Mike Brumby is shown with students at the Reading Center.

TIFTON, Ga. – Picture this: A football stadium packed with people of all ages, reading a Dr. Seuss book in unison; a busy banker taking a reading comprehension test alongside a first grader; a grateful teacher accepting an award for her excellent teaching; a team of vocational students building an energy smart house; a group of youngsters welcoming their favorite children’s author to their school…

All of this and much more is evidence that the vision of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence in the public schools has taken root and is shaping the learning opportunities in this community.

Driving this success is the extraordinary leadership and energetic talent of a remarkable husband and wife, Mike and Moppy Brumby. For 27 years, the Brumbys have devoted their lives to enriching the educational experiences of not only hundreds of children, but the entire community, through their work with the education foundation.

And now the couple is being honored with the creation of the Mike and Moppy Brumby Leadership Chair. Seeded by a $12,500 contribution from George McCarty, longtime friend and patron, the community has the opportunity to express their gratitude with a contribution to the foundation to help raise the required $25,000 to endow the chair.

“The Leadership Chair is the ideal vehicle to recognize the Brumbys,” said Marianna Keesee, a charter member of the foundation.“ Monies generated will be used to reinforce the operations of the foundation and provide a dependable, ongoing source for years to come.”

The Leadership Chair joins 13 endowed academic chairs, a cornerstone program of the foundation which funds multiple in-school projects annually.

Other programs have soared with Mike’s creativity and leadership. The most prominent is the ongoing emphasis on reading. With opportunities for kids and grown-ups year-round, a total of 5,526,436 Accelerated Reader points has been earned and Tifton proudly claims its title, “The Reading Capital of the World.”

The incentive grants program has made 691 grants to teachers to put their best ideas into practice in the classroom. A total of 249 teachers have been honored through the Excellence in Teaching Awards program, co-sponsored with the Tifton Rotary Club.

With Mike at the helm, a board of community leaders with expertise, a team of committed volunteers and many community partners, the foundation has raised and invested more than $840,000 in grants, projects and teacher recognition since its inception in 1989.

In the background of all of this success is Moppy Brumby, who handles every detail from banking to board meetings to personal thank you notes. Mike describes his partner as “kind, generous, detail oriented and committed.” Past board member Sandy Bowen agrees and adds, “Moppy is deeply involved in every project and she handles every responsibility with genuine enthusiasm and grace.”

To express your gratitude to the Brumbys for 27 years of dedication and achievement, make a contribution to the Mike and Moppy Brumby Leadership Chair. Make your check in any amount to the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence, and mail to Sandy Bowen, PO Box 340, Enigma, GA 31749, and if possible, add a brief note of thanks to include with others to be presented to the couple.