Last month I had the opportunity to meet with Hayne Hipp, chairman and CEO of Liberty Corp., the highly successful television-broadcasting group headquartered in Greenville. Hipp has a long track record of community service in the Upstate, and over the last few years he has begun to focus on supporting the development of a strong cadre of civic leaders across the state.
The vehicle for this ambitious goal is the Liberty Fellowship program, supported by a partnership between Liberty Corp., Wofford College and The Aspen Institute. This unusual initiative is a bit hard to describe, so I’ll begin by borrowing a few quotes from the program’s promotional materials:
“Liberty Fellowship is a privately-funded endeavor of distinctive vision that is unique to South Carolina. It is neither a think tank nor a training program. It does not teach on-the-job skills or utilize a business school case-study approach to learning. It is not affiliated with any other South Carolina leadership effort. It is not partisan, sectarian or dogmatic.
“Rather, Liberty Fellowship is dedicated to promoting enlightened leadership based on values, and offering rising leaders the opportunity to reconnect with and deepen their understanding of values that sustain them. Its mission is to nurture significant, positive contributors to our state, and society at large.”
The inaugural class of 20 people from around the state includes three from our region: Madeleine McGee, president of the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina; Chad Walldorf, co-founder of Sticky Fingers Restaurant Group; and Betsy Fleming, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art.
All three are looking forward to four weeks of intense interaction and learning spread over two years guided by highly-skilled mentors.
Chad Walldorf, who recently returned to Charleston after serving as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Mark Sanford, says he especially likes Hayne Hipp’s vision of building a network of connected South Carolina leaders that would have a cumulative impact over time. Walldorf notes that South Carolina is a small state, and it’s not that hard to build connections around the state that can have a positive impact. He describes the program as “a powerful tool for improving the state” and “a graduate school for civic leaders…all the people in the program have an impressive background [as leaders] and have already done a lot.”
The program is currently seeking nominees for the next class. There is no cost to the participants.
Candidates must be between the ages of 25 and 45 and must have previous leadership experience in their civic, professional or business roles. Nomination forms and detailed information about the program can be found on the program’s Web site at www.libertyfellowshipsouthcarolina.org.
This is an outstanding program. Participation by rising young leaders from our area would be of great benefit to the Lowcountry and the entire state. Log on to the Liberty Fellowship Web site, review the program, and consider nominating your choice for “the best and the brightest” of the area’s rising young leaders. The deadline is March 31, so do it now!
