By Latasha Everson/The Tifton Gazette
CNHI
TIFTON —
The State Bar of Georgia has established an annual award to honor a non-lawyer citizen for his or her lifetime contributions to the State Bar or the judicial branch of government. The award is named for Eunice L. Mixon of Tifton, a retired educator who has represented the public on the Bar’s Investigative Panel since 1997.
The annual Eunice L. Mixon Award will be presented each year to a Georgia citizen who has worked to promote a better understanding of the importance of the rule of law, has encouraged greater respect for the law and the courts and has exemplified a sense of responsibility and public service in his or her community and the state.
After being asked to give a speech, Mixon was unexpectedly surprised with this honor.
“I am very grateful that I have the pleasure and honor of working with the conscientious, hard-working people of our State Bar,” Mixon stated. “I do not feel that honors are due me personally, but if they want to use me to honor the role of lay people in our justice system, I suppose it is all right.”
Mixon is a well-known citizen of Tifton/Tift County. She worked on the family farm all her life and taught biology in Georgia’s public schools for 30 years. Since retiring from the classroom, Mixon has focused on political activities and civic volunteer work. Mixon continues to make a difference by serving on the Investigative Panel and as doorkeeper to the Georgia State Senate. In addition, she has served on numerous boards, including the Tifton/Tift County Library Board, the Coastal Plain Regional Library Board, the Georgia Student Finance Commission Board, the Heritage Trust Commission Board, the Agrirama Foundation and the State Election Board.
Mixon’s long list of contributions and successes has earned her this prominent recognition.
“Georgia’s legal profession and justice system benefit from the service of Eunice Mixon and others like her who volunteer their intellect and energy toward the work of the Bar,” said State Bar President S. Lester Tate III of Cartersville. “Their participation enhances the credibility of the work that we do and ensures that we never succumb to the lure of self interest.”
The State Bar of Georgia, with offices in Atlanta, Savannah and Tifton, was established in 1964 by Georgia’s Supreme Court as the successor to the voluntary Georgia Bar Association, founded in 1884. All lawyers licensed to practice in Georgia belong to the State Bar. More than 42,000 members work together to strengthen the constitutional promise of justice for all, promote principles of duty and public service among Georgia’s lawyers, and administer a strict code of legal ethics.
