The 23rd Troy United Women’s League’s Annual Banquet will be Saturday night at the Trojan Center Ballroom and will feature Ella B. Bell, State Board of Education, as the guest speaker.

“Ella Bell represents our district, District 5, on the State Board of Education,” said Shelia Jackson, League publicity chair. “We are extremely honored to have Ella Bell present her perspective on education in Alabama to us.

“As a member of the State Board of Education, she believes in working closely with educators, parents, students, members of the business and private communities and the local government to continue to improve our schools. We, in Troy and Pike County, also believe that we must work together to provide the educational environment that will help our children succeed.”

Bell is a native of Montgomery. She received her undergraduate degree from Tuskegee and her graduate degrees from Alabama State University.

Jackson said Bell’s professional career has spanned more than 30 years of public service, 27 of those years as an employee of the State of Alabama Department of Youth Services and Mental Health and Mental Retardation

In 2003, Bell joined the staff of Alabama State University as the director of the ASU Dropout Prevention Center, which is a perfect complement to her work on the Alabama State Board of Education.

“Mrs. Bell has a strong work ethic and has 40 years of active interest in civic affairs in her community,” Jackson said. “She has been recognized several times in “Essence” magazine. She was spotlighted as one of the Women to Watch in American Politics. And she was recently honored by the Clark County Commission when they named their new Adult Education Center at Alabama Southern College in Thomasville in her honor.”

The Troy United Women’s League is dedicated to the same principles on which Bell places such high value.

“The Troy United Women’s League is a service organization,” Jackson said. “Our goal is to help our community through service to those in need and by promoting good will among all people. We are strong supporters of all educational endeavors and provide annual scholarships to outstanding seniors at Charles Henderson, Pike County and Goshen high schools.”

The annual Troy United Women’s League banquet is the League’s only fundraiser and supports all of its programs and activities. The 2011 banquet is sold out.

“We appreciate the support of our community as we celebrate another year of serivce to Troy and Pike County,” Jackson said.