The Northeast Texas Community College Board of Trustees swore in a new member at the regular meeting on Tuesday, March 26. Stephanie Thurman, of Mount Pleasant, was sworn into Place Five by former board member, Governor Bill Ratliff. She was appointed to serve in Place Five after Ratliff’s retirement in 2018 left it vacant.
Thurman is a pharmacist and she co-owns Thurman’s Pro-Med Pharmacy in downtown Mount Pleasant with her husband, Tris Thurman. She attended Southern Nazarene University and then earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy. She has worked in the pharmacy industry for 25 years.
“I have managed a chain pharmacy, but I much prefer the independent pharmacy setting and find it to be more of a hometown, caring feel. In 2013, my husband, Tris and I (after much prayer) decided to take a leap of faith and open our own store in downtown Mt. Pleasant, Thurman's Pro-Med Pharmacy. God has blessed us immensely with wonderful customers and co-workers,” Thurman said.
Since opening, Thurman’s Pro-Med Pharmacy has consistently been voted “Best Of” by readers of the Mount Pleasant Tribune in multiple categories, including “Best Pharmacy”. Thurman also received the Community Independent Preceptor of the Year for 2015-2016 while serving as a learning site for the UT Tyler College of Pharmacy.
Stephanie and Tris have three children ranging from middle school to college. They are members of the Journey Church of the Nazarene, where they lead worship service each Sunday. They are also members of the Mount Pleasant-Titus County Chamber of Commerce.
Thurman said she was both humbled and surprised when she was asked to serve on the NTCC board.
“After prayerful consideration, I decided to serve with the hope that I might be able to somehow help NTCC continue to move forward in reaching our community. NTCC is a great resource for this area. It offers many programs that empower people with the knowledge they need to pursue fulfilling careers. I hope to be able to contribute with the healthcare and business experience that I continue to obtain daily,” she said.
NTCC has also served the Thurman family directly in many ways.
“Both of my daughters have participated in the dual credit programs offered. In addition, my husband, after working in the telecommunications field for several years, decided to attend NTCC graduating from the PTA program in 2012,” she said. “He has been enjoying this career because NTCC offered this tremendous program with excellent faculty. NTCC has been there for my family, and I hope to be there to help see that it is there for other families as well.”
