Jackson, TN – January 31, 2025 – Lane College hosted its Spring Convocation Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Hosted in the Chambers-McClure Academic Center, the board of trustees, faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community members were in attendance to mark the start or the Spring 2025 academic year.
The event had a wide variety of speakers including Madison County Mayor, A.J. Massey and the City of Jackson Mayor, Scott Conger. Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of The United Negro College Fund served as the event’s keynote speaker. Dr. Lomax shared encouraging words of wisdom with the students, “As you move forward in your academic journey remember that your life has purpose. You are here because of the sacrifices made by those who came before you, and you have the power the power to shape the future for those who will follow.”
Additionally, Dr. Lomax received an honorary degree along with two additional recipients.
Cynthia Rawls Bond received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
Charles Cynthia Rawls Bond, born in 1934 in Brownsville, Tennessee, to civic-minded parents, is a distinguished graduate of St. Frances Academy and Fisk University, where she earned a Bachelor's in Psychology and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
Inc. She also holds a Master's in Guidance and Personnel Administration from New York University. Bond has been a pivotal civil rights advocate, serving as the first secretary of the Haywood County NAACP and organizing a Head-Start-inspired preschool. She became president of Golden Circle Life Insurance Company and has received numerous accolades, including the Avon N. Williams, Jr. Living Legend Award and the Fisk University Alumni Achievement Award. Bond has served on various boards, including the Insouth Bank Board and the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, where she was the first African American member. She is a partner in Golden Circle Insurance Agency, Inc., and Rawls Funeral Home, and remains active in community service and civil rights advocacy. Bond was married to Maltimore Bond for 60 years and has four adult children.
Versie P. Easter received an honorary Doctor of Divinity.
Reverend Versie Nola Pulphus Easter, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Irvin and Sallie Payne Pulphus, is a highly esteemed 1956 graduate of Robert R. Moton High School and a proud graduate of the Interdenominational Center in Memphis, TN, with a degree in Theology. Over her fifty-year ministry, she has pastored several churches in Arkansas and Tennessee, served as District President of the Women’s Missionary Society, and was the first female Presiding Elder of the CME Church. Recognized for her distinguished service with awards such as the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award, Rev. Easter has preached internationally and served in various civic and religious capacities, including as NAACP President in Arkansas. She is an active member of Lane Chapel CME Church in Forrest City, AR, and is committed to her faith as a "born again, baptized believer in Jesus Christ."
Michela Lomax received an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is a distinguished leader in education and civic engagement. He graduated from Morehouse College at 16, earned a Master’s from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from Emory University. Dr. Lomax has held teaching positions at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges and leadership roles at Dillard University and the National Faculty. In Atlanta, he served as director of research and special assistant to Mayor Maynard Holbrook Jackson, established the Office of Cultural Affairs, and was the first African American elected as chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Under his leadership, UNCF has distributed over $4 billion in scholarships, benefiting more than 200,000 students, and launched initiatives to strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
For more information about the event, please contact Lane College at (731) 426-7500 or visit www.lanecollege.edu.
Media Contact: Anthony T. Williams Jr., Chief of Staff to the President, Lane College Phone: (731) 426-7595, Email: awilliams@lanecollege.edu.