July 7, 2005, Greenville, SC--Liberty Fellowship, the statewide leadership effort sponsored by Liberty Corporation, Wofford College and the Aspen Institute, today announced the 20 emerging South Carolina leaders who will comprise its Class of 2007.
According to Hayne Hipp, founder of Liberty Fellowship and CEO and Chair of Liberty Corporation, "Liberty Fellowship's second class once again validates our belief that South Carolina is home to exceptional young talent on the threshold of great leadership. Each candidate has already achieved admirable personal and professional goals, and all are deeply committed to bettering the quality of life in our state by personally making a difference in the lives of others. We are proud to have attracted them."
The class was chosen from more than 100 nominees throughout the state from business, government and the non-profit sector, all with the highest of recommendations. "As with last year's class, the quality of nominees utterly exceeds our expectations," said Jennie Johnson, executive director of Liberty Fellowship. "We are convinced that all 20 will emerge from this experience with a better understanding of how to manage with an open mind, how it feels to motivate, and the true meaning of leadership."
The Class of 2007 includes:
John Ballato, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University, also directs Clemson's Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), a Research Center of Economic Excellence. He also co-founded Tetramer Technologies, LLC, a Clemson University faculty spin-off company in Pendleton. Ballato has published over 80 archival scientific papers, holds six U.S. patents, and is a recipient of the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers’ Schwartzwalder-PACE Award, in recognition of achievements significant to the profession and the general welfare of the American people. He earned a B.S. in Ceramic Science and Engineering and a Ph.D. in Ceramic and Materials Engineering from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Liberty Fellowship 429 North Church Street Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303
t 864.597.4266 f 864.597.4268 e jjohnson@libertyfellowshipsc.org www.libertyfellowshipsc.org
Liberty Fellowship is a partnership of Liberty Corporation, The Aspen Institute and Wofford College.
Stephen K. Benjamin is principal of The Benjamin Law Firm, LLC. Prior to establishing his own firm, he worked as Director of the South Carolina Department of Parole & Pardon Services, and ran as the Democratic nominee for Attorney General in South
Carolina. He was previously Regional Manager of Public Affairs for International Paper Company and also worked in corporate affairs at Carolina Power & Light Co., and with
the McNair Law Firm in Columbia. Benjamin serves on the board of the Columbia Urban League and as Vice Chair-Elect for Education of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce; Chair-Elect of The Midlands Education and Business Alliance;, and Chair of the Columbia Advisory Board of The National Bank of South Carolina. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and J.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Mario Gooden, an Architect and Professor based in Charleston, is a partner with Huff + Gooden Architects, recipients of numerous AIA design awards. He previously worked with Zaha Hadid Architects of London and Steven Holl Architects in New York. Gooden was the Louis I. Kahn Distinguished Visiting Professor at Yale University during the Spring 2005 semester, and in 2006 will return to Yale for a five-year appointment as Adjunct Associate Professor. A magna cum laude graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in Design, he earned a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University, where he was the recipient of the prestigious McKim Prize.
Harold W. "Trey" Gowdy, III, is currently the Solicitor of the 7th Judicial Circuit, serving Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. He previously worked as judicial clerk for Federal Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr.; as a litigation associate with Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough in Greenville; and with the U.S. Attorney's Office as a drug and violent crime prosecutor. Gowdy is vice-chair of the Prosecution Commission and secretary/treasurer of the South Carolina Solicitor's Association, and has served on the Board of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and as trustee of First Baptist Spartanburg. He earned a B.A. in History from Baylor University and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Eric Graben is an attorney with Wyche, Burgess, Freeman & Parham, PA.,
concentrating his practice in corporate and securities transactions for both public and privately-held companies. He previously taught in the political science department at Clemson University. Graben serves on the Board of Commissioners of the Greenville Housing Authority and the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Greenville County Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program, and represents abused and neglected children as a pro bono guardian ad litem in Family Court. A graduate of Clemson with a B.S. in Physics, Graben earned both a Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs and a J.D. from the University of Virginia, and was a post-doctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Vincent Graham is the Founder of The I’On Group in Charleston. His firm’s endeavors have included the award-winning Newpoint in Beaufort, I’On in Mt. Pleasant, Morris Square in Charleston, and Hammond’s Ferry in North Augusta. He serves on the Board of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, and the Preservation Institute of Nantucket. He is also a member of Governor Sanford’s Quality of Life Task Force. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he earned his B.A. at the University of Virginia. He lives on Sullivan’s Island.
Regina Hollins Lewis is a member of the Nexsen Pruet law firm where she practices in the Labor and Employment Group of the firm’s Columbia office, and also coordinates the firm's Diversity Committee. She previously directed a non-profit legal clinic for abuse victims, and represented the State of Maryland as an Assistant Attorney General, earning the Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award in 1999. Lewis serves as vice-chair of the Employment Law Section of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, where she is also a member of the Admissions Committee. She is also active in the South Carolina Bar where she is the Newsletter Editor for the Employment Law section and a member of the Judicial Qualifications Committee of the South Carolina Bar. She earned a B.S. degree from the University of South Carolina and a J.D. degree from the University of Maryland.
Susan Lill, founder of Align HR Services, assists organizations with Human Resources services, employee surveys, training and specializes in diversity initiatives. She also co-founded AERIE Engineering in 1998, and is the former Chief Human Resources Officer and Vice President of ChanneLinx, a local e-commerce company. A certified HR professional in the United States and Canada, she holds a certificate in Human Resources Management from Ryerson University. Lill serves on the Diversity Advisory Council at Greenville Hospital System and on BMW’s Community Advisory Panel, and recently joined the YWCA board of directors.
Tim Madden is managing partner of Wilkins & Madden, P.A, in Greenville. He received the Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law and serves in the House of Delegates for the South Carolina Bar. Tim is Vice Chair of the South Carolina Lottery Commission and was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation. He is also a member of the Community Advisory Board for The Palmetto Bank and the Alumni Executive Council at Wofford College. Tim received a B.A. in Finance from Wofford College and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina.
William G. Medich, Senior Vice President/Charleston City Executive for Carolina First, is responsible for production of all lines of business within the Charleston market. He has nineteen years of commercial banking experience throughout South Carolina. Medich is President, Board of Directors College of Charleston Foundation and VP, Board of Directors of Spoleto Festival USA. He is former President, Board of Directors of Gibbes Museum of Art and a 2002 graduate of Leadership South Carolina. Medich earned a B.S. degree in Economics/Finance from University of South Carolina and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
David Moody, President of Milliken Research Corporation, joined Milliken and Company in 1988 as a development chemist and previously held positions in marketing and business management. He currently manages Milliken's Air Bag and New-Venture businesses and coordinates the company's corporate research. Moody serves as trustee for the Institute of Textile Technology at North Carolina State and is a member of the National Textile Center Industrial Advisory Board and the University of South Carolina's Chemical Engineering Research Board. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Wofford College and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Gordon B. Sherard, III, is an obstetrician/gynecologist with Carolina OB/GYN and Department Chief of OB/GYN at Mary Black Memorial Hospital in Spartanburg. As a resident at East Carolina University, Sherard was one of the first recipients of the American Urogynecology Society/Eli Lilly Resident Scholar Award, and also received the School of Medicine's Teaching Recognition Award. He founded a gynecology clinic at
St. Luke's Free Medical Clinic in Spartanburg, and serves on the Mary Black Hospital Medical Executive Committee and the Spartanburg County Medical Society's Executive Board. Sherard graduated magna cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina and earned his M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Carolyn Wong Simpkins, an Internal Medicine Specialist, is Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program for Greenville Hospital System, and an instructor of the Residency Program in Internal Medicine. She previously served as a Congressional Science Fellow and Legislative Assistant for the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health for the U.S. House of Representatives, and has held teaching positions at Clemson University, Duke University and the Governor's School of South Carolina in Charleston. She is President of Democratic Women of Greenville County and on the board of the Upstate South Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross. An honors graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in Biological Sciences, Simpkins holds an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology from Duke University.
John J. Singerling, III, has been with the Palmetto Health since 1996, currently working as Vice President of Operations for Palmetto Health Richland Hospital. He previously worked as Corporate Director of Planning and System Development and Assistant to the President and CEO for Palmetto Health, the largest health system in South Carolina. Prior to graduating from college, Singerling worked as an athletic trainer with the University of South Carolina Football Program and also the Indianapolis Colts Professional Football Club. Singerling co-chaired the United Way's 2004 Palmetto Health Campaign and currently serves on the board of directors for Children's Chance and the Atrium Society. A graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. in Exercise Science, he holds a Masters degree in Health Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Liberty Fellowship Announces Class of 2007 – Add Four
Ken Trogdon is Executive Director of Communicare, a nationally-recognized healthcare program with a network of over 2,500 health providers and 11 pharmaceutical
companies serving South Carolina's uninsured. Under Trogdon’s leadership, Communicare received The 2005 Central Carolina Community Foundation’s David W. Robinson Catalyst Award. He previously worked as Deputy Director for Palmetto Health Project and with the Columbia advertising firm of Newman, Saylor and Gregory. Trogdon is a board member of Family Connections, Diabetes Initiatives of SC and the SC Oral Health Advisory Council, and is a Fellow with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Outreach Program. He was named 2004 Executive Fundraising Professional of the Year for the Columbia Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals. Trogdon is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.S. degree in Foreign Relations.
Allen B. Ward, P.E., is President of Ward Edwards in Bluffton, one of the region’s largest engineering and surveying firms. He is treasurer of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the boards of the Coastal Carolina Medical Center, the United Way of Beaufort, and Beaufort County Council’s Rural and Critical Lands. A member of the Urban Land Institute, he is a recipient of the South Carolina Ambassador for Economic Development award. Ward graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.E. in Environmental Systems Engineering.
Tim Washington is Senior V.P. of Scientific Research Corporation (SRC), a military and law enforcement electronics and information systems development firm. He began his career as a researcher at Georgia Tech Research Institute and has held positions at SRC in engineering, technical management, and executive management. Washington is a founding member and chair of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Charleston Defense Contractor’s Association, and serves on the Charleston Military Affairs Council. Washington earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University.
Yelberton "Yebbie" R. Watkins has spent the past 13 on the staff of Congressman James E. Clyburn, the last 12 as Chief of Staff and Counsel. He also serves as Chief of Staff for Congressman Clyburn's Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman's office. In addition, he is primary staff liaison to House Leadership, The White House and the Executive Branch agencies. He acts as a policy advisor on legislation and issues in several areas, including telecommunications, banking, tax and international relations.
