Local Leaders receive Prestigious Whitney M. Young Jr. Award

The Chattahoochee Council of Scouting America recently honored Former Georgia State Representative Calvin Smyre, Colonel Myles B. Caggins, Jr. (Retired) & Mrs. Ann Caggins with the Whitney M Young Jr. National Service Award for their continued commitment to our underserved youth and community.

 On Tuesday October 22, 2024, Scouting America held their 11^th annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. banquet at St. Luke Ministry Center to a full house. The guest speaker for the evening was Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman.

Myles B. Caggins, Jr. is a Vietnam War veteran and retired U.S. Army Colonel with a distinguished 24-year military career. Following his service, he became Assistant Superintendent of Business Affairs for Muscogee County Schools, where he oversaw the construction of 17 new schools, two libraries, and a multi-sport complex.

His leadership has significantly improved the districts and Columbus infrastructure and services, earning him widespread respect. Myles is also an inductee in the Tuskegee University ROTC Hall of Fame.

Ann Caggins is a retired human resources executive with a professional career spanning multiple continents, the Caribbean, the U.S. Federal Government, the American National Red Cross, and the Columbus Consolidated Government.

A trailblazer and leader in the Society for Human Resources Management, Ann’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors such as the Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award for the Decade from Sisters, Inc., the Gracious Lady of Georgia Award and Commendations from Public Safety Leaders, Mayors, Georgia legislators and the US Congress.

Together, Myles and Ann Caggins have dedicated over 50 years of service to charitable and civic organizations, including the United Negro College Fund, The 100 Black Men, The Black history Month Observance Breakfast, The Muscogee County School District, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. to name a few.   

The couple's substantial fundraising efforts have positively impacted numerous organizations and causes in the Columbus Georgia area, and they continue to serve as mentors for Christian couples, young people, and families.

 State Representative Calvin Smyre is a former Democratic member and the “Dean” of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing Columbus, GA in the 135th House District. He served the citizens of Columbus for forty-eight years. He is a 1970 graduate of Fort Valley State University and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2015.

A native of Columbus, Georgia Rep. Smyre became the youngest member of the Georgia House of Representatives when he was elected at the age of 27 in 1974. He rose through the political ranks over the next nearly five decades, representing the successes of the civil rights movement in gaining African American’s political power and the rise of a younger generation of African American leadership succeeding, and working with the generation that had led the movement.

In 1986, Gov. Joe Frank Harris appointed him as Administration Floor Leader for the 1987 session, making him the first African American leader of the GA House of Representatives since Reconstruction. In 1998, he was elected by the House as the first African American Chairman of the GA House of Representatives Democratic Legislative Caucus. In 2001 he made history again, being appointed by Governor Roy Barnes to become Chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party thus becoming the first African American to serve in that position. In 2007, he was elected President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators based in Washington, DC.

In December 2014 Smyre retired as Executive Vice President of Corporate External Affairs at Synovus and President of the Synovus Foundation.

 Established in 1970 as a national service award, the Whitney M. Young National Service Award is designed to recognize unsung heroes, individuals and organizations who have made exceptional contributions to the development of rural, urban, und suburban youth, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The award honors those who have demonstrated outstanding service in supporting at-risk youth and enhancing their lives through the principals embodied in the Scout Oath and Law.