The Kiwanis Club of Columbia Friday honored two former club presidents, Bobby Harris and Travis Jones, with the George F. Hixson Fellowship.
The George F. Hixson Fellowship was established by the Kiwanis Children’s Fund in 1983 and is named for the first President of Kiwanis International.
The award is one of the highest honors given by Kiwanis Club, recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to Kiwanis’ history of generosity and for their dedicated service to the club and their community.
Harris joined the Kiwanis Club of Columbia in 1993 and served as the 81st President of the club in 2001-2002.
“This is about the club. Kiwanis is good for the community,” Harris said. “If you measure the number of service organizations in a community and add them all together, they represent about 1% of the people that serve voluntarily in their community.”
Harris said the most rewarding experience about participating in Kiwanis is reading to children and boosting literacy programs to help children in the community.
The Kiwanis Club of Columbia has donated over $60,000 to Imagination Library of Maury County and sponsors literacy programs for children and scholarships for students.
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Harris is a native of Maury County and is a graduate of Maury County Public Schools and Columbia State Community College. He received a degree in accounting from The University of Memphis.
His professional career began at the corporate office of Holiday Inn in Memphis.
After 20 years in the hotel industry and receiving his Certified Public Accountant designation, Harris joined the financial services industry with Merrill Lynch and later Edward Jones, where he became a Certified Financial Planner. He completed his career with Edward Jones, where he attended its Top Producers annual conference seven times.
He and his wife, Connie, recently celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary and are parents of two children, Nathan and Sarah, and two grandchildren, Lilly and Ava.
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Harris served on the Board of the Kings’ Daughters’ School for nine years and for 20 years on the Maury County Industrial Development Board. He also served as a Maury County Commissioner, president of the Little League, Columbia Swim Team and Central High Band Boosters.
Jones second generation Kiwanis member
Jones was born in Columbia and attended Brown Elementary, Whitthorne Middle School and graduated from Battle Ground Academy. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
He became an Eagle Scout at the age of 16 with Columbia Troop 111.
After serving as president and general manager of Jones Home Furnishings in Columbia for 10 years, he enrolled in the Nashville School of Law, where he graduated in 2012.
Gov. Bill Haslam appointed Jones to serve as the Public Defender for the 22nd Judicial District. He was elected without opposition in 2020 and 2022.
He has served on the Board of Governors of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, President of Leadership Maury Board, president of Graymere Country Club and a member of the Tennessee Public Defenders Conference Executive Committee. He serves as co-chairman of the Steering Committee for the new Maury County Judicial Center.
He is the father of son, Walker. He and his wife, Kendall, a fellow attorney, enjoy sharing their interest in outdoor activities.
Jones joined the Kiwanis Club in 1998 and was the 88th President of the club in 2008-2009.
Jones said he is humbled to receive the award.
A second generation Kiwanis Club member, Jones said he remembers volunteering for many club and community events as a child with his father, which set the stage for his community involvement as an adult.