CHENEY By W. Derek Russell Daily Journal TUPELO – Martha Cheney’s hard work for the GumTree Museum of Art paid off last Saturday night at the non-profit organization’s annual gala. Cheney was honored with the Shining Star Award, an accolade the museum’s board of directors gives to an outstanding volunteer from the past year. Cheney, a career educator, began as a classroom teacher for the Tupelo Public School District, eventually serving as a principal within TPSD as well as in Amory and Oxford, earning her doctorate in educational leadership. After her retirement, she continued her work with arts education.