Skip to main content

Turner College Grad Merri Sherman Receives National Service Award

Turner College graduate Merri Sherman, the Executive Director of the Greater Columbus Georgia Sports and Events Council, has been chosen as just the fifth recipient of the prestigious Melinda Fischer Distinguished Service Award in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s 40-year history. The award recognizes a person who has shown exceptional commitment and dedication to the NFCA and the sport of fastpitch softball. According to the Association's press release, Sherman has worked closely with many fastpitch organizations over her 20 years serving the Columbus community, bringing national tournaments in a wide variety of sports to Georgia. "Merri Sherman has given selflessly of her time and talents to the softball community and to the NFCA. Under her visionary leadership, she has provided a top notch 'home away from home' for our NFCA Leadoff Classic tournaments in Columbus, Ga,” NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman said. “South Commons Complex has been the host for our prestigious collegiate tournaments for multiple divisions over many years. Student-athletes, coaches, umpires, and fans all enjoy a first-class experience at these events, thanks to Merri's unwavering commitment to excellence. Like the award's namesake, Melinda Fischer, Merri has been a difference-maker for the NFCA. She continues to elevate the sport, the Association, and our Leadoff tournaments. Merri is very deserving of our highest service award.” In 2021, Sherman, who earned a BBA in marketing from the Turner College in 2004, received the National Contributor Award for Outstanding Leadership hosting the GHSA softball state championships, and she has been one of the driving forces behind the numerous renovations at the South Commons Complex over the years — ranging from a new batting facility and bullpens to the addition of energy-efficient LED field lighting — to give fastpitch athletes an award-winning complex. “I am incredibly honored to be recognized by the NFCA for the Melinda Fischer Service Award,” Sherman said. “Having witnessed Melinda’s dedication to softball as well as seeing the distinguished list of previous recipients, this award truly means so much to me. We have an incredible team in Columbus, and we’re blessed with a very supportive Board and City. Thank you to the NFCA for being such an integral part of helping us make our dreams a reality!” Sherman will receive her award and be recognized on Dec. 9 during the Awards Brunch of the 2023 NFCA National Convention at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky. Previous winners of the Melinda Fischer Distinguished Service Award are ESPN producer Meg Aronowitz (2018), former National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Executive Director Mary Ellen Leicht (2016), former NCAA Secretary-Rules Editor (and current NCAA equipment consultant) Dee Abrahamson, and longtime former Illinois State head coach and NFCA Convention coordinator Fischer (2002). The award was named for inaugural winner Fischer in 2018. Both Fischer (2010) and Abrahamson (2019) are NFCA Hall of Famers.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seven Turner College Management and Marketing Faculty Have Combined to Produce Eight A-Level Journal Publications Between 2021 and the Present

A number of faculty in the Turner College's Department of Management and Marketing, which includes faculty in management information systems, have produced A-level journal publications in the last few years. This report covers that activity, starting with John Finley , the chairperson of the department. Professor Finley published a paper in the Journal of Computer Information Systems in 2022.      Finley is joined by Kirk Heriot , the Crowley Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship. Heriot, who earned a PhD in management from Clemson University, published in a 2021 issue of Small Business Economics . One of the study's co-authors, Andres Jauregui of Fresno State University, was previously a member of the Turner College's economics faculty.      Next is Johnny Ho , a professor of management, who has a 2022 publication in the Journal of Computer Information Systems . Ho has won CSU's Excellence in Research Award on multiple occasions, while he has compiled 2...
Post a Comment
Read more

TSYS School, Jianhua Yang, Lixin Wang Each among Top Five in the World

New research by computer scientists in the School of Information Technology at Universiti Utara Malaysia that ranks institutions and individuals on the basis of scholarship in the area of stepping-stone attacks heaps praise on the Turner College’s TSYS School of Computer Science and two of its faculty – Jianhua Yang and Lixin Wang .   The article, published in the April 2023 issue of the International Journal of Research in Engineering and Science , provides a bibliometric analysis of both publication and citation data from 2000 to September of 2022 related to research on stepping-stone intrusion.   Among several results, it reports that Columbus State University ranks second worldwide, trailing only the University of Houston, using total publications on the subject as the basis of comparison.   A number of other U.S. institutions appear in the top 10, including third-ranked North Carolina State University, fourth-ranked University of Illinois, sixth-ranked Iowa State U...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Butler Center Report Identifies Employment Gaps in the Columbus Area

Officials in the Turner College's Butler Center for Research and Economic Development recently put the finishing touches on an extensive report on trends in educational programs and occupations in the Columbus area. The report also includes data on business and technology trends.  According to Fady Mansour , Director of the Butler Center, there are several key takeaways from the report regarding 10 occupational gaps that currently exist in the Columbus area. First,  software development occupation exhibits the biggest labor shortage, with the report adding that the TSYS School has a bachelor's degree program in information technology along with a new AI track for the bachelor's degree in computer science, both of which can qualify students for this occupation. Other educational programs are in demand, such as computer programming and cloud computing. Second, there is a gap of 30 employees per year in general and operations management. This gap could be addressed by the Turn...
Post a Comment
Read more