Greenville Business Magazine 2010 January issue : Page 22
M O S T I N F L U E N T I A L 2 0 0 9 BY RICHARD BREEN & KRISTI KEENAN Greenville is full of influential people, and we were amazed by the amount of nominations for this year’s 50 Most Influential list. On the next 13 pages, you’ll meet the ones we believe made the most contributions specific to 2009 in the business, healthcare, government and non-profit categories. As influence is a rather subjective concept, you’ll notice no numbered rankings listed. We consider the contributions of each of these people to be important in shaping Greenville’s business and community landscape in 2009. In the case where several people were integral in making certain deals or events happen, they are grouped together to represent one of our 50 listings. 22 GREENVILLEBUSINESSMAG.COM | JANUARY 2010
50 Most Influential
Richard Breen & Kristi Keenan
Greenville is full of influential people, and we were amazed by the amount of nominations for this year’s 50 Most Influential list. On the next 13 pages, you’ll meet the ones we believe made the most contributions specific to 2009 in the business, healthcare, government and non-profit categories. As influence is a rather subjective concept, you’ll notice no numbered rankings listed. We consider the contributions of each of these people to be important in shaping Greenville’s business and community landscape in 2009. In the case where several people were integral in making certain deals or events happen, they are grouped together to represent one of our 50 listings.
CATEGORY 1
BUSINESS
Jim Akerhielm
NUVOX
CEO Jim Akerhielm has led the Greenville telecom company to a recently-announced acquisition by Windstream Corporation based in Little Rock Arkansas. Through the $643 million transaction, Windstream will gain NuVox’s 90,000+ business customers in 16 states across the Southeast and Midwest. NuVox is one of the largest Competitive Local Exchange Carriers in the United States and will bring a business component to Windstream’s current rural residential customer base. Akerhielm is a member of the board of directors and the vice chairman of the executive committee of Comptel, the competitive telecommunications industry’s leading trade organization. He also serves on the board of the Greenville Chamber and the Peace Center.
Bo Aughtry
WINDSOR/AUGHTRY CO.
At a time when much of the redevelopment of downtown Greenville has come to a screeching halt, Paul C. “Bo” Aughtry continues to move forward. Aughtry, who heads the commercial real estate division at Windsor/Aughtry Co., is building a $45 million mixed-use project at the corner of South Main and West Broad streets. Anchored by a Marriott Courtyard, Aughtry’s development is due to open in the first quarter of 2010 and will feature a “village green” next to City Hall. Combined with his Hampton Inn & Suites across the Reedy River, it makes Aughtry a major player in downtown lodging.
Jody Bryson
SCTAC
The new entranceway signage recently installed at the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center marks the latest in president and CEO Jody Bryson’s efforts to rebrand the former Donaldson Center. In October, SCTAC celebrated its first anniversary, as well the completion of the $150 million expansion of tenant 3M and the completion of construction for tenant Vetroresina. Plans for a $45 million Army National Guard Center of Excellence kicked into gear this year, as did a $250 million expansion for Cytec Chemical and a new bus maintenance center for Greenville County Schools. SCTAC’s 2600-acre campus has proven itself a real player in Greenville’s future job creation.
Jonathan Cameron-Hayes
FRI INVESTORS
At a time when many are having trouble leasing vacant commercial real estate, Johnathan Cameron-Hayes, president of FRI Investors, welcomed three new tenants into the Liberty Square property it purchased in 2006. Brown Mackie College will occupy over 25,000 square feet, Lincoln National Life Insurance Company will take 3,000 square feet and the GSA has occupied 4,200 square feet. Over 40,000 square feet of existing tenant space was renewed with Dority & Manning PA, Ernst & Young, Robert Half and Coppedge & Tison. With a strong city and chamber commitments to downtown real estate, Hayes believes Greenville may recover more quickly than other cities.
Brent Clinkscale
WOMBLE CARLYLE SANDRIDGE & RICE
Brent Clinkscale, litigation attorney with Womble Carlyle, was recently awarded the prestigious Founders Award from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in recognition of the work he has done for the last 10 years as the general counsel for the organization. He was selected to South Carolina Super Lawyers in 2009 for expertise in business litigation, is the chair for the Phillis Wheatley Association and Womble Carlyle Diversity Committee, and is a life member of the Duke University Law School Board of Visitors.
Howard Daniel
OGLETREE DEAKINS
Attorney Howard Daniel is committed to raising awareness in Greenville for the “other” Governor’s School. He serves on the board of the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics Foundation and is part of the think tank for taking the school to the next level. He also co-chairs the foundation’s economics and finance committee, which is charged with helping to develop the school’s new Economics & Finance Institute, a novel curriculum component with all the makings of a national model effort.
Ed Driggers
CITY OF GREER
Under the direction of Ed Driggers, the City of Greer has seen an explosion in growth, making it the fastest growing city in the state. His planning efforts have helped the city remain in strong financial shape even during a challenging economy. The City of Greer recently opened the Greer City Park at the new Greer City Complex, providing quality of life improvements for local residents, increased tourism through local events, and an anchor for redevelopment activities in downtown Greer. The SC Parks and Recreation Association honored the City of Greer Parks and Recreation Dept. as 2009 Agency of the Year.
Joe Erwin
ERWIN-PENLAND
Joe Erwin has been an innovator throughout his career, but his work creating the Food for Thought event in 2008 to “bring together prominent entrepreneurs, business leaders and creative thinkers – all with the feel of one big interactive dinner table conversation,” bestowed a unique hosting opportunity on Greenville. Based on the idea that creative thinking is behind the success of most ventures, 2009’s Food for Thought event gave attendees a forum for learning how successful leaders in a variety of industries have used innovation to garner results. The 2010 “unconventional convention” is set for April 27-29.
Jamile J. Francis Jr., Thomas C. Brown, and John S. Rainey
EASLAN CAPITAL
The Easlan Capital leadership trio of John Rainey, Jimmy Francis, Jr. and Tom Brown are described by one local business leader as “heavy hitters.” He goes on to say that the developers of Brookfield Corporate Park and Patewood Business Center “stay under the radar on purpose. You never hear about them. You never see them anywhere.” There was no hiding, however, when Easlan Capital landed Clemson University’s MBA program as a flagship tenant (with a 10-year lease and 33,000 square feet) in the former Bowater building on Camperdown Way in downtown Greenville. Law firm Nexsen Pruet relocated to the building in February of 2009, occupying approximately 23,000 square feet.
Brad Halter
COLDWELL BANKER CAINE
Brad Halter, President of Coldwell Banker Caine and Coldwell Banker Commercial Caine, steered his companies through some positive waters in 2009, adding people, awards and territory to the rosters. Caine acquired Greer’s ERA Riverside office in December and merged with Seneca’s Real Estate Associates Pat Loftis in September. The firm “now covers the I-85 corridor from Georgia to the North Carolina lines with 200 associates.” Commercial Caine was named the No. 1 office in South Carolina by Coldwell Banker Commercial in June, and Caine was named for the 12th consecutive year to the Chairman’s Circle.
LynnHarton
SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP
Despite its stock price being spanked by the housing recession, The South Financial Group Inc. holds $12.3 billion in assets. That’s enough to rank its president and chief executive, H. Lynn Harton, among influential Greenvillians. Recently, however, TSFG’s biggest local impact may be on commercial real estate. The bank was planning to move its headquarters to a 60-acre campus near ICAR. But Harton changed course, keeping the HQ at Poinsett Plaza. Thus, the downtown office market retains an occupant of 70,000 square feet, while the suburban market finds itself competing against a brand-new, $88 million campus with Interstate 85 frontage.
Jerry Howard
GADC
Quietly, Howard is the driver of Greenville County’s economic development engine. As head of the GADC, he is in a key role for the only organization empowered to negotiate and land new and expanding businesses for Greenville County. Some of the more recent deals he and his team have brokered include the 600+ job addition of Samsung North America’s contact center, the relocation to Greenville of headquarters for Waste2Energy and Lab21; the establishment of a Greenville sales and distribution center for Control Management, Inc.; and the multi-million dollar expansion of GE Aviation.
Bob Hughes
HUGHES DEVELOPMENT
and Ben Haskew
GREENVILLE CHAMBER
Shrimp, grits and positive reinforcement were served during a fall reception at the Next Innovation Center. Bob Hughes redeveloped the 60,000-square-foot building to cater to technology companies. There’s lots of glass, collaborative space and walls you can write on. The reaction? “This is a really cool place,” and “this is very California.” Haskew and the chamber had been advocating that Greenville needed a hip, affordable place for growing, cutting-edge businesses. Hughes figured a way to make the project work. The hope is it will nurture a generation of companies that provide a knowledge-based boost to the local economy.
Velda Hughes
THE HUGHES AGENCY
Known by many in Greenville as “someone you just can’t say no to,” Velda Hughes is an unequaled powerhouse of a fundraiser and a woman clearly unafraid of committing her time and talents to helping Greenville organizations succeed. In addition to running the Hughes Agency, she is directing the capital campaign and public relations efforts for the Children’s Museum; is president of the Community Foundation’s Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children board; is chairing the Peace Center Gala; and sits on the boards of the Peace Center, Bi-Lo Charities and the Governor’s School. She was also named marketing director of the South Financial Group/Carolina First Bank
in 2009.
Jeffrey Immelt
GENERAL ELECTRIC
Because of CEO Jeffrey Immelt’s attendance at the December Summit on Renewable Energy at I-CAR, Clemson’s role in the creation of wind energy was the recent focus of national media attention. Immelt said that within five years, 10 million new green jobs will be created worldwide and that it is crucial that the U.S. develop a clean energy policy if it wants to be a green technology leader. Greenville is poised to take advantage of some of those jobs since it houses one of GE’s largest U.S. facilities for building turbines and components. Immelt also said he was open to a potential future partnership between Clemson and GE.
Hal Johnson
UPSTATE ALLIANCE
Known as the champion of the 10-county Upstate Region, Hal Johnson busied himself in 2009 with trade conferences, mission trips, site visits and presentations all targeted at furthering the Upstate as a global brand. He successfully lead the Alliance through a target industry strategy that will guide the region’s future marketing efforts; helped to usher in a Confucius Institute at Presbyterian College; and assisted with efforts to discuss regional planning issues through the Upstate Reality Check. His efforts to promote the area’s assets are a driving force behind the strength of the Upstate economy.
C. Dan Joyner
PRUDENTIAL C. DAN JOYNER REALTORS
Ever-present optimism is a hallmark of what makes C. Dan Joyner a leader in Greenville. That optimism was put to the ultimate test during 2009’s real estate slump, but Joyner “made a personal commitment to keep human cost at a bare minimum while maintaining the outlook that everything will be better very soon.” With MLS sales up 40 percent in November as homebuyers scurried to take advantage of the government’s $8,000 tax credit, it seems Joyner’s optimism might pay off in 2010. He was recently awarded the 2009 Business of Integrity Award by the BBB Education Foundation and had the SC
REALTORS® conference center named in his honor.
Tim Justice
RESCOM CONSTRUCTION
During his year as chairman of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Tim Justice was a relationship builder, working hard to build a long-needed partnership between the Greenville and Spartanburg business communities, starting with growing an existing relationship with Dr. John Stockwell, chair of the Spartanburg Chamber board. The two organizations currently partner to employ two full time lobbyists who work toward creating opportunities for the area. Justice worked as well in 2009 to collaborate with the Upstate’s smaller chambers to help create “one of the premier business communities in the world.” As a result, Fountain Inn, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Greer chambers participated in the May GROW Expo event that offered opportunities for networking, education and vendor showcasing.
Per-Olof Loof
KEMET
In 2009, Kemet CEO Per-Olof Loof steered his company in a direction that should prove fruitful for the Greenville business community. The company announced in October that it will expand its facility in Simpsonville to manufacture a new line of capacitors for electric drive vehicles that will be marketed to the alternative energy industry. The investment is expected to generate 113 new jobs within the next three years. In November, Kemet launched two new high temperature dielectric platforms that are reliable for extreme temperature applications and which help strengthen the company’s commitment to remaining and industry technology leader. Kemet also won a 2009 InnoVision Technology Award in the technology development category.
Kathleen McKinney
HAYNSWORTH SINKLER BOYD
Named in the top tier of the state’s best lawyers listing this year, Kathy McKinney had a hand in some of the biggest business deals in the Upstate as a member of Haynsworth’s public finance practice. She was recently elected president of the National Association of Bond Lawyers and is the first South Carolinian to serve over the 3,000 member group Chairman’s Circle. McKinney also serves as chair of the Furman University board of trustees, on the advisory board of Leadership South Carolina, and on the boards of the SC Association of Nonprofit Organizations and South Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities.
Beth Padgett
GREENVILLE NEWS
Few people have the luxury of a widely-read public platform for their opinions. Beth Padgett is one of the few with such a platform, and she uses her power wisely to help Greenville News readers become more engaged citizens. She brings our attention to issues which deserve our consideration; she exposes our shortcomings as a community and encourages us to band together to fix them; she reminds us of what we have worth celebrating; and she always makes us think. Readers don’t always agree with her opinions, but few can lack respect for the character she exhibits each week in putting those opinions out for public scrutiny.
Leon Patterson
PALMETTO BANK
In a “bold and smart move,” former CEO Leon Patterson announced in 2009 his move to chairman of Palmetto Bancshares and Palmetto Bank starting in January 2010. Patterson handed the reins to two young leaders, Sam Erwin (41) CEO and Lee Dixon (43) COO, after serving as chairman of the board and CEO since 1990. The Palmetto Bank now has 30 offices located across eight Upstate counties. His new role with the bank opens up more time for his position as chair of the Upstate Alliance, where he will aid in the company’s continued efforts to brand the 10-county Upstate region as major player for business investment. Patterson also serves on the board of Upstate Forever.
Minor Shaw
MICCO CORPORATION
Minor Shaw, president of MICCO Corporation, currently serves as chair of the University Center board of visitors, vice chair of the GSP Airport Commission, a member of the Community Impact Cabinet and Financial Stability Council of the United Way, vice chair of the Greenville Chamber board of directors, the board of the Greenville Housing Fund, the Palmetto Institute, New Carolina, Piedmont Natural Gas and the SC ETV communications board. She is a trustee of the Greenville First Baptist Foundation, director of the Hollingsworth Funds and chair of its grants and investments committees. She also chairs the Daniel-Mickel Foundation, is a trustee of the BlueCross BlueShield Foundation and the Duke Endowment and was recently appointed to the advisory board for the School of Pharmacy at Presbyterian College.
Steve Sinicropi
COX MEDIA
VP and general manager Steve Sinicropi had a lot to celebrate in 2009. Not only did 107.3 JAMZ win Urban Station of the Year at the 2009 National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi Awards, but the station was also a finalist for Medium Market Station of Year. In addition, Sinicropi was named to Radio Ink: Best Managers in Radio, Medium Market category. On the community front, Sinicropi led his station to help Good News Upstate put out the message of why the Upstate is a great place to live, work, play and shop; and his stations partnered with Greenville County One Stop in March to present a career fair featuring over 40 employers.
Stewart Spinks
SPINX CO.
It seems that CEO Stewart Spinks has a unique sense of vision in knowing precisely where to buy property for his future stores. His real estate savvy has given him prime locations in nearly every important intersection of Greenville County, made his convenience stores a household name and his jingle a toe tapper. That same prowess even earned him a recent award from the South Carolina chapter of the March of Dimes, which annually honors leadership in real estate, service and economic development. Spinks serves on the boards of the National Association of Convenience Stores and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America.
Irv Welling
ELLIOTT DAVIS
Dr. Judith Prince
USC UPSTATE
and Steve Navarro
THE FURMAN CO.
Experts expect 234,000 new residents, 203,000 new jobs and 118,000 new households will be added to the 10-county Upstate region by 2030. That may sound like progress but could become a headache if unplanned growth spawns an Atlanta-style suburban wasteland of strip malls and traffic jams. In April 2009, hundreds of local residents gathered at Upstate Reality Check to create some consensus about how we want to grow. Steve Navarro, Judith Prince and Irv Welling played key roles in planning and executing the event. Now their task is to try to take that public input and influence public policy.
Dick Wilkerson
MICHELIN, NA
Wilkerson personally spearheaded two significant programs introduced in 2009 to provide assistance to businesses and children in Greenville County and beyond. Michelin Development Upstate opened its doors in September and has already provided $115,000 in business loans to economically disadvantaged businesses located throughout the Upstate. In August, Wilkerson introduced Michelin Challenge Education to provide assistance to public elementary schools in Michelin facility communities and to enable Michelin volunteers to serve as mentors, tutors and role models for children at elementary schools across the County. Michelin’s chairman and president is also the chair-elect of the SC Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Clemson University President’s Advisory Board.
Billy Wilkins
NEXSEN PRUET
Former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals District 4 Billy Wilkins made an interesting transition in late 2008 when he left a storied career on the bench to become partner at Nexsen Pruet’s Greenville office and lead the firm’s white-collar crime, appellate advocacy, and corporate compliance/crisis management practice groups. He then took on two high-profile 2009 cases – Mack Whittle’s battle against a Carolina First stockholder, and the controversial John Ludwig case. Most recently, Wilkins, Leighton Lord and the firm’s economic development team worked with Boeing officials to negotiate the incentives package approved by the South Carolina legislature.
Vivian Wong
GLOBAL TRADING CONSORTIUM
CEO and founder Vivian Wong, whose company specializes in procurement and distribution of foreign-made goods, entered into a cooperative agreement in May with AmeriStart to assist Asian and European companies in entering the U.S. market. Together, the two organizations will create a way for foreign companies to easily start operations in the U.S. The GTC announced a partnership with the MountainSouth World Trade Center in Tri-Cities TN/VA and the Atlantic-Canada World Trade Centre in Nova Scotia, Canada, in February that creates an extended network of international trade opportunities for Canadian and U.S. companies.
CATEGORY 2
GOVERNMENT
Senator Ralph Anderson
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SENATE
Sen. Ralph Anderson, who won his most recent re-election by a wide margin, was recently named the 2009 Douglas E. Bryant Legislator of the Year by the South Carolina Public Health Assoc. for his work in support of important public health initiatives. Serving Greenville’s District 7, Anderson played an important role in 2009 on the area’s transportation issues and sits on the Senate’s transportation committee. He also received the Hattie Logan Duckett Legacy Award from the Phillis Wheatley Association in December.
Chandra Dillard
SC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Known for continued work in housing, employment and early childhood education issues, Chandra Dillard was sworn in as District 23 Representative in December of 2008. In addition to her new governmental role, Dillard is the director of community relations for Furman University. She also sits on the board of directors for Greenville Forward, United Way of Greenville County and the Phillis Wheatley Association, and on board of governors for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.
Butch Kirven
GREENVILLE COUNTY COUNCIL
As chairman of Greenville County Council, Butch Kirven has his hands in the mix of all of the major decisions affecting the county. One of the most far-reaching of those decisions came in 2009 when the council approved the 10-year comprehensive plan known as Imagine Greenville County. The plan, 18 months in the making, includes a great deal of input from volunteers and was led by the Greenville County Planning Commission. Though many in Greenville are against the idea of planning, a 60-question survey conducted in late 2008 noted that growth, economic development and transportation were the areas survey takers found most in need of attention.
Knox White
CITY OF GREENVILLE
Mayor Knox White led Greenville through what has likely been the toughest year of his 14 in office. Recently named the longest-serving mayor in Greenville’s history, White has been a champion for neighborhood revitalization and quality of life improvements. He has also proven to be a driving force behind the continued growth of downtown. Two of the city’s most notable recent additions include the groundbreaking of the Kroc Center and the new Lab21 U.S. headquarters, announcement – both of which will have lasting effects on the downtown landscape. He was recently awarded the 2009 Buck Mickel Leadership Award from the Chamber.
CATEGORY 3
HEALTHCARE
Ingo Angermeier
SPARTANBURG REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
Though President and CEO Ingo Angermeier’s primary focus is on Spartanburg County, his hospital system ventured into Greenville County with the recent development of Village Hospital, a 48-bed facility in Greer. The hospital received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval during an unannounced site evaluation in December of 2008. The Village campus also includes an imaging center, vascular center and rehabilitation services and is lauded as a unique approach to healthcare. Angermeier is the chairman of the board of directors for Health Sciences South Carolina and also serves on the board of PHT Services, Ltd.
Michael Riordan
GREENVILLE HOSPITAL SYSTEM
As president and CEO of one of the largest employers in Greenville, Michael Riordan has a serious commitment to the future of not only his 7,500 employees, but also to the countless lives they each touch in the course of their jobs. As of 2009, GHS included 5 campuses across the county and was named among the nation’s top 50 hospitals by U.S. News Media Group. Riordan’s focus on quality healthcare and academics was strengthened by partnerships and collaborations he made with groups like the YMCA, the University of South Carolina and Palmetto Health. GHS also made an impact in 2009 with the creation of its Home for Work housing program for employees.
Ray Schroeder
INTERIM HEALTHCARE
Ray Schroeder celebrated in 2009 the 30th anniversary of Interim HealthCare, a business he started in order to give back to the community. Schroeder and his wife, Carol, were awarded the 2009 Dettman Founder’s Award from Interim’s corporate office in recognition of the continued growth of their company, which ranks consistently in the top 5 percent of home care agencies in the nation for quality. Schroeder was also awarded the 2009 Business Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau for his company’s ethical business practices. The company gives a significant portion of its profits to local charitable organizations such as Miracle Hill and Meals on Wheels.
CATEGORY 4
GOVERNMENT
Bob Geolas and Chris Przirembel
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, ICAR
Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research bridges the gap between Upstate academia and commerce, profoundly influencing both. Bob Geolas, I-CAR director, and Chris Przirembel, vice president for Research and Economic Development for Clemson, preside over a mounting list of achievements connected to ICAR. In 2009, a pair of buildings on the Greenville campus were recognized for environmentally friendly design. In addition, campus newcomer American Titanium Works was lauded by Trade & Industry Development magazine for its planned investments in both ICAR and a manufacturing facility in Laurens County. With ICAR barely a fifth of the way into its master plan, expect its impact to only grow in coming years.
Calder Ehrmann
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE - RILEY INSTITUTE
Longtime Michelin diversity executive Calder Ehrmann was presented with an SCRA Knowledge Economist Award in 2009 to recognize his leadership as a trustee and his significant contributions to South Carolina’s knowledge economy. Ehrmann’s primary contributions came from the exceptional leadership he provided in 2009 as director of the Diversity Leadership Initiative at Furman’s Richard W. Riley Institute. The program has become a highly successful across the state as an effort to train business, education, non-profit and political leaders with the skills to see and manage diversity as an asset.
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher
GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS
Charged with running the state’s largest and the nation’s 51st largest school district, Dr. Fisher has led the district to National Accreditation and boasts some of the finest schools the review team had ever seen. The district’s most recent ACT scores were above national averages; 62 Greenville County teachers earned 2009 National Board Certification; the Class of 2009 earned nearly $100 million in college scholarships; and Dr. Fisher received an “excellent” evaluation during her annual performance review. Because of careful planning during this tough economy, Dr. Fisher has not had to furlough teachers or make drastic cuts in the classroom.
Dr. Keith Miller
GREENVILLE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
As only the second president in Greenville Tech’s history, Dr. Miller has quickly established himself as a formidable leader in Greenville County after his first year as president. He has been vitally involved in economic development and training initiatives, new cooperative efforts with county schools, and in creating new paths of entry to our 4-year institutions such as the Passport to Success: Transition Day for the Future held in November to give high school students access to postsecondary education opportunities. He has “successfully managed during a time of severe financial disruption from the state and has achieved the great admiration of his faculty, staff and area commission.” Greenville Technical College continues to see strong growth, with 10 percent increase to the student body in the fall 2009 semester.
Dr. David Shi
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
In his final full year as president, Dr. David Shi has led the school to new heights in energy conservation and sustainability. The school was recently cited by a National Wildlife Federation study for its “extraordinary degree of student engagement and creativity around sustainability at every level,” and won an award from DHEC for its healthy impact on the state’s environment Dr. Shi currently serves as co-chair of the steering committee for the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, a group for which Furman was a charter signatory. In recognition of the national leadership he has provided in sustainability, the school’s new Center for Sustainability will be named in his honor.
Dr. Caron St. John
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SPIRO INSTITUTE
and Mike Baur
SCANSOURCE
It has long been said that downtown Greenville needed the dynamic element that a major, four-year college can bring. In 2009, Clemson University announced it would move its MBA program to the former Bowater building on Camperdown Way. Clemson programs that assist local businesses, such as the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, will also locate there. Longtime Clemson supporter Baur is offering a $1 million gift from ScanSource Inc. to facilitate the move. As head of the Spiro Center, Caron St. John served as a link between Clemson and the local business community and helped formulate plans for the move.
CATEGORY 5
NONPROFIT
Scot Baddley
YMCA OF GREENVILLE
Scot Baddley, President and CEO, leads a 7-branch YMCA association serving more than 60,000 people annually. In January 2009, the YMCA continued it’s strong, five-year collaboration with Furman and GHS to offer, free to the Greenville community, Activate Upstate (formerly the Greater Greenville Shrinkdown.) At the end of 2008, he joined with GHS to create PATH (Partners Achieving Total Health), an innovative wellness partnership that provides fitness and preventive care that’s affordable, easily accessible, and focused on reaching people before they get sick.
Greg Hart
BLOOD CONNECTION
Greg Hart’s passion for saving lives is steadily making the Blood Connection much more than just a community center for blood donation. With a new state-of-the-art donation center currently under construction on Woodruff Road to replace the long-standing Grove Road center, the Blood Connection celebrated its 30th anniversary of making blood products available to the 750,000 people who live in a 4,406 square mile area of Northwestern South Carolina and Northwestern Georgia. In addition to his work the Blood Connection, Hart is a board member of Donate Life South Carolina and secretary of the Foundation for America’s Blood Centers.
Jill Littlejohn
YWCA
2009 was a big year for Jill Littlejohn. Not only did she claim victory in a January special election to fill the Greenville City Council seat vacated by Chandra Dillard, but she also stepped into her new role as the executive director of the YWCA a few months later. She serves on the board of directors for the Greenville Chamber, is the Southern Regional Vice President for the National Urban League Young Professionals, is active in Young Democrats of Greenville County and serves as a board member of the Southeastern Institute on Women in Politics. She is involved with Chamber’s PULSE program, the United Way, HOPE Worldwide and Greenville Forward.
Evelyn Lugo
SC HISPANIC CHAMBER
As the Hispanic business community continues to grow throughout the Upstate, infrastructure is being developed to not only serve that community, but to bridge real and perceived gaps between it and non-Hispanic businesses. Evelyn Lugo is a key builder of that infrastructure, having launched the S.C. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Based in Taylors, the organization has already received support from the city of Greenville, Greenville Hospital System, Greenville Technical College, and other organizations and businesses. At a time when job creation is critical, Lugo is helping to forge local bonds between small businesses that are the engine of economic growth.
Deborah McKetty
GREENVILLE HOUSING FUND
Deborah McKetty led a charge this year to help make owning a home a reality for many lower income residents. GHF’s Homes for Teachers program helped 36 local teachers with forgivable loans for closing costs, etc.; the Homebuyer Assistance program helped 60 low income families with similar loans; and the Home from Work program was created to help lower income hospital employees afford homes near their jobs. McKetty started the Greenville Housing Network to help bring parties interested in affordable housing issues together for collaboration, and created a land bank to purchase foreclosed properties in Nicholtown and Pleasant Valley neighborhoods.
Megan Reigel
PEACE CENTER
As The Peace Center for the Performing Arts nears its twentieth birthday, it might be easy to take its influence for granted. But under the leadership of Megan Riegel, Peace remains a “center” of culture. It recently launched another ambitious season of events, highlighted by “Wicked” Jan. 27-Feb. 14. High-profile shows attract tourist dollars to downtown Greenville. The Peace Center is also an original anchor of downtown Greenville’s rebirth and continues to attract nearby redevelopment projects. Also important are the school buses it attracts – each year, the Peace Outreach Program serves nearly 70,000 students from three states.
Carol Scott
CHILDRENS MUSEUM
Carol Scott has been a driving force in bringing a little fun downtown to Heritage Green. Although it took many years to get the funding necessary to open the 79,000 square foot facility, The Children’s Museum has welcomed over 45,000 children and their families into the museum for learning through play since its opening in July of 2009. In addition to her work with the museum, Scott also serves on the boards of the Walker Foundation for The South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind and The Girl Scouts, and on the board of visitors for Converse College.
MOST POPULAR VOTE
Pastor Perry Duggar was a surprising entry in this year’s 50 Most Influential nominations and, while his was not the traditional kind of nomination we typically see for this feature, we were quite impressed with the shear number of nominations he received – 55.
Under his direction, Brookwood Church has had an enormous impact on Greenville County, averaging about 6,500 people in attendance at services each weekend. In 2009, the church launched BrookwoodU, “a holistic approach to growth as a person,” which is a new program aimed at creating personal enrichment, spiritual growth and leadership development. They also ramped up their recreation offerings, hired a recreation pastor and are making plans to add soccer and softball fields to their campus within the next two years. Duggar’s book, “The Story,” in which he uses five symbols to tell the story of Christ, sold 2,500 hardback copies this year. In addition, he provided 7,000 paperback copies to prison ministries in late December for use in Bible study programs.
PEOPLE TO WATCH IN 2010
This year’s nominations included a handful of folks we want to keep on our radar for 2010. They are already hard at work making an impact on Greenville, so we feel they bear mentioning here. We’re proud to say these first three were among our 2009 class of Greenville First Bank’s Best & Brightest. Cindy Benjamin was recently made partner at Neal Prince Architects and was named the Greenville Chamber’s Young Professional of the Year; John Tynan, co-director of the Clean Air and Water Program for Upstate Forever was successful in his bid for the Greenville Water Commission; and Greenville newcomer Maxim Williams has created a community initiative within the Sterling Community that has “broad, deep and enduring intentions to improve individual, neighborhood and community health.” The project includes a Sterling master plan, greenway and community land trust. Phil Yanov continues to keep Greenvillians abreast of all things related to technology with his popular Tech After Five and monthly lunch events. Monica Smith, owner of The Pink Monogram, has put Greenville on the fashion map with her signature product, monogrammed clogs, which have been recognized by celebrities such as Oprah and Miley Cyrus and are featured in over 900 stores nationwide. Mac Carpenter and BE&K Building Group’s Greenville office landed the construction project for the second assembly line for the Boeing Dreamliner.
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