NATCHEZ &8212; Montrell Greene had his audience ready to fly Friday night.

With the theme &8220;Excellence: The Time is Now,&8221; the Natchez native and Cleveland School District administrator encouraged members of the Natchez Business and Civic League to help improve education and the economy in their community.

By the end of his speech, Greene, also a music minister, was singing &8220;I Believe I Can Fly&8221; and had the crowd on their feet.

&8220;We have to get excited,&8221; he said. &8220;We have to get a fire under us. &8230; We can do better.&8221;

Greene, who has been recognized as an education reformer by Essence magazine, encouraged NBCL members to support local schools and local businesses.

&8220;We need to push for Level 4 and Level 5 schools in Natchez,&8221; said Greene, referring to the 1-5 scale on which Mississippi school districts are measured. &8220;We need to have the superintendent and the board of education out front pushing, saying we&8217;ll choose excellence.&8221;

Greene also said teachers need to choose excellence &8212; and parents need to respect teachers.

Greene also noted that a strong education system and a strong economy go hand in hand.

&8220;We need to have businesses saying, &8216;We stand behind (schools),&8217;&8221; he said.

Teaching young people to save money so that it can be reinvested in the community is important, Greene said.

&8220;When we are blessed we can turn around and be a blessing to someone else,&8221; he said.

Members of the Natchez Business and Civic League, an organization that supports and encourages local black businesses, also recognized their annual award winners.

Winners included:

4George F. West Man of the Year Award: Edward Brown

4Alice Felix Women of the Year Award: Shirley Whigham

4Willie S. Scott Civic Award: Darryl Grennell

4Youth Awards: Kenny Stewart, Crystal Wright, Aisha Sanders

4President&8217;s Awards: Jerry Lyles, Larry Jackson, Michael Winn

4Professional Award: Dr. Kofi Kumi.