Commencement Speaker C. Tim Tisher Delivers Motivational Message

(Columbia, Tenn. - May 10, 2011) - - - Columbia State Community College held its 44st annual commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 10. Between the Fall 2010 semester, Spring 2011 Semester and Summer 2011 semester, nearly 700 students from the College's nine-county service area filed for graduation this year, with nearly 400 walking across the stage today.

Click here for a photo gallery from Commencement 2011!

Columbia State alum C. Tim Tisher was the commencement speaker, delivering a motivational message about equality and service to one's community and country, while also sharing some reflections of his own.

"I remember the dedication ceremony of the Columbia Campus on May 15, 1964," said Tisher, a legal representative for the City of Columbia.

"Today is your day," he told the soon-to-be graduates. "…but tomorrow, I want to challenge you to find an area of service in your community. Serving others has never been more important than it is right now in our country."

Tisher continued, "The dedicated faculty and staff here at Columbia State care about your education. Those of you who continue your education after this day will be hard pressed to find faculty and staff as good as those here at Columbia State. Some of my best friends to this day are those that taught me here years ago."

Tisher earned an Associate Degree from Columbia State Community College in 1979 and was the first president of Columbia State's Alumni Association. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1981 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1984. Upon graduation, Tisher returned to Maury County and now resides in Columbia with his wife Tammy J. Tisher and daughters Destin and Daylen.

Tisher is a partner in the law firm of Tisher & Wolaver, PLLC. He represents the City of Columbia and his practice centers around the fields of municipal law, family law, and personal injury. Tisher is also a member of the Maury County Bar Association where he served as President in 2005. He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court. He is also a member of the Columbia Rotary Club where he served as President from 2003-2004.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.