Member Honored with Spirit of Martha Award
Cindy Mustard is the recipient of the 2009 Spirit of Martha Award presented by the Griffiths Leadership Society.
Mustard received the award April 3 during the society’s Spring Conference at the Tiger Hotel in downtown Columbia. Created in 2006, the award honors a Mizzou alumna or faculty member who has distinguished herself in her chosen field as well as exemplified the spirit of leadership, particularly in the furtherance of women. Like the organization, the award bears the name of Martha Wright Griffiths, an inspirational alumna who was a trailblazer for women’s rights.
Mustard is a 1965 graduate of the University of Missouri and has devoted her life to helping others through social service roles and community activism.
Over the years Mustard has been involved with a variety of local organizations in voluntary roles, becoming an integral part of the community. Mustard was nominated for the Spirit of Martha Award by Marie Nau Hunter, manager of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Columbia. “As a smart, involved and capable professional woman, Cindy has for years lead by example and been a go-to person for so many in Columbia,” Hunter wrote in her nomination letter.
Mustard has been executive director of Boone County’s Voluntary Action Center since 1991. The agency provides a wide variety of resources and assistance through unique programs designed to address unmet needs, giving low-income people the opportunity to gain independence, overcome crises, meet their basic needs and improve their quality of life. The Voluntary Action Center also connects local agencies and volunteers with opportunities to respond to serious social problems and community issues.
Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman and his wife, Axie, also provided a letter endorsing Mustard for the Spirit of Martha Award. “She has provided direct help to thousands of individuals and whole families and has recruited countless volunteers to help with the needs of the community,” the Hindmans wrote, adding, “She is a mentor and role model to women in all walks of life.”
Past recipients of the Spirit of Martha Award include: former Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook and Dr. Pam Benoit, Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Missouri and one of the Society’s founding members.