Burke to address Lions Club

The Woodbury Lions Club will have its 2nd meeting of April and will be informed about Motlow State Community College.

Woodbury and Cannon County are fortunate to have 2 growing colleges on its borders. We are often told about MTSU and all the activities, academics, athletics, etc. but seldom do we here about the college "on the other side." Many of Cannon County students are choosing to begin their college career at community colleges such as Motlow because of its relatively smaller size.

As education continues to become a necessity Motlow continues to reach out to its surrounding counties since it is a commuter school primarily.

Gina (Reed) Burke is no stranger to Woodbury and Cannon County and certainly not to the Lions Club. However her workplace and what she does may perhaps be the best kept secret.

Gina is the daughter of Wiley and Gracie Reed. She is a 1983 graduate of Cannon County High School. Gina is married to Mitch Burke and they have 2 children, Jesse 19 and Shelby 17 years old. Mitch is a Lions Club member and has served as Club President and received the highest honors from Lions International. Gina went on to MTSU and received her Bachelors in Accounting in 1987. She was awarded her MBA in 1988 from TN Tech University. During these college years she was employed by Mr. Bill Smith at the Bank of Commerce, now Regions Bank. Gina started her career by working as a CPA and auditor for 3 ½ years before settling at Motlow State Community College. he was the Accounting Instructor for 20 years at the College. Burke now serves as Special Projects Manager for Curriculum Development at Motlow College. Gina and her husband Mitch are residents of Woodbury and members of Woodbury Church of Christ.

About Motlow: Motlow State Community College is a public, multi-campus college offering certificates, associate degrees, and flexible learning pathways for early transfer, college preparation, and workforce training. Students are prepared for employment, career advancement, and four-year College or university transfer. The College serves an eleven-county area comprised of full-time, part-time, traditional, and non-traditional age students from diverse socio-economic populations with disparate educational and cultural backgrounds. The College offers high quality accredited educational programs and a variety of support services emphasizing and promoting student success.

About Lions Club International: Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization. We have 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs worldwide.

Lions are everywhere. We're men and women who are active in community projects in more than 207 countries and geographic areas.

Lions have a dynamic history. Founded in 1917, we are best known for fighting blindness -it's part of our history as well as our work today. But we also perform volunteer work for many different kinds of community projects - including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.

Local Community Projects

Lions are active. Our motto is "We Serve." Lions are part of a global service network, doing whatever is necessary to help our local communities.

Lions give sight. By conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease, Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all. We have extended our commitment to sight conservation through countless local community projects and through our international SightFirst Program, which works to eradicate blindness.

Lions serve youth. Our community projects often support local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring. Internationally, we offer many programs, including the Peace Poster Contest, Youth Camps and Exchange and Lions Quest. And our Leo Program provides personal development through youth volunteer opportunities. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide.

Lions award grants. Since 1968, the Lions Clubs International Foundation has awarded more than US $700 million in grants to support Lions humanitarian community projects around the world. Together, our Foundation and Lions are helping communities following natural by providing for immediate needs such as food, water, clothing and medical supplies - and aiding in long-term reconstruction.

The Woodbury Lions Club meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at the Lions Memorial Building. For more information, please contact club President Nathan Sanders @ nasrville@dtccom.net or 563-6650.