On June 16, 2010, the Columbia State Community College Foundation hosted its annual awards luncheon in the Pryor Art Gallery of the Waymon L. Hickman Building on the Columbia Campus.

Foundation Trustees and Board Members as well as constituency leaders and other friends of the College gathered as Ms. Lynne Williams - president of the Columbia State Alumni Association - honored Ms. Gayle Mathis - class of 1992 - with the Alumnus of the Year Award. Williams (left) and Mathis (center) are pictured above right with Columbia State president Dr. Janet F. Smith (right).

Mr. Kenneth Cherry (pictured below, right) was the recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy, presented by Dr. Charles W. Manning (pictured below, left) - chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Mathis is a 1993 Graduate of Columbia State and has been teaching 7th Grade Language Arts at Hickman County Middle School in Centerville since 1994.

As a student at Columbia State, Gayle was very active and involved in leadership roles and activities, serving as President of the Student Education Assn. and Gamma Beta Phi for 1992-93. She participated in college service projects, environmental club, gate worker at basketball tournaments, and a singer and performer for campus festivals and events.

Gayle is an outstanding former student of Columbia State, being in the top 10 in 1992-93, and earned Who's Who Among Students in American Jr. colleges and the Faculty Award, Outstanding Student for 1993.

She was the commencement speaker in 1993, being the first student and first woman in the college's history awarded this honor. She was the 2005 commencement speaker, and in 2008, Gayle was chosen as one of the 40 individuals who have made significance difference for the Columbia State Community College "40 for the 40th Anniversary Award".

Gayle received her Masters of Education at Tennessee State University in 1998. In her teaching career she has been: 2004 Middle Tennessee Regional Selection Committee for Tenn. Teacher of the Year; 2001 & 2002 State Teacher Scoring Committee for TN Writing Assessment

Since 1995 she has served as sponsor of the Hickman County Middle School Beta Club, and has had state convention winners for the past 13 years.

Gayle has served as Area Chair of the Teachers Study Council Steering Committee since 1998, and is currently on the Hickman Co. Language Arts Textbook Selection committee.

She also served on the Tennessee Council of Teachers of English 2002-2003; the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Alpha Rho Chapter, 1994; the Hickman County School's Teacher Center Advisory Committee 1996-98; the Hickman Cointy High School Honors English Development Committee in 1998 and the Hickman County Middle School New Teacher Handbook Committee since 1999.

For the past 15 years, Gayle has served on the Hick. Co. Middle School curriculum committee; the Hick Co. Middle School SACS chair and steering committee from 2000-2009, Middle School SACS Component One chair from 1997-2004, and as the Middle School Curriculum Mapping Facilitator since 1999.

Since 2001, Gayle has conducted numerous Language Arts teacher workshops, in-service training, and consulting, on the local, regional, and state levels.on Language Arts Writing Right, Standards Awareness, Power Writing, Writing Assessment and Teaching Strategies, for Centerville and East Hickman County Intermediate School teachers, Hickman County Board of Education, Alpha Rho Chapter, Lubbock Texas Special School District, and Lewis County and Linden Elementary Schools, and taught Middle School Teaching Strategies at Belmont University, summer 2001.

Gayle is active in community service, both with the College and in her community. She has served on the Columbia State Alumni Board of Directors in numerous leadership positions since 1998.., as board member, secretary, and vice President, and she was President in 2003-2005, while also serving on the Columbia State Foundation Development Committee and Board, and currently serves on the Columbia State Alumni Advisory Board.

In her community, Gayle has been active in the following: South Central Tennessee Regional Emergency Response Volunteer since 2003; Hickman Co. 4-H volunteer leader since 1979; Hickman Co. Public Library book sale volunteer since 2002; and a volunteer with the Hickman County Historical Society.

Gayle and her husband, Gary Mathis, have two children, Amanda and James. The Mathis' own and operate Mathis Angus Farm with the family that includes three generations farming this Century Farm. They produce Registered Angus cattle, hogs and hay, in the Totty's Bend community on the Duck River in Hickman County.

Since graduating from Columbia State , Gayle has been a tireless supporter of the school through various alumni activities and board. She continually advocates higher learning and promotes the value of a Columbia State education. Gayle Mathis is the epitome of a successful Columbia State graduate and embodies what a successful alumnus should be.

Below are other photos from the wonderful event...