Madison mayor honors CPA with proclamation
MADISON — Wallace Collins said having Oct. 22 proclaimed as “Wallace Collins Day” in honor of his service to the city was a great finishing touch to his career.
“It was such an awesome day and I was overwhelmed by the response I had to my retirement including the kind words from the mayor and other officials,” Collins said of Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler’s proclamation. “The proclamation was completely unexpected and I felt very blessed to receive it and we all plan to retire here.”
Hawkins-Butler signed the proclamation during Collins’ retirement celebration at Annandale Golf Club, which officially made Oct. 22 “Wallace Collins Day” in the city of Madison. City officials took part in the celebration, including Collins’ children from across the country, to honor his legacy.
Collins, a Madison resident since 1976, served as a CPA in the Madison area for over 50 years. He was a founding partner at Collins, Barr & Hembree, LTD., which is one of the oldest CPA firms in the Jackson area.
He has served on many boards of various civic and charitable organizations including the City of Madison Chamber of Commerce, the Madison County Library System, the Home Place of Madison, the Mississippi College School of Business Advisory Board, and was a member of the Madison Volunteer Fire Department in the early 1980s.
He also was a charter member of the Madison the City Chamber of Commerce and served as its first treasurer. He served as an active member and volunteer for the chamber for the 34 years it was in operation.
“My relationship with the city goes way back to when I first moved here, when the population was only around 2,500,” Collins said. “It’s awesome to see how it’s grown so much over the years.”
In Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler’s proclamation, she proclaimed that Collins invested his expert skills to the city as a CPA for the betterment of business, governmental entities, and individuals for decades, along with serving as one of the city representatives on the Madison County Library Board of Trustees and as treasurer, and devoted his time through the position so that residents felt at home and cared for.
Collins said his biggest hope is that he has lived and contributed to society in a way that he leaves the world a better place.
“I just love living here and I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me now that I am retired,” Collins said. “While I’m excited to have more free time, I will miss the relationships I had with my friends and clients. I am not saying goodbye - just until we meet again.”
“I also wanted to thank my wife Margaret, who has always been my biggest supporter throughout my career,” he said. “I’ve talked so much about how thankful I am to her for standing with me all the way and we’re so happy to have Madison as our home. The celebration and proclamation was an awesome way to tie up my career.”
Collins is living happily in Madison with his wife, and said he is blessed to have a wonderful family including children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.