Upon returning to South Carolina in 2002, I was completely unaware of the status of the state in terms of economic development and leadership initiatives. Upon arrival, it was remarkable to me to learn the many programs that were underway in order to create a vibrant, energetic and sustainable environment for the citizens of South Carolina.
We are fortunate to have strong leaders at all levels within our state. The Legislature has enacted several initiatives to foster growth and prosperity. Initiatives such as the Endowed Chairs Program, the Life Sciences Bill and many other governmental initiatives have resulted in major developments throughout the state and particularly ICAR here in Greenville. Other initiatives, such as Health Sciences South Carolina, will be major economic engines in the future. The Legislature has served as "catalyst" to many of these initiatives in partnership with the private/business initiatives of the S.C. Council on Competitiveness and the focus on "New Carolina." These many public/private partnerships between many entities have all led to a growing enthusiasm for the future of South Carolina.
Recently, I had an opportunity to attend another initiative of similar impact, which was begun several years ago, based on the vision of retired Liberty Corporation executive Hayne Hipp. The vision was to create an educational environment for individuals within this state of all backgrounds who possess "an unyielding passion" to help the citizens of the state achieve a higher standard, thereby creating growing, vibrant communities.
This program is the "Liberty Fellowship" and consists of a highly competitive process to identify and select young existing and potential leaders in South Carolina, expose them to the educational opportunities necessary to develop their interest and skills and then to mentor their career path as a passionate leader within the state.
It was my pleasure to attend the awards banquet of this program. I must say how impressed I was to meet many of these individuals and to hear firsthand the impacts that they are both having on their communities currently, and expect to have in the future. The Liberty Fellowship program will ultimately be another key ingredient that will allow all of the initiatives of the public/private sectors to reach their potential. Through this program a plethora of well-trained individuals will be able to fill the many leadership positions that will be necessary in order to drive our economy, create an exceptional quality of life and work toward providing for the "common good" of all citizens.
The state of South Carolina owes a debt of gratitude to the individuals whose foresight began this program, especially to Hayne Hipp, the founder and visionary, Jennie Johnson, the executive director, and Dr. Bernie Dunlap, educator extraordinaire, all three of whom have provided inspirational environments within which these developing leaders of South Carolina will grow, prosper and catapult our state to excellence. It is also impressive to see the devoted mentors who have been willing to share their time, expertise and talents with these Fellows in order to guide, mold and advise these bright stars. Names such as Roger Milliken, Hugh McColl, John Spratt, Alex McMillan and many others have engaged themselves fully as mentors in order to give yet another "treasure of leadership talent" to the state of South Carolina. Kudos to all involved!
