HOLLY LANGE
BILL BYNUM
MILLSAPS TRUSTEES LEADING BY EXAMPLE THROUGH SERVICE
by Amber Ewing
The expectation for excellence in leadership and service flows throughout the Millsaps community, from student organizations to the college’s board of trustees. Recently, two Millsaps leaders were recognized for their work in improving their communities. Holly Lange (’91), an alumna of Millsaps College and current member of the Millsaps Board of Trustees, was awarded the 2022 Governor’s Choice Award through the Governor’s Arts Awards, a program sponsored by the Mississippi Arts Commission. Lange was selected to receive the award because of her support of the Mississippi arts community. Lange is a passionate supporter of her community and has provided service through various roles, including leading the opening events for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Mississippi History Museum, serving on various philanthropic boards and founding the annual Mississippi Book Festival. She attributes her upbringing and time at Millsaps as key drivers of her service-driven life. As the child of an Episcopalian minister and public-school teacher, Lange says, “Service to others was modeled for me as just a part of life. “When I was at Millsaps, the professors and administration encouraged you to be of service. You give. That’s what you do.” Dr. Rob Pearigen was proud to nominate Lange for the award. In a letter to the selection committee, Pearigen wrote, “Holly’s passion for the arts, her commitment to the promotion of artists and her determination
to draw the world to Mississippi’s artistic stage have made an enormous difference for our state, our citizens and our recognition of art as a way of life.” “Without patrons and promoters of the arts like Holly, without the talent, skill and drive that Holly herself brings to her work and advocacy for the arts, our exposure to art would be limited and our appreciation diminished,” says Pearigen. In addition to the arts community, Millsaps leaders are working to improve economic conditions in their communities. William “Bill” Bynum, a former member of the Millsaps Board of Trustees and longtime friend of the college, was honored with an award from the Heinz Family Foundation. Bynum, founder and CEO of Hope Enterprise Corp., received the 26th annual Heinz Award for the Economy in honor of his work in expanding access to financial tools for low-income individuals. Bynum did not expect to receive the award and was honored to have been selected. “People are seeing that our work makes a difference. I see it as trying to do what I can to put people in a position to support their families,” he said. Bynum believes Millsaps plays a critical role in improving the lives of Mississippians. As a trustee, he initially partnered with Millsaps to inform the college on the 1 Campus, 1 Community initiative. Bynum was attracted to the college because of its legacy of academic excellence and service, including the college’s work with the Freedom Riders of the 1960s and its partnership with Tougaloo College. “Millsaps’ history of educating Mississippians at the highest level says a lot about the impact of the college,” Bynum says. “Millsaps produces people who prioritize making the state better, not just putting more money in their pockets. Millsaps graduates act in the interest of the greater good.” MILLSAPS.EDU
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