The Mississippi Power Education Foundation has selected three teachers in southeast Mississippi for its annual Alan R. Barton Excellence in Teaching Awards.

This year’s recipients are Rebecca Duncan of East Central Lower Elementary School in Hurley, Renee Hill of Ocean Springs High School, and Peggy Webb of Ross Collins Career & Technical Center in Meridian. Duncan has taught second grade at East Central Lower Elementary School since 1995. Previously she taught at Cottage Hill Baptist School in Mobile and in Mobile County schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Mobile and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of South Alabama. In 1998 she won East Central’s leadership award and was named to Who’s Who Among America’s teachers. Renee Hill has taught chemistry and advanced placement biology at Ocean Springs High School since 1986. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Florida Tech and a master’s degree in education/biology from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2001 she was a state and national winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching.

Peggy Webb has taught business and computer technology in grades ten through twelve in Meridian since 1988. Previously she taught in Philadelphia, Mississippi and in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where she began her teaching career in 1982. Webb holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Delta State University and masters of education degrees in marketing, business and computer technology from Mississippi State University.

Each recipient of the Alan R. Barton Excellence in Teaching Award receives $500 and a plaque, an additional $500 for classroom supplies and $1,000 for staff development at their respective schools. The recipients will be honored at an awards banquet in the spring.

Barton, for whom the award is named, was president of Mississippi Power Company from 1980 to 1989. The award was established in 1990 to commemorate his life and his dedication and contributions to the field of education. As president of Mississippi Power, he established of the Mississippi Power Education Foundation in 1984.

Since that time, the Mississippi Power Education Foundation has awarded more than $2.6 million in grants for education in Mississippi.