says. “Bevill is a hub within our community. When people want to learn skills that make them more employable, they come to us. When businesses have employment needs, they come to us to find the resources and the people to fill the need. We have to be responsive to all the needs.”

One of Leslie’s main responsibilities is finding new programs and helping the college develop new course offerings in ways that meet the business and industry needs within the five communities where Bevill State has campuses and educational sites. Another responsibility is to provide faculty, staff, and students with resources to be successful.

“I am here to support and serve others,” Leslie says. “I believe that we change lives every day, and in order to effectively change those lives, you’ve got to really meet people where they are with an open heart and an open mind.”

When she was teaching, Leslie often had students who expressed needs beyond academics. They saw her as approachable and knowledgeable, a beacon of safety, comfort, and help. Many times, she rearranged her schedule, cancelled classes, and even took days off to ensure the students’ personal needs were met. While her current role is not as face-to-face with students, she offers the same levels of assistance and care to her coworkers. With every hour spent serving others, Leslie finds more and more affirmation that she followed the right path and answered the Lord’s call to pour into the lives of others with a servant’s heart.

As she describes, her servant-heartedness is not newfound, but rather a lifelong quality instilled in her by her parents, Laurie and Ronnie Cummings.

“My biggest influences in life were, and still are, my parents,” Leslie says. “Sadly, I lost them both last year but one of the most meaningful things they left me with was the skillset of how to really show up in the places I find myself and serve the people there.”

With tears brimming her eyes, Leslie reflects on the examples she has witnessed throughout her life of her mom and dad serving others.

“My mother was an educator for 33 years, so she was shaping minds on a daily basis,” she says. “Then when she retired, she couldn’t stand staying home, so she went to work writing a grant and building a community organization that serves low-income families. My dad affected others in a much more quiet, private way, but he was still someone people knew they could turn to for help in times of need.”

“I’m an only child, but there are tons of people that called my parents ‘mom and dad,’” Leslie adds. “They took in everyone, they loved everyone, and their spirit of giving is a high standard for me to live up to. The best way I can honor them is to take those traits about them and replicate them in my life.” 78