NATCHEZ — An administrative consultant for the Natchez-Adams School District will start his first of 90 days Monday at Braden administrative building.

The hiring of the consultant was approved Wednesday afternoon during a specially called meeting of the NASD Board of Trustees.

At a meeting earlier this month, Superintendent Frederick Hill requested to advertise for the position, saying that it was needed for the many projects and initiatives being implemented in the district.

Hill recommended to the board Wednesday that Orlando C. Pannell of Tupelo be hired for the position.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with him on special projects in Tupelo,” Hill said. “This is someone I know can handle these responsibilities.”

The main responsibilities of the position, Hill said, would focus around reducing dropout rates in the district, working to ensure the opening of Robert Lewis Middle School as a magnet school in the 2013-2014 school year and handling public relations matters for the district.

Board Vice-President Tim Blalock asked Hill if funding for the position was available in the district’s budget.

Hill said that since the position was a consultant and liaison instead of a full-time employee that the district could use Title 1 funding to pay for the position.

The board approved Pannell for the administrative consultant position for a period of 90 days, to begin Monday, at a rate of $300 to $400 per day.

Pannell graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in accounting and from Cornerstone Bible Seminary with an associate of Biblical studies.

From July 2008 to September 2012, Pannell worked as the director of community development and entrepreneurship for the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo.

Since September, Pannell has worked as president and chief executive officer of Equations Consulting Group, a firm he started, in Tupelo.