Marcia Taylor Awarded Honorary Doctorate by Clayton State University
Marcia Taylor Awarded Honorary Doctorate by Clayton State University
Bennett International Group President Marcia Taylor is awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Commerce by Clayton State University.
McDonough, Ga, (May 10, 2016) – Bennett International Group CEO and President Marcia Taylor was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Clayton State University on May 7 for her numerous business and public service achievements.
“We acknowledge individuals whose contributions, meritorious public service and other achievements have brought them the high esteem of their colleagues and their community,” said Dr. Thomas J. Hynes Jr., president of Clayton State University, who presented the honorary doctorate to Marcia at the annual commencement of the university’s undergraduate and graduate students.
“This honorary doctorate is a very special designation bestowed on very few and requires the approval of the state’s Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia,” says Kate Troelstra, vice president of university advancement at Clayton State. “It was a recommendation made by faculty based on the wonderful work she’s been doing, not only within her industry, but at Clayton State University.”
Taylor established a scholarship based on financial need in 2013 for full-time juniors and seniors at Clayton State with a grade point average of 2.5 or above who major in supply chain management.
“There are students who would not have had the opportunity to finish their education if it weren’t for Mrs. Taylor’s gifts,” Troelstra says.
In his comments at the ceremony, Dr. Hynes praised Marcia for more than 42 years of leadership at Bennett International Group, where she led the growth of the company from a five-truck contract carrier to a $326 million logistics and freight services powerhouse. Bennett was recognized 12 years in a row by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as a top women-owned firm and has continually made the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s top workplaces list, Dr. Hynes noted.
Dr. Hynes also highlighted Taylor’s public service achievements, including her membership on numerous boards and her establishment of the Taylor Family Foundation, which provides quarterly grants to local non-profits and sponsorship for Bennett employees’ children to attend a week-long Christian summer camp. Taylor currently serves on the boards of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, United Community Bank Advisory Board, the Council of National Policy, the National Museum of Wildlife and St. John’s Hospital.
“I am so honored to receive an honorary doctorate by Clayton State University,” says Taylor. “The experience is both humbling and exciting at the same time. College was not an option for me, so to be able to receive an honorary doctorate and participate in the graduation ceremony at Clayton State was beyond my wildest dreams. It was made even more special because I got to share it with my family and close friends. It will be a day that I remember and cherish for the rest of my life.”
About Bennett International Group
McDonough-Ga.-based Bennett International Group is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its eight affiliated operating companies, Bennett International Group delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide.
