Greenville, SC -- Liberty Fellowship, the statewide leadership initiative sponsored by Hayne Hipp, Wofford College and The Aspen Institute, today announced the emerging South Carolina leaders who will comprise its Class of 2010.
"With this fifth class, there are now over 100 Fellows who have completed the program or are active participants,” says Hayne Hipp, Founder of Liberty Fellowship. “Each is testimony to the extraordinarily high caliber of young people throughout South Carolina. They're talented and accomplished beyond their years; and their willingness to give all they have to meet every challenge, relationship or cause they pursue is inspiring. We are proud to have attracted them."
The class was chosen from among business, government and non-profit professionals throughout the state. "This year's nominees are exceptional individuals, and it's clear that they will comprise an extraordinary group," said Jennie Johnson, Executive Director of Liberty Fellowship. "All will emerge from Liberty Fellowship with experiences that will create a true understanding of real leadership."
John E. Bauknight IV is President of the investment firm Longleaf Holdings USA, LLC. Since receiving his B.S. in Psychology from Wofford College, he has been active in the startup of several entrepreneurial ventures, first in the employee benefits industry, and later in the document shredding and recycling industry. He was one of the Founders of Total Records and Information Management, LLC. John participates in the Young Presidents’ Organization, is Chairman of the Charles Lea Center Foundation Board, and serves on the BB&T Local Advisory Board, the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Board, and the Spartanburg Community College Incubator Advisory Board. He is currently Chairman of the Wofford Terrier Club Board, the Wofford President's Advisory Board, and the Wofford Alumni Council. John resides in Spartanburg.
Eve M. Blossom is President and Founder of Lulan Artisans, a for-profit textile company focused on environmental, cultural, social and economic sustainability. Eve began her career in architecture working in Los Angeles and Hanoi, where she developed a passion for Asia, textiles, strategic planning and marketing. She then founded her own company consulting with non-profits before founding Lulan Artisans. She received her Masters in Architecture from Tulane University. She resides in Charleston.
Peter M. Bristow is President and COO of First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, and EVP and Director of First Citizens Bank Corporation of South Carolina. After graduating from the University of Virginia, he spent three years in the reinsurance industry before joining First Citizens in 1991. Peter has held various roles within the bank, including City Executive and head of the Wealth Management Division, before assuming his current role as COO. Peter currently sits on the boards of the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital Foundation, the University of South Carolina's Business Partnership Foundation - Moore School of Business, and the ETV Endowment of South Carolina. He resides in Columbia.
Mia Butler is a Founder and Principal of McLeod Butler Communications, LLC, which specializes in governmental relations and corporate affairs. She began her career as Human Resources Coordinator for the SC Chamber of Commerce. She also served as Director of the Violence Against Women Act Project under the SC Attorney General, and was appointed by the Governor as the Director of the State Office of Victim Assistance and later the Director of Governmental Affairs for the SC Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon services. During that time, Mia taught as an Adjunct Professional Communications Instructor at the USC Moore School of Business. Mia serves on the board of the SC Chamber of Commerce and the African American Business Roundtable. She received her B.A. from USC, and her J.D. from the USC School of Law. Mia resides in Columbia.
J. Michelle Childs is Chief Administrative Judge for General Sessions and Business Courts for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, and has sat as an Acting Justice on the SC Supreme Court. She began her career out of law school with Nexsen Pruet Jacobs and Pollard, LLP, where she became a Partner. She was then the Deputy Director of the SC Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation before becoming a Commissioner with the SC Workers Compensation Commission. Michelle has served on the Board of the Columbia Urban League, the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports and Tourism and as President of the University of SC School of Law Alumni Council. She received her B.S. in Management from the University of South Florida, her M.A. in Personnel and Employment Relations from the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business, and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Michelle resides in Columbia.
Jill R. Davis is Vice President of Corporate Planning and Strategic Services for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina in Columbia. She joined BlueCross in 1996 as an Information Systems Engineer overseeing long range information systems development projects. She then moved into a Business Analyst role as the Special Assistant to the Chairman & CEO before moving into her current role as Vice President. Previously she was a Systems Analyst with Philip Morris USA in New York and a Systems Analyst with Spectrum Technologies Group in North Branch, NJ. Jill serves on the Board of Trustees at Hammond School, City Year Columbia Advisory Board, and the SCBiz News Advisory Board. She is a member of the Columbia Chapter of the Links, Inc., Columbia Chapter of Jack & Jill, Inc, and is a children's church Instructor at First Northeast Baptist Church in Columbia. She received her B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University and her M.B.A from University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Jill resides in Columbia.
John Entsuah is the Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Apparel and Specialty Fabrics Division of Milliken & Company. John began his career as a Process Coordinator with FMC Corporation, then moved to Corning Inc. as a Production Coordinator and rose to Senior Account Manager. After graduating from business school, he worked at General Electric in various positions in finance and corporate strategy before joining Milliken as Senior Business Development Manager in the Chemical Division. John is a Board Member of the South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics and is active in the Boys & Girls Club of the Upstate. He also serves as a Mentor for minority business startups. John received his B.S. from Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC, his M.S. in Biochemistry from University of Houston, and his M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. John resides in Greenville.
Lawrence (Laren) Harmon is Vice President of Strategic Distribution for Michelin North America. He joined Michelin out of graduate school in its truck tire sales organization. He was a Territory Manager, Fleet Development Manager and Regional Sales Manager before returning to Greenville to become Director of National Accounts and Government Sales. He serves on the Board of Michelin Retread Technologies, the NATSO Foundation, the American Trucking Association's Share the Road Board, and is Chairman of the Board of the Upstate Fatherhood Coalition. He also serves on Furman University's Young Alumni Council. Laren received his B.A. from Furman University and his M.B.A. from Florida State University. He resides in Greenville.
Kristi L. Harrington is a Judge on the South Carolina Ninth Judicial Circuit Court, having been elected by the Legislature in February 2008. She began her career out of law school as the Assistant District Attorney in Tulsa, OK and later moved back to South Carolina to become a Prosecutor in Berkeley County. Kristi has also taught at Limestone College and Tulsa Community College as an Adjunct Professor. She serves on the Berkeley County Mental Health Board and is Vice President of her district's PTA. She has been active in the Literacy Association, Domestic Violence Shelter, People Against Rape and Darkness to Light. She received her B.A. in English from Francis Marion University, and her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law. Kristi resides in Hanahan.
Donna Isgett is Vice President for Quality and Safety at McLeod Health. She has spent her entire career in nursing, beginning as a Nursing Assistant then progressing to Emergency Department Nurse, Chief Nurse of the Emergency Department, Flight Nurse for Medical University of South Carolina, Clinical Outreach Specialist at MUSC Heart Center, and Department Director of Roper Life Link, Mobile Intensive Care Unit. She serves on the Board of Diamond Hill, a local plywood and veneer company, and serves on the South Carolina Hospital Association Quality Council. Donna received her B.S. in Nursing from Georgia State University, and a Masters in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina. She resides in Darlington.
Erin Rodman Jones is the Director of Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery, Inc. She began her career as a Teaching Graduate Assistant at Bob Jones University, and then became a University Classroom Teacher where she taught Speech and Drama. Erin is on the Board of the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was appointed by City Council to serve on the Greenville Tourism Task Force. She received her B.S. in Speech Education and M.A. in Dramatic Productions from Bob Jones University. She resides in Greenville.
James (Jim) K. Lehman is Operations Partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLC, responsible for day-to-day operations of the firm. Following law school, he served as Law Clerk to Judge Robert F. Chapman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He then worked in the Washington, D.C. and New York offices of Davis Polk and Wardwell. Jim then joined Nelson Mullins, specializing in litigating science-based cases in technology and pharmaceuticals. After serving as General Counsel to Safety-Kleen Corporation, Jim returned to Nelson Mullins in 2004. He sits on the Board of the United Way of the Midlands, and is a member of the Board and Immediate Past President of the South Carolina Philharmonic. He received his B.A. from Bob Jones University, and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He resides in Columbia.
Reginald (Reggie) Lloyd is Director of the State Law Enforcement Division. He began his career with Nexsen Pruett, focusing on business litigation. He then joined the SC Attorney General's office and was Chief Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee. Reggie then worked for AT&T in Government Relations, and later joined the Nelson Mullins firm. He has served as a Judge for the Circuit Court of South Carolina. He was also appointed by President Bush as US Attorney for the District of South Carolina. Reggie has served on the boards of the Trustus Theatre, the Kershaw County United Way, and the EdVenture Children's Museum. Reggie received his B.A. in Political Science from Winthrop University, and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He resides in Kershaw County.
Joel Lourie is President of his family's company, Lourie's Department Store, Inc. Joel has been a SC State Senator since 2004. Prior to that, he served six years in the SC House of Representatives. He is a Board Member of the National Federation of the Blind, Reconnecting Communities and Schools Coalition, March of Dimes - Midlands Chapter, and the SC Safe Kids Coalition. He received his B.A. from the University of South Carolina. Joel resides in Columbia.
Melinda Davis Lux is a Partner at Wyche Burgess Freeman & Parham, P.A. where her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities law, and serving entrepreneurial clients. She began her career as Clerk to the Honorable Alexander B. Denson, US District Court. She was then a Corporate Associate with Kilpatrick Stockton LLP in Winston-Salem before moving to Greenville to join the Wyche firm. Melinda serves as Chair of the Board of The Downtown Symphony Club. She also serves on the Board of the Carolina First Center for Excellence and the Board of Furman University's Connections Leadership Program. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College, her M.B.A. from Clemson University and her J.D. from the Yale Law School. Melinda resides in Greenville.
J. Michael (Mick) Mulvaney is President of the Mulvaney Group, a family-owned business and one of the largest developers of residential building lots in the Charlotte metropolitan area. He began his career out of law school as a Commercial Trial Lawyer, then opened his own law firm focused on real estate transactional work. He sold that firm to develop his real estate business. Mick was elected to the SC House of Representatives in 2006, and has served on the Boards of the United Way of Lancaster County, USC-Lancaster, and the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce. He received his BSFS in International Economic/Commerce and Finance from Georgetown University, his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and completed his education with an executive program at Harvard Business School. Mick resides in the Indian Land area of Lancaster County.
Faith L. Polkey is currently both the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Beaufort Memorial Hospital and the Chief of Pediatrics at Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. Previously, she was Chief Resident in Preventive Medicine Residency and Instructor in Clinical Epidemiology in the Department of Social Medicine at the University of North Carolina. Faith has served on the Task Force to Redefine the Definition of Underrepresented Minority by the Association of American Medical Colleges, and has served as a Team Leader for the first expansion site of City Year, Inc. in Columbia. She received her B.S. in Biology from the South Carolina Honors College, her M.D. from Johns Hopkins University and her MPH from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. She completed her Pediatric residency training at Duke University Medical Center. Faith resides in Beaufort.
William (Bill) A. Santerini is the Chief Executive Officer of Allora, LLC., a company that provides land planning, architecture, construction and design-build services for single and multi-family projects and developments. He began his career as a Fixed Income Trader with Cantor Fitzgerald. He returned to South Carolina in 1994 as a Co-Founder of Donald A. Gardner Builders, Inc., before launching Allora in 2002. Bill is a Member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, the Urban Land Institute, and the President's Advisory Board of the Greenville Hospital System. He received his B.A. from the University of South Carolina, and his M.B.A. in International Finance from St. John's University (New York). Bill resides in Greenville.
James (Jay) Cuthbert Self III is President and COO of Greenwood Mills, Inc. Jay has been active in his family's company since graduate school, beginning as a Management Trainee and progressing through corporate development, Vice President of Denim Manufacturing, Executive Vice President of Sales and Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer. Jay has served on the Greenwood YMCA, the SC Chamber of Commerce and the Self Foundation. He received his B.S. from Clemson, and his M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina. Jay resides in Greenwood.
Samuel (Sam) W. Smith III is President of Triangle Construction Company, a 180 employee firm specializing in commercial construction. He joined the firm in 1993, after working with Ballenger Construction in Greenville, and FN Thompson, Inc., in Charlotte and Richmond. Sam is on the Board of the Greenville Little Theatre and has been its Treasurer. He also serves on the Board of the YMCA Greenville Camp Greenville and is a Member of Christ Church in Greenville. Sam received his B.A. in History from the University of the South. He resides in Greenville.
Hildy Teegen is Dean of the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. She began her career as an Instructor of International Business at the University of Texas. She was then named Assistant Professor of Marketing at the College of William and Mary. She later joined the faculty of The George Washington University, where she became a Professor of International Business and International Affairs. While at GW, she founded and directed the Center for International Business Education and Research. Prior to that, she co-founded the George Washington International NGO Working Group and served as Secretary/Treasurer for Women of the Academy of International Business. She received her B.A. in Latin American Studies, and her BBA in International Business and Finance and her PhD in International Business from the University of Texas at Austin. She resides in Columbia.
Kathleen G. Wilson is Principal Harpist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and is on the Applied Music Faculty at the College of Charleston and Charleston Southern University. She maintains a private studio and is well-known as a freelance musician and public speaker through Aquaharp Presentations. She serves on the Charleston City Council and is Chair of the Recreation Committee. Kathleen has international standing as an open water marathon swimmer, having completed many of the world's greatest open water swims, including the English Channel, the first by a South Carolina resident. She has been awarded the Order of the Palmetto. Kathleen received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in harp performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She resides in Charleston.
