Celebrating a Legacy, Supporting Future Generations — On Saturday, April 26, the College of the Mainland in Texas City held the “Gone Fishing” Retirement Scholarship Gala, honoring Dr. Warren Nichols, who has served as president of the college since 2017. Nichols is recognized for driving transformative growth in student success and campus expansion by securing significant bond funding for essential infrastructure improvements and workforce development. Under his leadership, the College of the Mainland became the first Texas institution to implement a corequisite program, achieving record enrollment growth. He has championed the Guided Pathways to Success initiative, ensuring that students stay on track to complete associate degrees, workforce certificates and transfer seamlessly to four-year institutions. Nichols is passionate about community engagement; he actively supports regional economic initiatives and serves as past chairman of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce board of directors, as well as an active member of the Texas City Rotary Club.

Tige Cornelius, executive director of the College of the Mainland Foundation and Institutional Advancement, kicked off the festive evening with a coastal-inspired theme. The presentation included a proclamation by the House of Representatives and an official Flood Speech, presented by U.S. Rep. Randy Weber’s office, recognizing Nichols’ accomplishments, retirement, and the college. Nichols introduced his successor, Dr. Helen Castellanos Brewer, who was recently named the ninth college president.