Faison receives Book of Golden Deeds Award from Copperas Cove Noon Exchange Club

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press 

The Noon Exchange Club recognized one of their own with the Book of Golden Deeds award this year, selecting Inez Faison as this year’s recipient. 
Dozens of close friends and fellow Exchange Club members attended the Book of Golden Deeds dinner Saturday evening at the Holy Family Catholic Church Social Hall. a
The Book of Golden Deeds award recognizes community members who give hours and hours of their time towards their community and is considered the longest running award of the National Exchange Club and one of the highest honors that can be given. 
Faison was joined at her table by her husband, Arthur, their three daughters and their nephew. 
Other guests included Copperas Cove ISD school board members Joan Manning, Mike Wilburn and S. Ann Davis, along with City Councilmember Jay Manning. 
Noon Exchange Club president Brian Hawkins gave a brief introduction about Faison and her impact in the community. 
“I’ll read some of the official stuff in a minute, but for me, as a father of three kids that went through this school district, her role on our school board is one of the most near and dear to my heart,” Hawkins said. “If you’ve had kids in this district, you should know that we have a school board that cares about their kids, and they care about your kids.”
Inez Faison was elected to fulfil an unexpired term on the CCISD board of trustees in 2007 and she was elected to serve a three-year term in May 2009. She has served on the school board ever since and is currently the board’s vice president. 
Faison is an Army veteran, serving as active duty for 12 years and overall serving from 1981 until retiring in 2006. 
She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and earned her master’s degree in International Business from St. Mary’s University in 1991. 
She has served as president and vice president of the Noon Exchange Club of Copperas Cove. 
“She’s been a rock in our club, the Noon Exchange Club as far as all the things that we do, are able to do, she’s always there and has been part of that,” Hawkins said. 
Faison has also contributed financially to several different organizations in the area, including the CCHS Volleyball and Basketball Booster Clubs along with the Crusaders Basketball team, Hawkins said. 
“There’s dozens of agencies that she personally has been influential in providing for financially to do the work that they do because people like her are taking care of them,” Hawkins said. 
Faison has also been a member of Altrusa International of Copperas Cove, has been on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove, a member of the Killeen Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the director of Business Operations for the Copperas Cove Crusaders AAU Basketball organization. 
She is currently employed as the Executive Director of the Housing Authority in Copperas Cove. 
“I can stand here honestly and say to you, Inez, that Copperas Cove is a better place because you’re in it,” Hawkins told Faison during the dinner. 
Faison gave a speech, acknowledging her dear friends and family members and thanked them for their impact in her life, as she gave a short history of her life. 
“If can help somebody as I’ve traveled along the way, then my living should not be in vain,” Faison said as she accepted her award. “Thank you and what a blessing to be honored in such a wonderful way, the Book of Golden Deeds. I always thought that the word golden meant older, so I really never thought of myself as the recipient of this award. Then one day I looked around and realized that I too am golden.”
Faison said that she had been asked by people what to wear to the ceremony, and she told her friends to wear comfortable clothes. 
“I said comfortable because I wanted you to know that receiving this award is not about what you have on but the mere fact that you are willing to take the time to share this special occasion,” Faison said. 
Faison closed out her speech with a quote from Maya Angelou which said, “Open your eyes to the beauty around you. Open your mind to the wonders of life and open your heart to those who love you and always be true to yourself.”
She also quoted the Golden Girls theme song and thanked everyone for being a friend. 
Previous recipients of the Noon Exchange Club’s Book of Golden Deeds include Dr. Joyce Wilson (2015), Billy F. Minton (2016), Michael J. Blount (2017), Charles Lyons (2018) and Sandor Vegh (2019). 
The Noon Exchange Club did not hold the Book of Golden Deeds award in 2020 or 2021.