East Georgia State College Plants Tree in Memory of Denny Key
Last edited: March 13, 2025 by
East Georgia State College (EGSC) hosted an Arbor Day Tree Planting Celebration in February. The event was held at the Sudie A. Fulford Community Learning Center. A red maple tree was planted in memory of long time EGSC supporter Mr. Woodruff Denton “Denny” Key Jr.
Dr. David Chevalier, EGSC Associate Vice President for Academics, welcomed the guests to the Arbor Day event and introduced Sam Smith, an Urban & Community Forestry Specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission. Sam Smith spoke about the red maple tree and gave a brief history of Arbor Day. Harley Smith, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, dedicated the tree and introduced the EGSC Student Ambassadors who received leadership scholarships in Denny Key’s memory. Denny’s son, Dennis Key, and Wade Johnson, the chair of the Mill Creek Foundation, spoke about Denny’s life, his dedication to the community, and dedication to the college.
Dr. Paul Cerpovicz, EGSC Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, followed by dedicating a Little Free Library and bench which were assembled and donated by the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club. The library was placed with the tree in memory of Denny Key because of his support of the Mill Creek Foundation. The Mill Creek Foundation helped the Kiwanis Club with funding the Little Free Libraries which will be placed throughout Emanuel County. Cheryl Goodman, a member of the EGSC Tree Campus Committee, closed the ceremony with the unveiling of the commemorative sign.
Denny served on the Board of Trustees of the East Georgia State College Foundation for more than 20 years. During his time as Chair of the Foundation, Denny’s leadership provided direction for the college to grow and expand while still holding true to the strong roots that anchor the mission of providing a quality education at an affordable price to all. He had a vision for the future that supported new ideas and innovation. Denny was always willing to go the extra mile to see that EGSC was successful.
Denny was also the chairman of the Mill Creek Foundation for many years. The Mill Creek Foundation has partnered with EGSC on numerous initiatives, and Denny played a large part in establishing those partnerships. Denny passed away in August of 2023.
East Georgia State College would like to thank the Key family and the community for supporting this special event.
Tree Campus Higher Education:
East Georgia State College has been recognized as a Tree Campus Higher Education since 2017. This designation from the Arbor Day Foundation is awarded to universities and colleges across the United States for promoting healthy trees and student engagement on campus. To obtain this distinction, the college met the five core standards for effective campus forest management, including establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service-learning projects.
