2019 Crystal Ball set for Jan. 19

Staff Report

The 19^th Crystal Ball will provide the backdrop to honor four outstanding Community Stars of Northwest Mississippi.  The Crystal Ball helps over 700 nonprofit organizations and causes through the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, with an emphasis on education and health for children and youth. These regional Community Stars will be honored along with the gala’s Star of Hope, Jesse J. Holland, award-winning journalist and novelist and native of Holly Springs. 

Palmer Home for Children, located in Hernando and Columbus Mississippi, is the nonprofit of the year.  Palmer Home provides superior care for children while introducing the love of God through service to each individual child. The ministry began in Columbus in 1895 and expanded to add a new campus in DeSoto County in 2003.  An expansion initiative began on the DeSoto County campus in 2016 to serve additional children in need. Three new cottages were opened in 2017, and plans to construct a new Wellness Center are underway. 

Last year, Palmer Home served 204 children. Through their unique Whole Child approach to care, they address the physical, spiritual, emotional and educational needs of every child in a family environment, thereby building the foundation for a lifetime of growth and development. This approach to caregiving provides the children an opportunity to fulfill their personal dreams and pass on their commitment to the next generation. Palmer Home offers an array of immersive hands-on programs for children who otherwise could not be served. They are 100% privately funded, and their mission since 1895 has always been to provide superior care to children in need.

Derick Biglane, of Hernando, is the 2019 Dan Maddox Man of the Year.  Derick has been volunteering and serving DeSoto County for over 15 years.   He co-founded the Krewe of Hernando, a group of young men that coordinates numerous community projects and events including a Santa Claus Caravan that collects gifts for families in need and funds for teacher grants.  He is the past president of the Rotary Club in Southaven, where he started the Crawfish Countdown fundraiser for community needs, and in Hernando, where he launched the October Brewfest for clean water to Central American villages and scholarships to Hernando high school graduates.  He serves as President of the Hernando Soccer Association that has raised over $75,000 to establish the Hernando Soccer Complex. In addition, he is the Mississippi chair of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission that oversees the Mississippi River Road.  He also is a board member and treasurer of First Regional Library and board member of the DeSoto Arts Council.  Derick is married to Lisa and has two children. 

The award is named after Dan Maddox who began his career in the credit and finance industry. His legacy includes the donation of RCA’s famous Studio B to the Country Music Foundation, creation of the Presidential Scholars Program at Belmont University, and founding of the Shikar Safari Conservation in Africa.  Dan Maddox and his beloved wife Margaret devoted their lives to entrepreneurship, adventure, and service.  Their legacy lives today in the Maddox Foundation of Hernando. The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi was established in 2002 with a generous grant from the Maddox Foundation.

Becky Nowell, of Cleveland, is the 2019 Margaret Maddox Woman of the Year.  Becky is a proven leader as she envisioned a 50 Nights of Lights for downtown Cleveland during the Christmas season and has spearheaded efforts that have raised over $450,000 to make the vision into a reality that is enjoyed by thousands. She also chairs the GRAMMY Museum—Mississippi that has brought thousands of visitors to Cleveland and provided educational opportunities to tens of thousands of students. Before retiring from a 30-year career as chemist and quality assurance manager at Baxter Healthcare Corporation, she was already active in the Chamber of Commerce, Main Street and United Way community efforts. She was inducted into the Delta State University Alumnae Hall of Fame.  Becky’s husband, Billy Nowell, is the Mayor of Cleveland, and as the first lady, she often works behind the scenes on many efforts to improve the community. They have two grown children.

The Margaret Maddox Woman of the Year is named for an accomplished businesswoman and dedicated community volunteer.  She served in leadership roles in numerous charities.  She received the prestigious ‘Order of the Red Triangle’ from the YMCA due to her leadership and service.  Margaret Maddox served in various leadership capacities for a host of charitable and civic organizations. In addition to her work with the YMCA, she led a $20 million campaign for Belmont University, and served on the boards of Leadership Nashville and Sarah Cannon Cancer Foundation.

Chawla Hotels, the largest privately held hotel company in the Mississippi Delta with 19 hotels, is honored as the 2019 Business of the Year.  Two brothers, Dinesh Chawla and Suresh Chawla, lead the company that their father established in Greenwood in 1989. In addition to providing emergency housing and other assistance to employees and residents, they have assisted other organizations in their community missions. They have a long history of supporting the Boys and Girls Club of the Delta as well as teachers and students in Leflore County’s public schools.  They have given tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships. This year the company worked with Coahoma Community College to form the Chawla Hospitality Academy, a training center for employees in the hotel business. In addition, the company’s leaders used their national contacts to help bring a Silicon Valley company to Clarksdale.

The Community Foundation manages 235 donor-established funds and has distributed over $22 million to support more than 700 charitable organizations and activities recommended by its donors, as well as charitable programs established by the foundation.  Established in 2002 with a generous grant from the Maddox Foundation, the Community Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization.

The Foundation serves Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Leflore, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, and Tunica counties.  A board of 20 volunteer civic leaders governs the Community Foundation.  Learn more about the Community Foundation at www.cfnm.org or call 449-5002.