TIFTON — The Tift County Board of Education recently offered its thanks to a member of the community for his lasting support of the school system during stormy situations.

Board members presented county public security director Joey Fowler with a Beyond the T Award during their Nov. 14 meeting out of gratitude for his constant communication with and responsiveness during and in preparation for storms and other dangerous weather phenomena hitting the county.

Dana Spurlin, chief information officer for the school system, said Fowler’s reports and updates in the days and hours leading up to approaching storms were often instrumental in helping Tift County Schools make informed decisions on keeping their students and faculty safe.

Natalie Gore, school superintendent, added to this praise, recounting an occasion where a storm was threatening the Tiftarea early in her tenure as Tift’s superintendent and, reluctant to come to a decision out of fear of jumping the gun, she had reached out to Fowler for consultation. In response, Fowler had agreed to not only provide her advice, but to do so very early in the morning before Gore had reached the deadline to make a decision.

She called Fowler a “diamond in the rough,” and asserted he was a vital asset to the local community.