On Jan. 15, the Garden City Community College Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee celebrated the life and service legacy of the late Tommy Lou Austin as the inaugural Community Impact Honoree.
Austin, a true pillar of the community and the first African American woman to be elected and serve as City Commissioner in Garden City, graduated from Garden City High School and attended Garden City Community College.
During her professional life, she worked as a Kwik Shop manager for United Vending at Tyson (then IBP) and then as a Dispatcher for St Catherine Hospital for 23 years.
She was very involved in the community by serving as a Past President of VFW Auxiliary, Advocate for Family Crisis, a Red Cross Volunteer, a Past President of African- American Coalition, and served as a City Commissioner.
Tommy championed support for local social services and advocated for workplace improvements and benefits in a time when finances were scarce. She passed away in 2018, but her legacy lives on.
