Tennell Atkins Named 2017 Silver Anniversary Mustang Honoree

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Tennell Atkins Named 2017 Silver Anniversary Mustang Honoree
Presentation is Saturday, Jan. 20, at halftime of the men's basketball game vs. Tulane

DALLAS (SMU) — The SMU Lettermen's Board of Directors and its Silver Anniversary Mustang (SAM) Award Committee will honor Tennell Atkins as the recipient of the 2017 SAM Award. Atlkins lettered in football from 1974-77 and graduated from the Cox School of Business in 1978.

Atkins was first elected to represent Dallas City Council District 8, the southernmost district of Dallas, in June 2007. He began his fifth term as a Dallas City Council Member in June 2017. As the Dallas City Council representative for District 8, Atkins serves as the Chair of Economic Development & Housing Committee, serves on the Mobility Solutions, Infrastructure & Sustainability Committee and the Government Performance & Financial Management Committee. He was nominated by Mayor Michael S. Rawlings, to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System.

Atkins has been an active participant and supporter of a number of local and national civic organizations, including the Charlie Taylor Foundation and the SMU Doak Walker Board. He was elected to serve on the board of National League of Cities in 2013 and was on the Economic Development Policy Committee in 2011. He served as the secretary of the Texas Association of Black City Council Members (TABCCM). In 2014, he was nominated by Mayor Rawlings to serve as the Co-Chair of the Mayor's Poverty Task Force. He was also appointed by Mayor Rawlings to represent the City of Dallas on the board of the premier transportation policy organization, which counts among its members numerous cities and counties in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas – Transportation Excellence for the 21st Century (TEX-21).

Councilman Atkins lives in Dallas with his wife Marshella Atkins, has twin sons and four grandchildren.

Each year, the SMU Lettermen's Association awards the SAM Award to a former letterwinner who has not been an undergraduate student at SMU for a minimum of 25 years. The recipient has brought honor to SMU, made contributions that have lasting and positive effects on his or her fellow citizens, and has been a model citizen in his or her community.

The presentation will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, at halftime of the SMU men's basketball game against Tulane.