City Star Awards were presented to Jim Combs and Dr. Julianne Ferris by the Cumberland Mayor and City Council during their October 7, 2014 public meeting.
Combs and Ferris were recognized for their work with the Fort Hill Scholarship Fund Board of Directors for which Combs serves as the current President and Ferris as the Immediate Past President. The Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 with the mission of “investing in the lives, dreams and futures of Fort Hill students by providing funds to complete their educations.” “As a result of the commitment, vision and leadership provided by Combs and Ferris, a total of 71 scholarships amounting to $70,500 have been awarded to students who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to attend college,” stated Mayor Grim during his presentation of the awards. According to Grim, Mr. Combs and Dr. Ferris have volunteered hundreds of hours of their own time to personally reach out to each and every student to make sure they fully understand the many options available to them and to let them know that someone believes in them.
Combs and Ferris were nominated by Brenda Smith, Executive Director of the Greater Cumberland Committee.
The City Star Award program was designed to recognize the unsung heroes in the community who have made a positive impact, but whose efforts may have gone unnoticed or unrecognized. Nominations for the City Star Award may be submitted in writing to the Cumberland Mayor’s Office, 57 N. Liberty Street, Cumberland, MD 21502, by email, or online.