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Key to
The City
racious Father, may it unlock new doors,” CIU professor Dr. Andre Rogers prayed after Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin
presented CIU Chancellor Dr. Bill Jones with the Key to the City.
Friends, family, and colleagues filled City Council Chambers on July 14 to show their continued support and appreciation for a
man many call a mentor, friend, teammate and inspiration.
New CIU President Dr. Mark A. Smith said, “This is a tremendous honor for Dr. Bill Jones to receive the Key to the City in a place
where he’s served so aptly and exceptionally.”
Jones may be best known for leading CIU for 10 years as president, but many are quick to point out his other important
contributions to the community. Tobin Cassels, president of Southeastern Freightlines, and a CIU board member said, “We’ve
thought of Bill Jones as the president of CIU, but he’s also been leading Bible studies for men in downtown Columbia for 16
years.”
“He’s been a game changer,” Rogers, the CIU professor said. “He has infused leadership, vision, church planting, and Bible study
efforts among different people groups, really targeting the leadership of Columbia, and it filters down to each and every aspect of
our city.”
Two prominent South Carolinians claim Jones as a spiritual mentor. One is Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott who said Jones, “has
always been there for me.” And South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson added, “Without his friendship, I don’t think I’d be
the person I am.”
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CIU Chancellor, Dr. Bill Jones, Honored with Key to the City
By Jean Wilund
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin (left)
and CIU Chancellor Dr. Bill Jones
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CIU Today
Fall 2017