COLUMBUS, Miss. – The Town & Tower Club presented three awards for outstanding service at its annual holiday luncheon held today at Mississippi University for Women.

This year’s recipients were MUW President Jim Borsig, who received the Campus Award; Tjajuan Boswell, Community Service Award; and Columbus Air Force Base, Special Community Service Award.

Making the Campus Award presentation was Town & Tower Club member Gail Laws, who pointed to Dr. Borsig’s many accomplishments in his first year as president.

Under his leadership, Borsig has filled key positions, enhanced the university’s media presence and reached out to all Mississippi community college presidents by hosting an event on campus.

He also initiated the review of athletics potentially returning to campus, awarded faculty raises by rank for FY 2013 and focused the university’s efforts on recruitment, retention and graduation of students.

On the town side, he worked with Main Street to get Welcome banners posted downtown and recently celebrated the reopening of Poindexter Hall in partnership with the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation’s Decorative Arts and Preservation Forum, as well as MUW being named the Columbus Arts Council Corporate Sponsor of the Year.

Borsig was credited for establishing NEW Leadership Mississippi, in partnership with the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service. NEW Leadership Mississippi is a nonpartisan program designed to develop foundational leadership skills for College women who participate

In accepting his award, Dr. Borsig attributed his success to everyone in the room, specifically his colleagues, faculty, students and staff at MUW. “I am fortunate to be here,” he said. “I have not accomplished any of that on my own.”

The Campus Award presentation was made by Town & Tower Club member Donna Burlingame, who noted Boswell’s enthusiasm and commitment as a volunteer.

“Our honoree is known for her talents in decorating inside and outside and in all seasons of the year,” she said. “She has dressed windows in a shop and though she never operated a storefront business, she has a word of mouth business as an interior decorator.”

Spending most of her adult life as a volunteer, Boswell is a member of the Garden Club and is a Master Gardener. She chairs the Main Street Design Committee and has worked on city projects to beautify Columbus for almost 12 years. She also helped shrub highway bypasses, entrances and exits to the city. Most recently she worked with Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau and Historic Columbus to adorn the streets of Columbus and improve the corridors of Friendship Cemetery.

“Her tireless work and talent are displayed throughout our town,” Burlingame said. “You all have observed them, and I am sure, appreciated them.”

The final presentation was made to Columbus Air Force Base by Town & Tower Club President Sid Caradine who quoted Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Caradine said the Special Community Service Award goes to a community of men and women who always could be counted on.

“They volunteer to all at the drop of a hat. From the Red Cross, to picking up litter around the MUW campus to serving as hostess in the Spring Pilgrimage; always around when called upon,” he said.

Caradine also reminded the audience of CAFB’s $262 million dollar economic impact and the fact that it produces more than 330 new U.S. Air Force and coalition pilots a year.

Col. Billye Hutchison accepted the award on behalf of Columbus Air Force Base. “We have such a wonderful partnership with this community. We are very appreciative of this recognition,” she said.

The luncheon ended with announcement of the 2013 officers and new Steering Committee members. Officers are Nora Miller, president; John Buckley, vice president; Andrea Stevens, secretary; and Dixie Butler, treasurer. Karen Stanley will serve on the Steering Committee.

Town & Tower’s purpose is to promote the mutual interests of Columbus and MUW.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 12, 2012
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
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