Robert Griffin
AMERICUS — Celebration was in the air inside the John M. Pope Technology Center at South Georgia Technical College Saturday night as the Americus Alumni Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority honored eight outstanding men and women at a Community Servant-Leaders Celebration program. Jimmy Green, Marvin Harris, Larry Jackson, Teresa Mansfield, Annie Bell Moss, Elbert Solomon and Karl Wilson, all of Americus, and Maggarie McCluster of Ellaville were honored for their history of service given in their communities.
The event began, after an invocation, with Alnita Dowdell explaining what makes a community servant leader. “A community servant leader is someone who is making a positive impact on our community without monetary expectancy,” she said. “I congratulate all those who are honored tonight. What should make you the most proud is not that you are being honored but what you did to get this honor.”
The first person to be honored was Jimmy Green. Green is currently the Sumter County Board of Education attendance officer. From 1995-2002, he served as a physical education teacher and assistant principal at Crossroads Academy. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and serves on the New Horizons Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sumter County board of directors. Green shared with the audience a story about helping a young man out at school, and helping him get back on the right track, and out of the principal’s office.
The next person to be honored at the event was Marvin Harris. Harris is a graduate of Sumter County Comprehensive High School and Fort Valley State University where he obtained a bachelor of arts in social work. He is an active member of the Kappa Zeta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and the alumni advisor of the Pi Epsilon Chapter at Georgia Southwestern State University. He also serves as a mentor at the Performance Learning Center as well as with the Dwight Harris Boys Club, and the “a few good men group.” In accepting the award, Harris also stressed the need for mentors in the school system. “Become a mentor,” he said, “ If we didn’t volunteer or become role models for our kids, most of our kids will be wrote up, suspended from school, dropping out, or incarcerated. So I hope that everybody goes out and volunteers.”
Larry J. Jackson was the next person recognized at the event. Jackson has been working with Phoebe Sumter Medical Center (and formerly Sumter Regional Hospital) for 33 years in the nutrition services department as the assistant director of food and nutrition services. He was a 1994 member of Leadership Sumter and the 1999 class of Leadership Georgia. He is the president/CVO of the Boys & Girls Club of Sumter County, and well as serving as chairman of the United Way of Sumter County and the chairman of the Sumter County Democratic Party. Jackson said, “ I was told by my late mother, at an early age, that the bible teaches us that it is better to give than to receive. I enjoy helping out in the community and helping out the children.”
Teresa Mansfield was the next person recognized at the event. Mansfield was graduated from Sumter County High School in 1966, as salutatorian and enrolled in Georgia Southwestern College the same year, the only African-American student at the time. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in secondary social science and middle grades education. Mansfield is active in the community as an activist, working with the Sumter County NAACP branch. Mansfield also started a program called “Read to Me” that gives out free books in the community to both children and adults. Mansfield said, “This spark of interest in reading has really taken off, and it’s a sheer delight for me to do this and go from town to town and give out books.”
The next person honored at the event was Maggarie McCluster. She is a former teacher, and currently serves as the president of the Schley County Association of Concerned Citizens Inc. She is a member of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church where she serves as church secretary and president of the Usher Board. She received a bachelor of science degree in English from Fort Valley State University and a master’s degree from Georgia Southwestern State University. McCluster talked about her work, and how she came about establishing the Association of Concerned Citizens. She then went on to talk about her teaching career, and how each student is important. “Remember, if we have students in our classes that we put on the back burner,” said McCluster, “every one of them has a talent.”
Annie Bell Moss then took the stage as the next person honored at the event. Moss was born in Sumter County, and has operated a beauty shop out of her home for almost 40 years. She works with veterans affairs at her church. Moss started the Open Hands Ministry, which helps those in need in Sumter County. In accepting the award, Moss reminded those that helping somebody in need does not require superhuman strength or training. “You don’t have to be trained to do this line of work,” said Moss. “You just have to have a love for one another and want to help out your community.”
Elbert Solomon was the next person to be awarded at the event. Solomon currently mentors four to five boys in the Sumter County Schools System each year, and currently serves as the president of the Meadow Wood Homeowners Association. In the past he has served on several community boards, as well provided fundraising and building project leadership for the most recent renovation at Bethesda Baptist Church. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and mathematics as well as a master’s degree in science education from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also holds a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University. Solomon reminded the crowd about the importance of mentors, and shared a story about a student’s life that he helped to shape. “Every Christmas I get a letter from that student,” said Soloman. “He is now an engineer, and his son is in college and recently sent me a letter thanking me for shaping his dad’s life. It’s things like that that show you how important it is for us to be mentors.”
Last but not least, Karl Wilson was honored at the event. Wilson is an ordained African Methodist Episcopal minister and pastor. He has recently retired from Georgia Southwestern State University as assistant director of counseling services. He is the founder of the GSW Gospel Choir, and of the Martin Luther King Jr. Ministerial Association. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the founder of Mu Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. “I am really humbled to be accepting this award,” said Wilson. “We have reached a major milestone when it comes to the plight of young African-American males. We must reverse the cycle that is destroying our children. We have a lot of work that we have to do in order to save our children.”
