Hall of Honor

 

Teddy Reel has spent a lifetime serving the community that shaped him. A proud Commerce High School 1980 graduate, Teddy’s roots in CISD run deep. As a student, he played trombone in the band for four years, earning All-District honors and serving as section chair. He was active in Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Key Club, Journalism, and was named a Junior Rotarian.

After graduating, Teddy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from East Texas State University (now East Texas A&M University) in 1984. He remained active in music and leadership through the University Band, Trombone Choir, and as president of the Baptist Student Ministries.

His professional career began at The Boeing Company, where he was the youngest buyer on staff. He later returned to E-Systems (now L3Harris) in Greenville, where he spent nearly 40 years supporting the Air Force One mission and its communications systems. His career was marked by leadership, responsibility, and dedication to national service.

Teddy has also given back through Boy Scouts of America, serving as a Webelos leader and Scoutmaster, earning the Scoutmaster Award of Merit. He is a graduate of the Commerce Leadership Institute and an active member of First Baptist Church and Rotary International.

In 2023, he received the Community Builder Award from the Commerce Masonic Lodge and was named the 2025 recipient of the Dr. Robert “Bob” Johnson Community Service Award. Teddy served on the Commerce City Council and is currently in his second term as Mayor of Commerce.

Teddy and his wife, Ann (1980 CISD Graduate), have been married for 41 years and have three children and three grandchildren. His siblings—Mary, Paul, and Ruth—are also CISD graduates. Whether supporting the community, leading city initiatives, or volunteering behind the scenes, Teddy Reel is a tireless advocate for the people of Commerce.

 

 

 

Every Memorial Day since 1889 when the postmaster placed three flags honoring Civil War veterans, volunteers have placed flags honoring veterans interred at Rosemound Cemetery in Commerce. Leading this endeavor since 1981 has been CHS graduate Jim Faires.

Jim’s leadership capabilities were fostered while a student in Commerce ISD, which he attended from first grade through graduation. He was president of the Key Club and band captain his senior year. He was named to the all-district band his sophomore year and he developed his interest in journalism on the Tiger Tips newspaper column and Sregit yearbook staffs. Participating in the CHS Band, called back then The Big, Mean Orange Machine, Jim said was a great memory--especially when the band won first
place at the Parade of Champions in the Fall of 1977.

Jim attended Southern Methodist University where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1982. He worked as a student intern with the SMU Sports Information Office for two years.

His first job out of college was as sports director with a new TV station, Channel 18 that served Commerce, Greenville and Sulphur Springs. He enjoyed broadcasting games at Memorial Stadium for the Tigers and Lions where he spent so much time as a kid.

 

His on-air assignments continued while he was with KGVL/KIKT Radio in Greenville and KTYL in Tyler. He was awarded a second-place honor for the best sportscast in Texas in 1986 and 1987.

Jim then moved out-of-state to radio managerial positions in Tupelo, Mississippi; Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Cocoa Beach, Florida; Springfield, Missouri; and Kansas City. Currently, he is in the Greensboro-Winston-Salem market as senior account manager/special projects director with Audacy Broadcasting. He celebrated 40 years in broadcasting in August.

He has continued his leadership in honoring veterans in his hometown while he lived out of state—recruiting volunteers, keeping logs of newly passed veterans, keeping the maps of graves, purchasing flags and organizing the on-site flag setting. This year the total flags set was 750. The legacy began by that postmaster in 1889 has continued through the postmaster’s son, W. Y Goff and for the last 37 years with Jim Faires.

 

To quote Jim: “My time and efforts are miniscule compared to the sacrifices our veterans have made. It’s a small thing to give back to my hometown and honor those that have served so unselfishly to preserve our freedom.”

 

Leadership qualities surfaced early in the life of John Horn. Growing up on a farm south of Fairlie, John had many opportunities to lead as a sibling to seven sisters and a brother. Six of his sisters also graduated from Commerce High School, including Loretta Kibler, former superintendent of Commerce ISD and fellow CISD Hall of Honor inductee.

After entering Commerce High School as a freshman, John quickly established himself as a leader after being elected president of the Greenhand FFA chapter. He played basketball, acted in a school play and won District in UIL Debate competition with partner Gerald Lacy. He was an FFA officer all four years. A highlight for him was winning a registered Hereford heifer for a paper he wrote. He praises several CHS teachers for encouraging him as a leader and inspiring him in debate and speech.

John received his BS and master’s degrees from the University currently called Texas A&M-Commerce. He received his Doctor of Education degree from the University of North Texas in 1971.

His leadership capabilities were quickly recognized as he was moved to assistant principal in Mesquite ISD after only three years of teaching experience. He rose from that position to becoming an elementary principal and then as an administrative assistant to the superintendent. He left Mesquite to become superintendent of Allen ISD where the student population grew from 1200 to 4500 during his eight-year
tenure. He returned to Mesquite ISD as superintendent in 1986 and saw enrollment grow from 19,000 to 35,000 students.

While serving as superintendent of Mesquite ISD, John was instrumental in establishing a partnership with TAMU-C that has garnered national recognition as a model for preparing future teachers and administrators. He was named Texas Superintendent of the Year in 1996. In 2000, Mesquite ISD honored him with the naming of John D. Horn High School.

After his retirement in 2001, he remained active in public education, conducting superintendent searches for districts and serving as a senior associate with the Schlechty Center and as a consultant for the Texas Association of School Administrators.

John’s family is deeply rooted in Commerce. His wife, Lynda, is a CHS graduate who also attended Texas A&M University-Commerce. His daughter, Katrina, received master’s and doctoral degrees from TAMU-C and his son, Greg, received his BS from the university. Seven grandchildren received BS degrees from TAMU-C.

The individual nominating Dr. Horn for the honor stated: “He has devoted his life to serving as a servant leader who believes in the transformational power of public education.”

 

Jerry Hendrix was the youngest of seven children raised by his mother Ora Hendrix in a little house on Mayo Street. He graduated from CHS in 1957 where he excelled in both academics and athletics, being voted most athletic and most likely to succeed and having been selected to the all-district and all-East Texas football teams.

After high school, Jerry attended Texas A&M University on a football scholarship but after one year returned to Commerce and attended East Texas State University on a United States Air Force ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1961 with a degree in Journalism and was the Sigma Delta Chi Outstanding Male Graduate in Journalism.

Upon graduation from ET, he entered the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant and embarked on what would be a 30-year military career in public affairs. During his military career, Jerry was assigned to Osan Base in Korea, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., Wiesbaden and Ramstein Air Force Air Bases in Germany, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Jerry was director of Public Affairs at the Air Force Academy, Chief of the Community Relations Division at the Pentagon and Director of Public Affairs for Headquarters Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base.

Jerry also coached and played on the Air Force Interservice Tennis Team when the team and he and his doubles partner won the 1979 championship.

Throughout his career, Jerry’s high standards, intelligence, good judgment, and strong work ethic gave him great success and he retired from the United States Air Force in 1991 with the rank of Colonel.

After his retirement, Jerry and his wife taught tennis skills to children with cancer through Camp Discovery and to children with Down Syndrome through Raquets Up!.
One of the most coveted awards given by Commerce High School is the Dexter trophy. Given to the year’s outstanding scholar-athlete, the award was the brainchild of Jerry Hendrix. After the death of his CHS football coach, Charles Dexter in 2006, Jerry was motivated to establish a memorial for the coach at CHS. He proposed the idea to other players on the 1956 team and the Dexter trophy was presented to CHS in 2007.

Colonel Jerry Blake Hendrix passed away on December 7, 2023, and was buried with full military honors in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

He is represented here today by many family members including his daughter, Dana, and son, Dave.

Maranda Neal -Auzenne

Class of 1984

Maranda is a 1984 graduate of CHS. She was a member of the Drama Club, Future Homemakers of America, and Who’s Who Among American High School Students. She competed in the prose and poetry interpretation in UIL. During her freshman year, she received the Drama Club award for “Most Promising Underclassman.” Maranda placed second and third place in UIL regional poetry interpretation competitions for two years, advancing to the state competition.

Maranda is an executive level commercial real estate professional who brings more than 20 years of experience in providing leadership for both property and asset management. Most recently, as senior vice president of property management at Trademark Property Company, she provided oversight and guidance for Trademark’s national business. Before joining Trademark in 2014, Maranda worked with MG Herring Group for six years where she managed a 630,000-sq-ft lifestyle center.

Prior to her venture into retail property management, Maranda worked with Ryan, LLC, a Dallas-based international accounting consulting firm where she was the national director of operations. At Ryan, she oversaw the operations of 28 office locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Believing strongly in community service, Maranda is a city councilwoman in Cedar Hill, Texas, and is active within the commercial real estate industry. She is the 2023 recipient of The Dallas Business Journal’s Influential Women in Business, Cedar Hill Woman of the Year and has received several other leadership and service acknowledgements. Her most recent appointment has been to serve STAR Transit to help identify and address mobility/transportation issues.

Maranda holds a BS from Amberton University. She is married to her husband, Jay, and has one son and two grandchildren.

 

Ask most any student who attended Commerce High School during Glenda Henderson’s tenure there and they will tell you she is one of the most caring people they have ever met. Words shared by the person nominating her for this honor include: “absolute joy,” “genuine love for students,” and “biggest fan.”

 

She touched the lives of many students inside her technology classroom and outside as lead sponsor of the National Honor Society and Student Council. She was chosen as CISD’s Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2012 and represented the district at the Region 10 Teacher of the Year program.

 

Other honors include being named Teacher of the Year by the CHS student body in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The senior classes of 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 selected her as Teacher of the Year. The junior class selected her as Teacher of the Year in 2021. She was the Commerce Rotary Club Employee of the Year for 2017 and she received the Gene Collinsworth Award for Kindness and Service to CHS in 2013.

 

When asked by a student teacher, “How do you know you want to be a teacher?” she replied, “If you don’t love students, you don’t need to teach.” She says the relationships she built with her students was her greatest reward while teaching. She has built lifelong relationships and she maintains contact with many of her former students.

 

As a pastor’s wife, Glenda was active with her husband, Johnnie, in the Baptist Student Ministry in Temple, Kilgore and Commerce where he was director. He also served as pastor at First Baptist Church in Commerce and Merit Baptist Church. She has taught accounting at Kilgore College and was the financial administrator at the First Baptist Church in Commerce before joining CHS.

 

Glenda has two sons who graduated from Commerce High School—Matthew, who is a teacher and coach for the district. He is engaged to Kodi Norris. Glenda’s youngest son Wesley and his wife live in Nashville where he is the screens producer for The Grand Ole Opry. She is an associate marketing manager for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Glenda’s small grandchildren in Tennessee are blessed with her presence every chance she gets.

 

Glenda says since she started teaching at CHS she never wanted to do anything else--saying students changed her life daily. She uses a phrase to describe students and educators at the school and we can use the same phrase to describe her. She is “Absolutely the Best of the Best.”

 

Committed, principled, servant…These are just a few of the words that describe our next Hall of Honor inductee Anthony Henry. A lifelong Commerce resident, Anthony attended Norris School until the fifth grade when he enrolled in Commerce schools.

In high school he participated in basketball and track. He said one memory stands out of his time at CHS—Steve Scroggin’s government class. Anthony said in Mr. Scroggin’s class he developed the drive to pursue participating in politics which has led him to serve on the Parks and Recreation Board and now the Commerce City Council, where he is currently Mayor Pro Tem.

 

His leadership is also felt in his role as a deacon at Mt. Moriah Temple Baptist Church and as manager of O’Reilly Auto Parts, where he has worked 25 years. He is an active leader of young men during monthly conferences held at the church. He enjoyed being a youth coach and referee where he participated in basketball, football, baseball and softball. He said, “I’ve had the opportunity to mentor several kids in our community and watching them mature into adults has been an absolutely humbling experience,”

 

Another hallmark of Anthony’s success is his family. His wife of 34 years, Rolonda, is a 1988 graduate of CHS. His son, Anthony “Tony” Henry, is a 2008 graduate of CHS and currently serves as dean of students at Commerce Middle School. His daughter, Christian, is a 2012 CHS graduate and was awarded her doctoral degree in August. He has five siblings who attended CHS. His sister, Sharice, was a 2016 Hall of Honor inductee.

 

Starting out as an outstanding student and athlete at CHS, P.J. Winston is now a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration serving in Colombia.

P.J. excelled in all four sports offered at the campus—football, basketball, baseball and track. He received numerous awards such as all-state, district and regional honors. In 1996, he threw two back-to- back no-hitters to advance the Tigers to the baseball playoffs. The 1997 football team went to state but lost the final game to its perennial rival, Sealy 28-21.

P.J. showed leadership as class president his senior year. He was named 1998 homecoming and prom king and selected for induction to the National Honor Society.

After receiving a scholarship to New Mexico State University, he started as wide receiver for three years, earning all-conference honors and leading the Aggies in receiving. He was selected to the 2003 All-Humanitarian Team. He continued his career in football in the professional leagues for seven years including the American Football League, Canadian Football league and the American Football League 2.

P.J. says his goal is to be a role model for the Commerce community, influencing the youth to make good choices and always give back to the next generation of kids. Through hard work and sacrifice, he has continued to break boundaries to promote positivity for everyone. He has been diligent in serving local communities and shelters wherever he may live as well as be an active member of the church. Speaking to under-privileged youth is a priority with his message being that hard work, sacrifice, good
choices and dedication will produce success.

 

P.J. has been married to Delilah Winston for 18 years and they have an 8-year-old daughter named Carter.

 

Not only can Betty Casselberry’s impact on our community be measured by the millions of dollars she managed for CISD but also on the thousands of students whose lives she enhanced by offering them the best opportunities possible through her work as the director of finance at Commerce ISD. 

Betty Casselberry was one of those people who came to East Texas State University and stayed after receiving both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her 31 years of service in education began in Trinidad where she was a typing and shorthand teacher. As a beginning teacher in 1963, Betty was able to board in the home of a widow. Her future as an educator was in jeopardy when she announced that she would be marrying. The widow’s objection wasn’t because of Gene Casselberry but rather during that time teachers were encouraged to avoid matrimony. 

Betty also taught in Paris ISD before joining ETSU as assistant dean of women. She was promoted to assistant director of financial aid where she stayed for 11 years. Her ability to manage funds and people was recognized when she joined Commerce ISD as the director of finance in 1984. 

During her 16-year tenure at CISD, she oversaw the financial operations of a changing district with ever-increasing demands from the Texas Education Agency. The complexities of school finance law coupled with increased student information management demanded that she become much more than a bookkeeper. Her expertise in these areas elevated her influence across the county as well as throughout the state. 

She successfully secured financing for many major school projects including the construction of Commerce Elementary School in 1991 and Commerce High School in 2000. A large part of her success can be contributed to her ability to instill trust among coworkers and the community. Her integrity is without question and her countenance and manner belied the heavy responsibility on her shoulders. 

Since her retirement in 2000, Betty has continued serving through the Hunt Regional Hospital Auxiliary, the Bargain Box and is a 50-year member of Chapter AH of P.E.O. Betty and her late husband, Gene, were staunch supporters of Texas A&M-Commerce University Lions and the Commerce Tigers and could be found at many athletic events. 
Betty has two children who attended Commerce schools--Matt Casselberry and Amy Williams who are in attendance today. 

 

 

This honoree is known for setting high goals and accomplishing them as evidenced by his appearance as a Jeopardy contestant, cycling the Alps during the Tour de France and competing in the 76-mile RBC Gran Fondo cycling event from Vancouver to Whistler, British Columbia not once, but twice.

Jimmy Ogden is a man of many talents and interests. Beginning at Commerce High School, Jimmy was captain of the undefeated 1991 Bi-District Champion basketball team during which he scored two key free throws in the final minute of the 88-85 win over Southlake Carroll to win the title. Jimmy was class president, valedictorian, a two-time state UIL science competitor and a National Merit Finalist. 

While a student at the University of Texas-Austin, he received the Texas Excellence Award of Scholarship and Leadership scholarship, founded and served in the Texas Blazers men’s service organization and was named Cactus Yearbook Outstanding student. He had internships at NASA Ames Research Center, UT Austin’s Applied Research Laboratories and the German satellite manufacturer Dornier. He left UT with a BA degree with highest honors and BS degree in Aerospace Engineering. 

From 1997 to 2012 he worked in the software industry primarily for Trilogy. He founded his own company in 2006 and in 2014 he had a start-up brewery in London. While in London he received a culinary degree from Leith’s School of Food and Wine. 
At the present he is a stay-at-home dad while he continues to serve as a board member for fundraising for the Forty Acres Scholars Program. 

Jimmy lives in Dallas and is married to his wife Kathryn and they have two children. His parents, Bill and Nancy Ogden, continue to live in Commerce. 

 

“Big E” as he is known in his hometown of Commerce started with big dreams and fulfilled those big dreams as the owner of a successful full-service barber shop in Fort Worth called the Faded Blue Lounge. Through his innovation, he has expanded his small business to include men’s hygiene products and specialized grooming services.  
In high school, Eddie was an all-around athlete competing in football as a right tackle, basketball as a strong forward and track, throwing the shot put and discus. After graduating from CHS, he attended Tyler Junior College, Texas College and Williams Barber College. Before setting up his own shop, Eddie served in the United States Army for 10 years. 

Although staying abreast of the latest trends in men’s hair styling consumes his work life, Eddie’s main passion is helping others. He is a deacon at his church, The Potter’s House. Other activities include teaming with the Fort Worth Police Department to reduce domestic violence, offering free haircuts and mentoring young people. 
The person nominating Eddie for this honor said, “Eddie is an example of hard work, learning a skill or trade and then taking it to the next level of a successful small business.”

Eddie is married to Karmen Cobbs and they live in Crowley, Texas. His parents are Eddie and Billie Pannell. 

So varied are the interests and accomplishments of our honoree Jerry Speight it would take hours just to highlight them all. But I’m going to give it a shot!

Having been born in the Scatterbranch community near Commerce in 1940, Jerry was set to be Commerce Tiger throughout high school. He was an officer of the school newspaper staff, student council and band. He won UIL competitions in typing, student conducting and band solos. After high school, he attended Draughon’s Business College in Dallas, specializing in engineering drafting. 

Jerry delayed his post-secondary education when he joined the Air Force in 1959 where he received honors as well. 

Here’s where we get busy…The person nominating Jerry for this honor stated, “no biography can come close to describing what a wonderful community servant he really is and does not begin to tell how much, on a daily basis, that he gives of himself to others.”

A list of his activities and accomplishments includes:
●    Received a BS degree in Bible & Missions at Dallas Bible College, and was ordained in the ministry in 1969,
●    Assisted coaches in founding the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Greenville High School,
●    Co-owned the first ACE Hardware store in Hunt County while inventing, manufacturing, and 
marketing numerous Underwriters Lab-approved wood burning stoves,
●    Worked for over 15 years in audio and video media for national Christian publishers as well as the National Religious Broadcasters, 
●    Was one of the founders of the Greenville Christian School in 1976, serving on the Board of Directors for 17 years, and 
●    Founded a non-profit organization, Hope Center of Greenville, as an inner-city ministry to offer tutoring, mentoring, literacy and life-skills training at no cost to recipients. 

Jerry married Brenda Gaines in 1960 and they have two grown daughters. The couple resides in Greenville. 

We are adding another entry into his long and varied resume—a 2022 Commerce ISD Hall of Honor Inductee.

If there was an activity at Commerce High School during the early 1950’s, Carolyn Burt was probably involved in it. She was editor of the Tiger Tips newspaper and a Sregit yearbook staff member. She exhibited leadership skills as Student Council
secretary, FHA District II vice president and class reporter. She was named a Fall Festival Duchess, football sweetheart and class favorite.

 

After graduation from CHS in 1955, Burt entered East Texas State University, receiving her Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees. She returned to CISD as an English, health and physical education teacher for two years. She then started work at East
Texas State University as a graduate assistant in 1964. After going full time in 1965, Burt taught the rest of her career, 35 years, at the university teaching and coaching.

 

Burt began the women’s volleyball program for the university and served as its coach for many years. She also coached the women’s track team, including three All-American track and field athletes. In 2000, she was inducted into the Texas A&M
University-Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame because of her achievements as an athletic coach and mentor.

 

Burt has been a member of many community organizations and service clubs such as the Coterie Culture Club and the Charles Croxall Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. Her work on the Commerce Schools Educational Enrichment Foundation board has helped award over $550,000 in grants to CISD teachers to enhance instruction.

 

Burt and her late husband Harold reared two children in Commerce. Wayne and Sherie graduated from CHS. She has our grandchildren.

 

The youngest-ever inductee into the CISD Hall of Honor, Kristin Barker Hames is a leader in music education in the state of Texas. She cultivated her love of music in Commerce as a member of the band beginning in middle school. At CHS, she was a drum major, performed in one-act play and was a cheerleader. Hames played softball after it was introduced at CHS and she was named to the All-District Softball Team.

 

After her graduation from CHS in 1996, she attended Texas A&M University-Commerce where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Music Education with honors. She received her master’s from Southern Methodist University.

 

Hames is currently the Director of Bands at Hill Country Middle School. She has served as head band director at Stafford Middle School in Frisco and Richardson North Junior High in Richardson. Bands under her direction have received consistent
superior ratings at regional band festivals and the RNJH Symphonic Band was named first runner-up in the Texas State Honor Band competition.

 

In 2008, Hames was named as the Phi Beta Mu “Outstanding Young Bandmaster.” She was named as a Richardson ISD Teacher of the Year in 2006 and has also been
honored with a PTA Lifetime Membership. While Hames was the assistant band director at Shepton High School in Plano, she was named the Beginning Teacher of the Year in 1999.

 

Hames has conducted bands and workshops throughout the United States and in China. Her professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu and Alpha Chi.

 

Of Hames, the person nominating her said: “Inspiring students, using positive and constructive teaching methods, Mrs. Hames has made her mark in our education community. Her kind heart, student-centered forethought and ability to motivate
others makes her stand out.”

 

As a CHS senior during our nation’s Bicentennial year in 1976, Medley Wilson played basketball and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

 

Wilson attended Henderson County Junior College where he received an associate degree in auto mechanics. He served as a City of Commerce firefighter for two years and in 1982 he began his career at L3 Harris in Greenville. He continues to
work there as a team leader.

 

He is a member of the Mt. Moriah Temple Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon. For years, Wilson mentored young people as he coordinated basketball play at the old
Norris school. Mt. Moriah had purchased the school and Wilson opened it up most Sunday afternoons for students 9 through 18 years old to practice and develop their basketball skills.

 

Wilson also served from 2006 to 2012 on the CISD Board of Trustees.

 

Wilson continues to live in Commerce with his wife Barbara. Their two daughters, Angela and Deana, are also graduates of CHS.

 

 

In an NFL playing career that spanned 18 years, Wade Wilson started more than 60 games and was part of a team that won the Super Bowl. But, before that career began, Wilson was just a young boy born in Greenville and growing up in Commerce who wanted to make a name on the gridiron.

 

Wilson grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. He recalls taking part in a Punt, Pass & Kick competition as an 8- year old and getting to show his skills in front of a crowd at
the Cotton Bowl.

 

By his senior year at CHS, he was the Tigers’ starting quarterback and team leader. In his senior season, Wilson helped lead Commerce to a 10-win season and a district
championship.

 

Wilson’s talent was not unnoticed. One of the college coaches that showed interest was Ernest Hawkins (now deceased), head coach at East Texas State University, known today as Texas A&M University-Commerce. At the time, the Lions were just five years removed from an NAIA National Championship, and were still a formidable force.

 

By his junior year at ETSU, Wilson was thrust into the starting role, where he flourished. In 1980, Wilson and the Lions roared out to a six-game winning streak to start the
season. East Texas finished the year with a playoff appearance, beating No. 1-ranked Central Arkansas in the quarterfinal round before falling in the national semifinals.

The Lone Star Conference championship that year was the school’s first since 1972.

 

He played in the NFL from 1981 until 1998, drawing paychecks from the Vikings, Falcons, Saints, Cowboys and Raiders. He was voted into the Pro Bowl in 1988 and led the league in completion percentage the same year.

 

Wilson was the No. 2 quarterback behind Troy Aikman on the 1995 Cowboys team that won Super Bowl XXX.

 

He overcame the notion that a player diagnosed with diabetes could not play to the level required by the NFL. While a player and coach, he worked tirelessly to promote
diabetes education and research and has continually raised money for the American Diabetes Association.

 

Since retiring from playing, Wilson has worked as the quarterback’s coach for the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2006, and the Cowboys from 2000 to 2002, and again
from 2007 to 2016. In his most recent stint with Dallas, he has had the opportunity to work closely with Tony Romo and with rookie sensation Dak Prescott.

 

Wilson died at the age of 60 on February 1, 2019, his birthday. The award will be accepted by Wilson’s father, Charlie Wilson.

Success at CHS was only the beginning of a lifetime of service and commitment for Elliott, a 1980 graduate. His leadership skills were fostered in Student Council, the National Honor Society and the Key Club. He was voted Class Favorite and Most Likely to Succeed during his senior year. He excelled in baseball and football, being named Second Team 15-AA All District quarterback in 1979. 

Elliott attended Austin College in Sherman where he was awarded the Trustees Merit Scholarship and Hatton Sumner Scholarship in Political Science. He was a member of the Pi Gammu Mu honorary fraternity, president of Sigma Tau Epsilon social fraternity and he played baseball. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Political Science and Economics. 

After working as legislative aide for State Senator Ted B. Lyon, Elliott attended Baylor University School of Law where he graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree. 

His career has centered in Austin where he served as briefing attorney for Chief Justice Bob Shannon of the Third District Court of Appeals and general counsel for the Texas Senate Committee on Criminal Justice. He started the law firm of Ivy, Crews & Elliott, PC. He is currently a shareholder in the Austin law firm of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, PC, a firm consisting of 68 lawyers which handles cases involving probate litigation, personal injury litigation and commercial/business litigation. 

He has received honors for ethics and legal ability and has served various leadership roles in legal associations. He has served on the boards of Austin Habitat for Humanity and the Capital Area AIDS Legal Project. He is the former chair of the Travis County Democratic Party and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin. His ties to Commerce led him to become supportive of the Commerce Schools Educational Enrichment Foundation in various ways. 

Elliott is the son of Charles and Paula Elliott of Commerce. He and his wife, Tish Hinojosa Elliott, have two children, Lily and Boone. 

An athlete and a scholar, Harry Turner was captain of the Class 1-A State basketball championship team and class valedictorian when he graduated from Norris School in 1964. He was awarded 13 scholarships to advance his education at Cisco Junior College and then East Texas State College. 

When Turner was a youngster, the centerpiece of the community was Norris School and the local churches. The school, which had been built in 1952, comprised grades K-12 and employed many community leaders including Harry’s father, Warren Turner, and key administrators such as Harry Champion (Turner’s uncle) and A. C. Williams. The 1950s were turbulent times for African-Americans as segregation was the norm. It was through strong family ties and a supportive community that Harry began to understand life and thrive, according to his son, Dominic. 

By the mid-1980s, Turner was called on by university students to share his experience as an African-American in the 1960s. He became a local spokesperson about the African-American experience in Commerce, sharing stories about when African-Americans did not have equal rights. 

Turner worked at Raytheon, which became L-3, in Greenville for 22 years. He is currently a deacon and Sunday School superintendent at Mt. Moriah Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Commerce, where he has served since 1973. 

Although he has long retired from L-3, he still does odd jobs for area churches and serves as a community leader and spokesperson when called. 

Turner met Mary Hill while attending Norris School and they celebrated their 52nd anniversary this year. They have four grown children including Christopher, Dominic, Cory and Terra Camille. 

 

Known as Andrew in Washington, D.C. and New York City, Commerce’s own Scott Williams joins his mother, Harriet, and father, Wyman, as Hall of Honor recipients. 
Williams was involved in debate, theater and Future Business Leaders of America at CHS. His future was forecast the night he spoke at a CISD school board meeting following an attempt by a parent to remove books from the library. His talents to inform and persuade have served him well in the corporate and political arenas. 

After graduating from CHS in 1991, Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He then spent two years teaching English in a Japanese middle school and another year as traveling accountant on an 18-city tour of Japan with Toy Story on Ice. 

In 1998, he began learning the ropes in Washington, D.C., working as an assistant to an economics reporter in the Washington Bureau of Japan’s largest daily newspaper Yomiruri Shimbun.

After two years as a reporter, Williams joined the Federal Reserve Board in Washington in September 2001 as an entry level public relations employee. This marked the beginning of his career as a crisis communications specialist in both Washington, D.C. and New York City, working with government institutions and some of the largest U.S. corporations, continually searching for a way to best explain to the public what these institutions were doing. 

Williams had a ringside seat to the financial crisis that started in 2007 while working at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and then at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington during the first two years of the Obama administration serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. Following his government service, he worked for General Electric as director of media relations and moved to Goldman Sachs as vice president for media relations in August 2012. He is currently Managing Director, Corporate Communications, Goldman Sachs, Greater New York City area.

Scott and his wife, Trisha, live in Brooklyn, New York, and have two children. 

Businessman, scholar, philanthropist, mentor, mayor—These are just some of the titles worn by Hall of Honor inductee Wyman Williams. After graduating from CHS in 1965, Williams chose to remain in Commerce, marry his high school sweetheart, Harriet Atchley, and raise his family here. 

In 1969, Williams earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology and Business from East Texas State University. He was owner and operator of Williams Motors in Commerce for 40 years. He sold the dealership in 2010 and joined the staff of Texas A&M University-Commerce where he is now Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement. 

Williams has been active in civic and university activities for many years being instrumental in helping establish the Northeast Children’s Museum, Commerce Leadership Institute, and the Commerce Schools Educational Enrichment Foundation. He has served on the TAMU-C Foundation Board, The Heritage Society and the Chancellor’s Council Century Club of the Texas A&M University System. 

He chaired three successful school bond election committees which resulted in building CHS, Commerce Elementary School and A. C. Williams Elementary. 

Williams received TAMU-C’s Gold Blazer Award in 1989 and the Spirit of Mayo Award in 2005. He was chosen Citizen of the Year in Commerce for the years 1989 and 2008. 
In his nomination, a former colleague and friend said, “Wyman has spent much of his life in making this community, its schools, university and Hunt County a better place to live, work and raise a family. With a strong commitment, he has supported these efforts with an investment of volunteer time, physical effort and considerable financial support. It is my opinion that his strong leadership skills and ability to develop trustworthy communication skills has made this possible.”

Williams lives in Commerce with his wife Harriet. They have two grown children, Meredith Williams of Dallas, and Scott Williams of New York.