Phillips Receives Coveted Community Service Award
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Chamber board member Vickie Person presents the Braswell Hatcher Service Award to Ora Lee Phillips at Monday’s reception.
WATER VALLEY – The ruse was an interview for a newspaper article as Vicki Person sat down last week with the recipient of the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce’s coveted Braswell Hatcher Service Award.
“We told her we were doing an article for the newspaper about outstanding women in the community,” Person told the crowd assembled at Fountain Square Event Plaza for the annual Chamber reception Monday night. The identity of the honoree is a closely guarded secret until the big night, and Ora Lee Phillips’ family was able to ensure she was in attendance without raising suspicion.
“I am speechless, but I am happy,” Phillips said as she took the mic after the presentation. “I thank the Chamber and the community, I could not have done the things I have done without your help.”
The earlier “interview” allowed Person to jot down notes and highlights from Phillips’ life that were shared as part of the award presentation. Phillips has been involved in countless community projects, worked at a local bank for 22 years and operated Rainbow Kiddy World Daycare with her daughter from 1991 until 2014.
“She provided service for hundreds of children and low-income families who couldn’t afford childcare. Every child they nurtured loved and cared for her, and called her granny. Including my two boys,” Person said. “Mrs. Phillips was and still is an active member of the community. She served on the Chamber of Commerce, as a Relay for Life leader, on the Yalobusha County American Cancer Society, an active poll worker for the Sylva Rena Community and a board member of the Yalobusha Dining with Diabetes.”
Phillips is also a longtime active member of Bayson Chapel M.B. Church, serving as youth leader, in the prayer ministry and mother’s ministry.
“She continues to spread her joy and love by taking senior citizens to doctors’ appointments or running their errands… She is the epitome of service, love, encouragement, joy and selflessness,” Person added.
Longtime state representative Tommy Reynolds was also honored for his commitment to the people in Yalobusha County during the reception. Reynolds will end 44 years as a state lawmaker in December, a total of 11 terms, and former Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark traveled to Water Valley to help honor his friend.
“Reynolds and I were both elected to the Mississippi House of Representative 44 years ago,” Clark said. “We have been dear friends most of that time,” he joked.
Clark shared highlights from Reynolds’ early years and stories about his unwavering commitment to his constituents.
Outgoing Chamber of Commerce President Rhonda Burchett presents a certificate of appreciation to Representative Tommy Reynolds.
“Tommy is a man who sees where he wants to go, even if is outside the box and not easy to do,” Clark explained. “He is also really quick on his feet.”
Reynolds earned a reputation as a master of drawing districts in the Mississippi Legislature during redistricting each decade, a real numbers-guru. Citing an embattled 1991 redistricting effort, Clark recalled that Reynolds was drafting an alternative redistricting plan using a pocket calculator.
“If you change one precinct in Yalobusha County it affects what happens in Hattiesburg because everything has to follow. Tommy was ahead of those folks on the fancy computer systems with his calculator,” Clark told the crowd.
Secretary Clark shared another story from 1983, an initially futile attempt to change the rules of the House to limit the speaker’s power.
“Back then the speaker of the house was the most powerful person in the State of Mississippi,” Clark said. “When he killed Governor William Winter’s kindergarten bill for the third time in 1982, we said this was just wrong.”
Clark continued, explaining that a small group of representatives assembled at a press conference at the capital to tell the public they wanted to change the rules to limit the power of the speaker.
A tough Tupelo reporter countered.
“She said, ‘This is all well and good but it takes 62 votes to pass anything and I see 12 of you here. What can you do with 12 people?’”
Clark admitted he was fumbling for words.
“That was when Reynolds said, ‘Jesus Christ did pretty good starting with 12,’” Clark recalled.
Three years later, Clark said the effort had grown to 75 of the 122 representatives and they were able to make the change.
“Reynolds was able to visualize where he wanted to go and stuck with it. When I talked to him several weeks ago he was still focused on specific projects for his counties,” Clark continued. “He is consumed with this idea of Hwy. 7 being four-laned from I-55 to Oxford… I would simply say that Tommy Reynolds has been one of the most effective members of the legislature going back more than four decades.”
