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| David Ivey, Class of '92, Nancy Adams Collins, Class of '68, MFAeA President, Lillian Wade, Wanda Ray, Class of '63, Shirley Rutherford Spain, Class of '64 |
Mississippi's First Alumnae Association presented the 2011 Alumni Achievement Awards at Homecoming. This year's honorees are: Nancy Adams Collins (class of 1968), David Andrew Ivy (class of 1992), Wanda Gail Ray (class of 1963) and Shirley Rutherford Spain (class of 1964). The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor alumnae and alumni who have made significant contributions to Mississippi University for Women, or to their community, or to their profession and who, through these contributions, have brought favorable recognition to Mississippi University for Women.
Nancy Collins, who was the Founding President of Sanctuary Hospice House, was recently elected to the Mississippi Senate. As the daughter and granddaughter of MUW alumnae, she sees The W as a tradition that needs to be continued. She has been active in her community as a member of First Methodist Church in Tupelo, the Junior Auxiliary and the Tupelo Garden Club. She has served as a board member for Habitat for Humanity and the Family Resource Center. Past awards include the National Jackie Kennedy Onassis Award for Public Service, the State Governor's Volunteer Award and the State Jefferson Award. She is married to Jim Collins and they have four children and five grandchildren.
David Andrew Ivy, formerly of Columbus, now lives in Georgia. His practice with the Doeve Law Firm, LLC focuses on civil litigation and business law. Ivy, who was the first male Student Body President at MUW, provided testimony to the Mississippi Senate opposing the effort to change the name of MUW. He is a member of the Boy Scouts of America and the National Eagle Scout Association. Along with his wife and son, he attends St. Jude Catholic Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia. He has served in the U.S. Air Force National Guard and received a Masters degree in Public Policy and Administration from MSU and his Juris Doctor from the University of District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law.
A longtime employee of MUW, Wanda Ray calls the W her "home away from home". She was the Assistant to the Vice-President for Academic Affairs for 42 years. During her tenure at MUW she was a member of several professional groups and served a term as President of the MUW Office Personnel Association. She served as Secretary of Mississippi's First Alumnae Association from 2009-2010. Her colleagues at MUW named her MUW Staff Member of the Year in the Supervisory Category and she received the Faculty Senate Award for Outstanding Service to the University and Faculty. Ray is also a member of the Church of Christ, Steens, Mississippi, and the Steens Civic Association.
Shirley Spain has been an active leader in our Birmingham, Alabama chapter. Her career was with the Social Security Administration where she began as a temporary and retired as the Area Administrative Assistant for Alabama. During her career she received many awards including the Commissioner’s Citation Award, which was the highest honor. In 1978 Spain was included in the Outstanding Young Women of America. She has been on the Positive Maturity Board of Directors for over ten years and served as Chair of this Board for a term. She has served on the Walker County Council on Aging, (now the Retired Senior Volunteer Program) including two terms as President. She has worked with United Way and participated in other civic functions. She is the proud mother of a MUW alumna.
