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The President’s Award
Laboring for the Lord alongside hard-working and dedicated employees has
provided for me one of the great privileges of serving as president of Columbia
International University these past 10 years. Across our campus, nearly 200
employees work daily to fulfill CIU’s mission to educate people from a biblical
worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ.
At our annual CIU Day meeting, which brings together the faculty and staff for a
day of vision casting, I have had the honor each year of presenting The President’s
Award to one employee who exemplifies the mission and core values of CIU, as
well as demonstrates that attitude matters, relationships matter and excellence
matters.
This year I presented the award to Keith Marion, CIU vice president of estate
and gift planning. In his nearly four decades of dedication to CIU and Ben Lippen
School, our Pre-K to 12th grade Christian school, Keith has assisted in countless
ways to make sure the CIU campus operates successfully.
Keith has served as accounting manager, business manager, director of stewardship,
director of Ben Lippen School, director of development, and senior vice president
for operations. He has implemented an important estate and gift design program
for CIU and has taught estate seminars for other Christian organizations and
churches.
Keith also understands CIU from the perspective of the students. He earned both
his bachelor’s and Master of Education degrees from CIU. In addition, Keith has
held pastoral and other church staff positions in South Carolina as an ordained
minister.
On a more personal note, Keith was one of the first people I met when I moved to
Columbia and I have long considered him to be a dear friend. I have occasionally
assigned him to oversee difficult tasks or situations and he handles them with
integrity and grace, applying wisdom and discernment as he seeks guidance from
the Lord.
Many aspects of CIU come together to make it a premier biblical university known
globally for preparing students to make a powerful impact on the world through
their professional calling. Through the work of our faculty and staff, however, people
such as Keith Marion have made it an honor for me to serve as the president.
Yours for His glory,
William H. Jones
President
THE FINAL WORD
Keith Marion (79/93), CIU vice
president of estate and gift planning
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THE FINAL WORD
CIU Today
www.ciu.edu