(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Dec. 10, 2013) - - - Emily J. Reynolds, vice chair of the Tennessee Board of Regents, will deliver the commencement address to Columbia State Community College's graduating class during commencement exercises Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m.

"We are honored to have Emily Reynolds deliver the fall 2013 commencement address," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "Ms. Reynolds is committed to higher education opportunities for all Tennesseans and strongly supports the mission of Columbia State and Tennessee community colleges."

In September 2010, Governor Phil Bredesen appointed Reynolds to the TBR. She was reappointed to the board by Governor Bill Haslam in June 2012, and in July 2013, she was elected TBR vice chairman.

Reynolds recently completed six years of service as senior vice president of communications, government relations, for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest public power company.

Having begun her career in public service and politics as an assistant to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Howard H. Baker, Jr. in Washington D.C., Reynolds subsequently worked in eight statewide campaigns in six states.

Reynolds was the 31st secretary of the U.S. Senate, where she managed the Senate's legislative, financial and administrative operations in the 108th and 109th Congresses. For eight years, she played key roles on the staff of U.S. Senator William H. Frist, both as his chief of staff and state director. She also managed his successful reelection campaign in 2000.

Reynolds holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo.

The fall commencement ceremony will take place in the W.J. "Billy" Webster Athletic Center on the Columbia campus, located at 1665 Hampshire Pike. Family and friends are encouraged to arrive early as seating is on a first-come basis.

Photo Caption: Nashville native Emily J. Reynolds was named to the Nashville Public Education Foundation's Public Schools Hall of Fame in March 2012.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.