Motlow and Family Partners Honored at Sixth SOAR Awards

April 11, 2024

Motlow State Community College left the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Sixth Annual Statewide Outstanding Achievement Awards (SOAR) event with the Partnership Award for their three generations of partnership with the Gleghorn-Dempsey family.

Pictured, from right to left: Mark Hutchins, Motlow College Foundation; Alissa Roebuck, Executive Administrator; Dr. Tony Millican, Executive Vice President for Workforce and Community Development; Charles Gleghorn; Dr. Terri Bryson, Vice President for External Affairs; Gay Dempsey; Jaxen Waggoner, SOAR Community College Student of the Year; Renee Austin, Executive Vice President for Business and Finance; Jonathan Graham, Tennessee Promise Director; Dr. Regina Verdin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Yaritza Gotay, Dean of Students; Dr. Brelinda Johnson, Executive Vice President for Student Success.
Kneeling: Dr. Michael Torrence, President of Motlow College. 

TBR’s SOAR awards recognize statewide outstanding achievement by honoring faculty, staff, students, philanthropists, volunteers, and college partners who exhibit outstanding dedication to higher education. Motlow nominated Charles Gleghorn and his family for playing an instrumental role in bringing quality education to the Fayetteville and Lincoln County communities.

Gleghorn is the founder of the Bank of Lincoln County and played a pivotal role in the development of Motlow’s Fayetteville campus. Throughout his earliest work experiences as a milkman to his success in launching and leading the Bank of Lincoln County, he firmly believed in the value of education. His passion for the Fayetteville and Lincoln County communities led him to make education more accessible for future generations than it was for him. He served on the Motlow Foundation’s Board of Trustees as a member and chair. His daughter Gay Dempsey now holds his former position as Chair of the Board.

Through this partnership, the Gleghorn-Dempsey family played an invaluable role in helping Motlow to start a new campus, an annual golf tournament fundraiser, an endowed scholarship, three room-naming gifts, giving campaigns, and much more. Dempsey now plays a pivotal role in assisting Motlow’s enrollment, outreach, and programming efforts. Recently, she assisted in the Motlow-Fayetteville Advisory Board, which helps the College collaborate with Lincoln County business leaders to meet workforce needs.

According to Gov. Bill Lee, “It is an honor to celebrate each of Tennessee’s outstanding students, faculty, and staff at our state’s community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATS), as well as their benefactors, community partners, and volunteers. From skilled trades to nursing, business and so much more – our community colleges and our TCATs offer a variety of life-changing programs that provide greater opportunities for Tennesseans all across our state. Congratulations to the finalists, and thank you for your hard work and dedication.”

Motlow congratulates the Gleghorn-Dempsey family for earning this award and thanks TBR for recognizing academic excellence throughout the state.