Photo Caption: Pictured, left to right: Mr. Evan Cope, chair, Tennessee Higher Education Commission; Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president; Dr. Christa Martin; Rev. Lisa Cook, Sacred Sparks Ministry, Keynote Speaker; Dr. Russ Deaton, interim executive director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - June 16, 2015) - - - Columbia State Community College's Dr. Christa S. Martin was recently chosen as a recipient of the 2015 Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award.

"Christa Martin is a woman of many great accomplishments and volunteer efforts," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "It is evident through her concern with the welfare of others and shows in her life examples, work and deeds that she is a most worthy candidate for the Harold Love Award."

Martin, the assistant to the president for access and diversity, has been with Columbia State since 1979, and previous positions include programmer analyst, assistant director and director of computer services.

Martin is responsible for developing initiatives and programming for the college that promotes the value of diversity in an educational organization, the communities it serves, and beyond. While at Columbia State, she has led multiple activities and community projects, including the Student Leadership Summit, the domestic violence chair community project, and the annual Summer Math Academy.

For more than 22 years, Martin served as a Columbia city council member and was recently elected vice mayor. She is also a Maury County NAACP Silver Life member and has served on more than 23 local boards and committees over the past 30 years.

A Columbia native, Martin currently sits on the board of the Maury Regional Hospital Foundation, and is a committee member for the Project Learn-Adult Basic Education Board and Maury County Imagination Library, both positioned to support education advancement for our citizens.

In addition to her many community service projects and public service endeavors, Martin has earned numerous awards and honors, including the NAACP President's Award, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service and Government Award, and the Columbia State Outstanding Professional Staff Award. She also completed the Tennessee Board of Regents Maxine Smith Fellows program.

Martin holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in data processing from Columbia State, bachelor's and master's degrees in information systems from Middle Tennessee State University, and a doctorate in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Martin resides in Columbia with her husband Williard and attends New Smyrna Cumberland Presbyterian Church where she is an active member and was ordained as an elder in 2004. She and her husband have two grown children, Jyuana, a Columbia State alumna and Maury County school board member, and Karlston, who resides in Georgia with his wife and two children.

The Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award was created by Harold Love, a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1968-1991. Love was instrumental in setting up the award which is presented to five public or private two or 4-year college or university students or faculty each year. The award recognizes public service, the nominee's effectiveness, documentation of public service and a letter of recommendation from the college president.

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, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.