Meridian Life September/ October 2022 | Page 12

Christopher Drew Edwards

Vice President for Financial Services / CFO ; 34 Meridian Community College
Who do you look to for inspiration or mentorship ? My family , friends , and co-workers . Those people I interact with on a daily basis . In addition , those within current groups that I ’ m a part of and some of the organizations I ’ ve interacted with through my recovery . I see inspirational people every day who are making the most of their situations , and that motivates me .
Where did your spirit of altruism develop and why is it important to give back ? For me , when I had my accident , I was very moved to altruism . Learning that life is precious and a gift that can be turned upside down at any moment gave me a reason to give back . It opened my eyes that people need assistance and giving back is a great way to improve lives .
What is your community ’ s greatest asset ? Our community ’ s greatest asset is our people . We have people here who want to improve this community . Those are the type of people that will change this community for the better , and I ’ m glad we have them here .
What ’ s your favorite saying and why ? One of my favorites is “ Get busy living or get busy dying .” I heard that quote from a movie , and it just stuck with me . Finding motivation to live life to the fullest is sometimes challenging , but I always tell myself the alternative is much worse .
Education : Bachelor ’ s degree in Accountancy and Master ’ s degree in Taxation , University of Mississippi .
Memberships , activities : Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants ; member of the Metro Area Community Empowerment ( MACE ), an adaptive sports organization that looks to improve lives through adaptive sports .; member of the Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of Jackson ; and member of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church .”
Family : Parents : Chris and Ann Edwards
12 • MERIDIAN LIFE