GREENVILLE, South Carolina (July 27, 2009) – Liberty Fellowship, the statewide leadership initiative sponsored by Hayne Hipp, Wofford College, and The Aspen Institute, today announced the young South Carolina leaders who will comprise the class of 2011.
Liberty Fellowship seeks to inspire outstanding leadership in South Carolina, empowering the state and its future leaders to realize their full potential. Liberty Fellowship fosters value-based leadership by exposing rising young leaders, ages 30-45, to diverse perspectives, critical thinking, and intellectual and personal development. The Class of 2011 was chosen from among business, government and nonprofit professionals throughout the state.
“We are proud to announce the Liberty Fellowship Class of 2011, our sixth class since the program began in 2004,” said Hayne Hipp, Founder of Liberty Fellowship. “This class is exceptionally talented and well suited to meet the challenges and opportunities in the lifetime program.”
“The members of this year’s class have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields and represent a true mosaic of backgrounds, skills and experiences,” said Jennie Johnson, Executive Director of Liberty Fellowship. “Our goal is to nurture enlightened leadership based on values that will lead to positive contributions for our state and for society at large.”
Members of the Liberty Fellowship Class of 2011 are:
Andrew W. Batten is a Lieutenant Colonel in the South Carolina Army National Guard where he is Acting Deputy Director for Construction and Facility Management. He is responsible for planning major construction projects and real property management of over two million square feet of facility space and 16,000 acres of training land supporting nearly 10,000 South Carolina Army National Guard soldiers. Andrew is an Army aviator and also serves as the Assistant State Army Aviation Officer. He has been both Operations Officer and Executive Officer of the 2-151 Security and Support Helicopter Battalion, planning and preparing for disaster response and homeland security. He was deployed to the southwestern U.S. border during Operation Jump Start to provide aviation support for border security and enforcement. Andrew commanded a UH60 Black Hawk helicopter company during a 12-month deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. His unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation, and he earned the Bronze Star. Andrew has over 2,500 military flight hours, including 500 combat hours. In his community, he served on the Kershaw County Christian Community Ministry Board and has been a soccer coach. Andrew earned his MBA degree from Wake Forest University and a BA degree from Wofford College. He resides in Camden.
Michael Bolick is the President and CEO of Selah Technologies, LLC. Using nanotechnology licensed from Clemson University, Selah is developing diagnostic test kits that will allow oncologists to better visualize and remove cancerous tissue in the surgical theater. Prior to founding Selah, Michael’s career spanned 15 years with advanced materials manufacturing companies, culminating in his role as Vice President of Manufacturing Operations for Irix Pharmaceuticals in Greenville. Michael serves as the Board President for Palmetto Bio and on the External Advisory Board of the NanoCenter at the University of South Carolina. He earned his BS degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University. Selah is located in Pendleton.
Michael Brown is the Managing Partner of Rainey & Brown LLC and is a trial lawyer. Prior to joining the firm, he was in solo practice and had clerked for The Honorable Donald W. Beatty, Associate Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. He currently serves as the District One Representative on Spartanburg County Council. He has served as a Commissioner of the Spartanburg Human Relations Committee, Counsel to the Upstate Fatherhood Coalition, board member of Habitat for Humanity and the Spartanburg Board of Zoning and Appeals. He is a 2008 graduate of Leadership South Carolina and 2005 graduate of Leadership Spartanburg. He also has been very active in the local, state and national bar associations. Michael earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, a Master of Public Administration from Ohio State University, and his BA degree in Political Science from Alabama A&M University. He resides in Spartanburg.
Samuel L. Erwin is President and CEO of The Palmetto Bank. Prior to joining The Palmetto Bank in March 2009 as Senior Executive Vice President, he was CEO of Community Bancshares Inc. in Orangeburg. Sam entered the banking world in 1990 and previously worked for First Union and South Carolina Bank & Trust. Sam serves on the board for the Business Development Corporation of South Carolina and is actively involved in the American Bankers Association and the South Carolina Bankers Association, where he was named the 2005 Outstanding Young Banker. While in Orangeburg, he served as chairman of the Edisto United Way, was on the boards of Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Foundation and the Regional Medical Center Foundation, and was a member of the Orangeburg Rotary Club. In 2004, The State newspaper recognized him as one of the "Top 20 Under 40." He is a Cum Laude graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Financial Management with a concentration in Financial Institutions. He resides in Greenville.
Edwin Givens is the General Counsel and Special Assistant to the President of South Carolina State University. Prior to joining South Carolina State University, he was a shareholder in The McNair Law Firm where he specialized in Administrative and Governmental Law. His prior legal experience includes General Counsel for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind; Associate Attorney at Newman and Sabb; and Law Clerk for the Judiciary Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He is a member of the Richland County Bar, the America Bar Association, a former member of the South Carolina State University Board of Trustees and a former member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Philharmonic. He is a 2007 graduate of Leadership South Carolina. Edwin earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a BS degree in Computer Science from South Carolina State University. He resides in Columbia.
Sharon Graci is the Co-Founder of PURE Theatre, a professional theater in Charleston. She also is the Artistic Director of the company overseeing the ensemble of professional artists, PURE Lab New Play Development, and PURE Young Audiences. Formerly, she was the Founder of The Charleston Children's Theatre. She began her career in sales for Xerox Corporation. After seven years, she left Xerox to pursue theatre. Sharon is a founding member and President of the board of The League of Charleston Theatres and on the Artist Ventures Steering Committee of the South Carolina Arts Commission. She is a former member of the screening board of The National Endowment of the Arts - Arena Stage, New Play Development Program, and a member of the advisory board of Redux Contemporary Arts Center. She is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and a member of Screen Actors Guild. Sharon has appeared in and directed both live stage and television productions. Sharon studied at the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Theatre and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Acting and Theatre from August State University. She resides in Charleston.
Anton Gunn is the President and CEO of Top Gunn Associates, LLC, a South Carolina-based public affairs consulting firm. Anton's political commentary has been featured in several national newspapers and on network television. He is the former Political Director for President Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign in South Carolina. He also served as Executive Director of South Carolina Fair Share, a statewide nonprofit membership organization focused on educating the public on policy issues. Anton currently serves as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing Richland and Kershaw Counties. He is the recipient of the 2008 Community Change Champion Award and 2007 Consumer Health Advocate of the Year; 2006 Honoree for The Southern Rural Development Initiative; and the 2006 Alumni of the Year by the USC College of Social Work. He formerly served as a board member of the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations and the South Carolina Chapter of the Association of Social Workers. Anton earned a Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Communities and Organizations from the University of South Carolina in addition to a BA degree in History from USC. He resides in Columbia.
James "Jay" Ham Jr. is the Managing Partner of H & R Holdings, LLC, a company active in real estate development projects in West Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina, focusing on the principles of sustainable design and environmentally conscious building practices. He also is the President and Founder of Carolina Modular, Inc., which originally manufactured modular housing and later modular classrooms for South Carolina school districts, before Jay sold the firm to COMARK Building Systems, Inc., a division of the Carlyle Group. He then transformed the shell company into a consulting, project management and construction firm that renovates and provides construction services in Florence. Jay has served on the South Carolina Building Codes Council, the Relocatable Facilities Committee of the South Carolina Department of Education, and is a LEED-certified builder - the only one in the Florence area. He is active in Pee Dee Big Brothers and has served as its chairman of the board. He also serves on the board of Garden City Chapel Retreat Center. Jay earned his BA degree in Finance from Wofford College. He resides in Florence.
Jenny Horne is currently practicing law in Summerville. She is also Broker-in Charge for Horne Realty, LLC. Her prior legal experience has been as a litigator at Elizey & Brooks; Willoughby & Hoefer; Nexsen, Pruet, Jacobs & Pollard; and Parker, Poe, Adams & Bernstein. She clerked for The Honorable Margaret Beane Seymour, United States District Court. Jenny currently is serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives, District 94 (Charleston and Dorchester Counties). She has served as the Volunteer Executive Director of Communities in Schools of Dorchester County, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the high school dropout rate and helped to establish a free, after-school program for underprivileged students at three schools in Dorchester County. She is the Mentoring chairman of Summerville Oakbrook Rotary and on the board of Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union. She is President of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association. Jenny earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is a Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of The South Carolina Honors College of USC with a BA degree in English and a minor in Political Science. She resides in Summerville.
Will W. Huss Jr. is President and CEO of Trehel Corporation, a design/build construction company, where he has held various positions since 1997. He is a member of the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce and has served as its chairman. He is on the Boy Scouts of America Blue Ridge Council advisory board and past executive board member. Will was a founding member of the Cub Scouts, Pack 2 of Clemson Presbyterian Church, and he also served on the SHARE Community Action Agency board. He was the 2009 Pickens County chairman for the March of Dimes - March for Babies, and serves on the board of The Red Cross of Oconee County. He is a member of the Clemson advisory board of First Citizens Bank and a Graduate of Leadership Pickens and Leadership Clemson. Will is a member of Clemson Presbyterian Church. He earned his BS degree in Design/Architecture at Clemson University and did post baccalaureate and graduate studies in Construction Science and Management at Clemson University. He resides in Clemson.
Donna Isgett is Vice President for Clinical Operational Effectiveness for McLeod Health. She has spent her entire career in nursing, beginning as a nursing assistant, then progressing to an emergency department nurse, chief nurse of the Emergency Department, flight nurse for Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Clinical Outreach Specialist at MUSC Heart Center, and Department Director of Roper Life Link, Mobile Intensive Care Unit. Donna received the Milliken Medal of Quality Award in recognition of her leadership, innovation and outstanding achievement in the implementation of quality systems for clinical effectiveness at McLeod Hospital. Under Donna's direction, McLeod also won the IHI/Robert Wood Johnson "Pursuing Perfection" Award and the Governor's Quality Award. She works with children who have challenges in their lives by involving them in a horseback-riding program she has developed. She serves as well on the board of Diamond Hill, a local plywood and veneer company. Donna received her Master's degree in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina and her BS in Nursing from Georgia State University. She resides in Florence.
A. Shane Massey is a Partner with Nance, McCants & Massey law firm in Aiken. He began his law career as a Law Clerk for the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee and served as Judicial Clerk for The Honorable William P. Keesley, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judge. Shane currently serves in the South Carolina Senate and has announced his candidacy for South Carolina's Third Congressional District seat now held by Gresham Barrett, who intends to run for Governor in 2010. Shane serves on the board of Edgefield County United Way, the Johnston Development Board, and is a member of the Aiken Sertoma Club and Johnston Lions Club. He is a former board chairman for Edgefield County First Steps. Shane earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and is a Cum Laude graduate of Clemson University with a BA degree in Chemistry. He resides in Edgefield.
Rebecca D. Ramos currently is a founding partner in a public affairs company, which provides political strategy and lobbying services. She began her career out of law school with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation (Columbia, SC) as Conservation Director. She then returned to Vermont to serve as attorney and legislative liaison to Governor Howard Dean. Next she became a legislative aide to Vermont Senator and President Pro Tem Peter Welch, serving as a political strategist and policy analyst before moving back to South Carolina. Rebecca is a founding member of The Daughters of Susan B., a group of over 100 women advocating for increasing the number of women in the democratic process. She also serves on the Executive Committee and is communications chairman of Women Giving for Spartanburg. She currently chairs the board of Hubculture Inc., an arts-focused nonprofit organization, is a board member of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation Heart Division, and is an advocacy trainer working with local foundations, nonprofit organizations, and community activists. Rebecca has served on the Environmental Committee and Community Indicators Project of the Spartanburg County Foundation. Rebecca earned her Juris Doctor and Masters degree in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a BA degree in Environmental Science from Auburn University. Rebecca resides in Spartanburg.
Tumiko Rucker is the Town Administrator for the Town of Kiawah Island, where she had previously served as Town Treasurer. Prior to joining the administration of Kiawah Island, she was a Mortgage Operations Analyst for Wells Fargo and Finance Director for the City of Chester. She also has worked for the cities of Charlotte and Rock Hill and has served as an adjunct professor at York Technical College. Tumiko serves on the board of the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority and the Barrier Island Free Medical Clinic board. She is the immediate past President of the Saint John's Parrish Rotary Club. Tumiko also serves on the Wachovia Bank Advisory Board of Directors and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Tumiko is a two-term director of the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada. She is a Certified Public Funds Administrator and a Certified Public Funds Investment Manager. Tumiko earned an MBA and BA degree in Public Policy and Administration with a minor in International Studies from Winthrop University. She resides on John's Island.
Deb Sofield owns her own executive speech and presentation coaching company and is the founder of WAVE – Women Achieving Victory Every-time, a professional development forum that sponsors seminars and workshops exclusively for women across the nation. Prior to starting her own firm, she was a founding partner of The Creative Market, a Greenville-based advertising agency. She was the first woman to serve as a Commissioner of Public Works, City of Greenville Water System, and was formerly on the Greenville City Council. Deb served as the chairman of the Greenville County Museum Commission and has served on the board of the SC Children's Theatre and Columbia College Board of Visitors. She is the Past President of the Upstate Republican Women's Club and a graduate of Leadership Greenville, Leadership South Carolina, and Leadership America. She currently is President of the board of the Women's Campaign School at Yale. Deb recently was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor. She earned her BA in Public Speaking from Bob Jones University. Deb resides in Greenville.
William "Bill" Stanfield is Co-Founder, along with Evelyn Oliveira, and current CEO of Metanoia Community Development Corporation, a movement of people rooted in faith, which invests in neighborhood assets to build leaders, establish quality housing and generate economic development. He lives in the Chicora/Cherokee neighborhood where Metanoia is located (the zip code with the highest concentration of child poverty in South Carolina). Since being hired by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina to start Metanoia, Rev. Stanfield has shepherded this organization from a small, after-school program to an award-winning community development organization. Prior to starting Metanoia, he has been a chaplain for a homeless housing provider in Philadelphia, an associate pastor to a rural church in Arkansas, an English teacher at a mission school of Arab Immigrants in Brussels, Belgium, and a chaplain at a major research hospital in New Jersey. Bill earned his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a BA in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rev. Stanfield is also an associate minister at the St. Matthew Baptist Church, where Metanoia’s programs are housed. He resides in North Charleston.
John Uprichard is President of FGP International (Find Great People), a South Carolina Fastest Growing Company and Best Place to Work. His organization provides temporary staffing, executive search, HR consulting and outplacement services to companies of all sizes from small and medium-size businesses to the Fortune 500. He is also a partner in Performance Payroll, an outsourced payroll and tax company. He began his professional career in the Navy, serving as an officer on submarines and an aircraft carrier, and spent time overseas in the Persian Gulf, Europe and South America. John is a graduate of Leadership Greenville and, through his company, has hosted an annual program with Goodwill Industries where more than 40 companies donate clothing appropriate for underprivileged job seekers. John is a member of Young Presidents Organization. He earned an MBA degree from Brenau University and a BA degree from Auburn University, where he had an ROTC Scholarship. John resides in Greenville.
D. Peters Wilborn Jr. currently is a Partner with Derfner, Altman & Wilborn, LLC, which focuses on civil litigation, civil rights, labor and employment law, consumer protection and constitutional law. Prior to joining his current firm in 1996, Peter spent three years as an Assistant Legal Officer, International Commission of Jurists in Geneva, Switzerland, where he provided legal training for judges and lawyers in developing countries, participated in fact-finding missions concerning the independence of the judiciary, and advocated judicial independence before bodies of the United Nations. He began his legal career as a Ford Foundation Fellow in West Africa, working with the African Commission on Human Rights. Peter has received the Pro Bono Public Award from the American Bar Association, the Pro Bono Award for the South Carolina Bar Association, and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. He also is involved in the biking community as an advocate for cyclist road rights and improving safety and education for cyclists and founded the website SCBikeLaw.com. Peter earned his Juris Doctor Cum Laude from Michigan Law School and was on Michigan's Journal of International Law. He earned his BA Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Tufts University. Peter resides in Charleston.
Octavia Williams-Blake has been with McLeod Health since 2002 in various positions in human resources and is now Director of Employee and Occupational Health. In her position, she is responsible for the workers' compensation and occupational health process and corporate-wide employee safety for the 5,000-employee population of the region's largest employer. Prior to joining McLeod Health, she held HR positions with Pepsi Bottling Group and Sony Electronics as well as the State Budget and Control Board. She served as a Law Clerk at the State Department of Social Services and Gergel, Nickles & Soloman. Octavia was elected in 2008 to the Florence City Council. She is a board member of Science South, which uses mobile science labs to teach educators how to expand the science curriculum for children. She also is a board member for Florence Young Professionals. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a BA degree in Public Affairs and History, Cum Laude, from Columbia College. Octavia resides in Florence.
Jennie Williamson is the Executive Director of the Pee Dee Land Trust, which operates in an eight-county region of South Carolina. Since becoming Director, she has expanded membership from 40 to over 600 and conserved more than 10,000 acres. Previously she was the Administrative Director of the Public Interest Career Services Office at Harvard Law School. Her prior experience includes Assistant Director of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League in the North Coast Office; Collections Horticulturist at the Riverbanks Zoological Park & Botanical Garden; and a freelance writer for clients including Horticulture magazine and Harvard's Institute for Cultural Landscapes Studies. Jennie is a 2006 graduate of Francis Marion University's Nonprofit Leadership Institute and served on its Advisory Committee in 2007. She also served as a member of the National Board of Trustees of Wildlife Action (2007-2009). She was the recipient of the 2009 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership from The South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations. Jennie earned a Master of Library Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina and a BA in American Studies with focus on Ecology from Sewanee: The University of the South. She also completed additional coursework at Harvard University. Jennie resides in Darlington.
