When someone holds elected office and puts the good of the people ahead of personal gain, we call that person a public servant. The other 99%, we call politicians. I thought about that distinction as I watched Billy Nowell complete his fourth and final term as mayor of Cleveland, Mississippi. I have seen the rare public servant in action, and the community is better for it.
In my job as President of Delta State University, I spend my fair share of time in the State Capitol. When you visit that place, the handshakes are usually accompanied by the question “What can I do for you?” It makes you feel special when an elected official asks how they can help. You might think you are in the presence of a public servant. After a few more visits one realizes that “What can I do for you?” is rarely a real question. For a politician, saying those words is just a habit, like commenting on the weather or asking after your family. Pleasant, but usually small talk.
That goes with political goodbyes as well. A firm handshake, and that good old Southern “Holler if you need me!” You can holler all you want, but, well, politics makes it tough to get good things done, you understand.
Billy Nowell is a public servant, not a politician. He is unfailingly police, with the kind of manners that would make any Southern mama proud, but he never uses manners as shield to avoid commitments. When Billy Nowell asks, “What can I do for you?,” what will follow is real and unfailingly generous assistance. If he ends a meeting by saying “Holler if you need me,” you can bet that he’s listening for that holler, and he’ll call you the next day to check on your situation.
That’s probably why Billy Nowell was elected the President of the Mississippi Municipal League. As an organization of mayors, the League knows the difference between politicians and public servants. Billy was chosen because he’s the best kind of mayor one can imagine—a man so civic-minded it is difficult to believe he can exist in our current political climate.
On his watch, the City of Cleveland thrived, even as other towns in our region struggled. Billy figured out a formula for civic progress. Sometimes he would lead, sometimes he would clear the path for others. When the time came to think big, like attracting the Grammy Museum to the middle of the Delta, he thought big. But he was also good at the little and tedious parts of public service, like stretching tax dollars so the roads were paved and the parks were clean. Billy partnered with businesses, schools, and of course his alma mater, Delta State University, to complete projects that could easily go off the rails without his quiet diplomacy. Any friend of Cleveland was a friend of his, and as mayor he met the great and the good and the rich and the poor on the same plane of servanthood.
I am not going to show this editorial to Billy, even though I often seek his advice. If I let him see it, he will deny he is anything special. Billy is always deflecting credit onto this staff, or the people of Cleveland. If he read these words, he’d credit his Maker and insist he was just doing his job. He would also, wisely, tell me to cut all the parts that are critical of politicians, saying “You’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
But I’m going to leave it all in—the humble, honest, thoughtful public servant is rare, and more and more I come to realize that we have been blessed to have Billy Nowell give so much of his life to his community and to Mississippi. I figure Billy’s prayers go farther than mine, so I’ll ask him to ask his Maker to send a few more Billy Nowells down to the Magnolia State. Lord knows we could use them.
Dan Ennis is the ninth President of Delta State University.