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Mountain States Foundation has named Donald R. Jeanes its 2011 Spirit Award recipient.
Candidates for a Spirit Award must demonstrate a passion for the greater Tri-Cities area and be widely recognized for their leadership in the community. They give unselfishly of their time, energy, talents and resources for community projects. Candidates demonstrate high moral standards and values. They are also dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the region and are highly respected among their peers.
Jeanes has been president of Milligan College since 1997. Since his tenure as its 14th president, Milligan has grown to become a nationally recognized Christian liberal arts college with students from more than 40 states and 10 countries.
A native of Georgia, Jeanes is a magna cum laude graduate of Milligan College. After graduation in 1968, he obtained a master’s of divinity degree with honors from Emmanuel School of Religion and a doctorate in divinity from Emory University.
An ordained minister, Jeanes served as associate minister and operations manager at First Christian Church in Johnson City from 1984-86. He was then called to serve as senior minister of Spring Branch Christian Church in Houston. In 1991, he returned to Johnson City, this time to serve as senior minister at First Christian Church. From that ministry, he was named as president of Milligan College in 1997.
In the community and church, Jeanes has served on a number of boards, including Christian Missionary Fellowship, the Christian Church Foundation for the Handicapped, the Appalachian Regional Coalition for the Homeless, the Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House, the Carter County Community Board and Mountain States Health Alliance, where he served as chairman of the board from 2004-06. He currently serves on the Johnston Memorial Hospital Board. He is a member of the Johnson City Rotary Club, having served as president from 2000-01 and has served as a volunteer chaplain at Johnson City Medical Center for several years.
Jeanes will accept the award at the 2011 Spirit Gala, set for Jan. 29. from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Millennium Centre, Johnson City. For more information, visit www.mountainstatesfoundation.org.