The Mark Anderson Memorial Annual Scholarship was recently established with the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation by the Brookhaven/Lincoln County Rotary Club. The scholarship was established to benefit a graduate of a high school in Lincoln, Copiah, Franklin, or Lawrence counties with a 3.0 or higher GPA.
Anderson was an executive in the telecommunications sector. While employed there, he lived and worked in several parts of the world including Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the former Soviet Union for almost 15 years. After rising through the management chain in the Fortune 500 corporate world working at Nortel Networks, he established his own successful telecommunication company with office headquarters in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan that provided international satellite communication services to major U.S. and foreign oil and gas companies in the Caspian Sea region.
He retired at age 50 and settled in Brookhaven with his wife Dr. Shahla Fataliyeva-Anderson, where he dedicated his time to the Brookhaven/Lincoln County Rotary Club. Anderson joined the Rotary Club of Brookhaven in 2000, was a Paul Harris Fellow, and lived out the Rotarian motto of “Service Above Self.” Being selected to serve as Rotary District 6820 Governor was not only an honor, but his personal mission to give back to those who had given to him.
Foundation Executive Director Angela Furr is a past president of the club and spoke about Anderson’s legacy while recognizing his wife Shahla at the July 11 club meeting.
“Mark was so passionate about Rotary, and I think we all can agree this club is better because of him,” Furr said. “I know he would be pleased that students will benefit from this scholarship in his memory.”
“He was quiet but would surprise you with the small things he remembered,” said club member Clyde Sbravati. “If you put time and energy into this organization, you get a lot out of it. Friendships, like I had with Mark, are the most important benefit I’ve had.”
CUTLINE: The Mark Anderson Memorial Annual Scholarship was recently established with the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation by the Brookhaven/Lincoln County Rotary Club. On hand for the presentation were (from left) Angela Furr, Foundation executive director; Dr. Shahla Fatliyevea-Anderson, Anderson’s wife; John Burns, Rotary president; and Clyde Sbravati, Rotary past president.
