For more than a decade, when Community Partners in Education has gathered to support students, celebrate schools, plan an event or strengthen the connection between education and our community, one partner has been a constant presence: Hester & Morris Orthodontics.
That extraordinary commitment has now earned Hester & Morris Orthodontics a special distinction as the Community Partners in Education Community Partner of the Decade for 2016-2026.
Representatives from Valdosta City Schools, Lowndes County Schools and the CPIE Advisory Council recently visited Hester & Morris Orthodontics to officially present the award.
The recognition was created as a fitting conclusion to CPIE's 35th anniversary celebration and honors a partner whose service and involvement have distinguished them throughout the past decade. Since 2016, Hester & Morris Orthodontics has received more CPIE Partner of the Year nominations than any other community partner.
But their impact extends far beyond awards and nominations.
For CPIE, Hester & Morris shows up.
They show up for our schools. They show up for our students and educators. They show up for CPIE events, meetings and initiatives. And for more than a decade, Mrs. Crystal Rowan has been one of the most familiar and dependable faces of the CPIE Advisory Council.
Rowan has served continuously on the Advisory Council throughout this period, including serving two terms as chair. Her leadership and commitment have helped strengthen not only the partnership between Hester & Morris Orthodontics and our schools, but the CPIE program as a whole.
It is difficult to tell the story of CPIE over the past decade without telling the story of Crystal Rowan and Hester & Morris Orthodontics.
The award was presented by Dr. Craig Lockhart, Superintendent of Valdosta City Schools; Mrs. Jennifer Steedley, Public Relations Director for Valdosta City Schools; Mrs. Sandra Wilcher, Superintendent of Lowndes County Schools; Mrs. Lauren Odom, Public Relations Director for Lowndes County Schools; and Mrs. Kristin Calvert with Southland Children's Dentistry, CPIE Advisory Council Chair.
Community Partners in Education was established in 1990 to build lasting partnerships between local schools and the business community. What began with 65 participating businesses and organizations has continued for more than 35 years, strengthening the connection between our schools and the community they serve. CPIE 35th Anniversary
Congratulations to Hester & Morris Orthodontics, our Community Partner of the Decade, and thank you to Crystal Rowan and the entire Hester & Morris team for a decade of showing up, serving and making a difference.
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