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Board of Directors

Welcome From the Board of Directors

Mastin Robeson Major General, USMC (Ret)

Chairman of the Board

Mastin is a South Carolina native, was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1975, served 34 years active service, and transitioned out of the Marine Corps in Nov 2009 moving back to the Upstate.

He was privileged to lead at every operational level in the Marine Corps, to include commanding — a CounterTerrorism Task Force in combat, the 2nd Marine Division, the 3rd Marine Division, and Marine Corps Special Operations Command.  His staff tours included Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Director of Strategy, Plans, and Assessments for GEN Dave Petraeus in Iraq.  Over his career he served multiple tours in 8 different combat zones.

Since retiring he helped found Upstate Warrior Solution, a veteran non-profit here in the Upstate of South Carolina; and he has worked with a number of businesses as a consultant, board member, and CEO/President.

Mastin is proud of his military heritage with a Grandfather who served in WWI, a father who served in WWII, a brother who served in Vietnam, a son-in-law who served in Iraq, a son who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a college sweetheart wife of 46 years who created a home for him to always to come back to.

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Richard Hagins Commander, USN (Ret)

Vice Chair

After serving his country for 23 years as a U.S. Naval Officer and retiring in 2000 with the rank of Commander, Richard Hagins followed his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for service when founding US&S, Inc., previously Universal Supplies & Services, Inc., in 2003. US&S is a facility maintenance and support service provider specializing in operations and maintenance, repairs, renovation, janitorial, grounds maintenance and professional services.

Between 1979 – 2000, Mr. Hagins was Commanding Officer or Senior Staff Officer for Naval Reserve Centers and Readiness Commands in Greenville, SC; Newport, RI; and Columbia, SC. His Navy career brought him to in Greenville, SC, in 1996, where he settled upon retirement in 2000.

Hagins has become an integral part of his adopted home through the work of his company and commitment to service. He was recently named a participant in the St. Francis Forum, and one of the 50 Most Influential People of 2018 by Greenville Business Magazine. He currently serves as the 2020 Chairman of the Board for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce – the largest business organization in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Previously, Hagins was appointed by South Carolina Governor Sanford as Chairman of the Commission of Minority Affairs (Fourth District). He was subsequently appointed to serve on the Board of the South Carolina State Port Authorities (SCSPA), where he served as Treasurer, and was heavily involved in developing the Board’s 5-year strategic plan – ultimately becoming a member of the Executive Committee through 2011.

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Todd R. Flippin

General Counsel & Secretary

Todd joined Holcombe Bomar PA as an associate attorney in 2016 after several years with a litigation firm in Columbia, South Carolina. His practice focuses on civil litigation and includes medical malpractice, health care law, insurance litigation, business litigation, governmental litigation, and appellate law. Todd has tried numerous cases in courts throughout the state and represents clients in business formations and transactions.

After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Todd served in the U.S. Army as a Captain of Field Artillery. In 2003 and 2004, he deployed to Iraq with the Third Cavalry Regiment and led a platoon of scouts and forward observers in combat operations. Prior to returning to South Carolina to attend law school, Todd served with the Colorado Springs Fire Department as a firefighter, emergency medical technician, and high-angle rescue technician.

Todd Russell grew up in Greer, South Carolina and lives in Spartanburg with his wife, Schelyn, and their four young children.

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E. Smyth McKissick, III

Treasurer & Sustainability Chair

E. Smyth McKissick III serves as chairman and CEO of Alice Company, a diversified holdings company in Greenville, South Carolina. The company, a transformation of Alice Manufacturing Company, is built on a century-long track record of identifying and creating opportunities, maintaining an unwavering focus on exceptional quality and serving the communities in which it operates.

In addition to his business, Mr. McKissick currently serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Clemson University. He served as chairman of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, chairman of the National Council of Textile Organizations, and co-chair of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition.

He is a graduate of Clemson University and has an MBA from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Martha, reside in Greenville, SC, and have three children.

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Dwight McPherson

Audit Chair

Dwight McPherson was born and raised in Heath Springs, South Carolina.  Dwight has a Bachelor of Science in from the University of South Carolina. He has also completed the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management sponsored by the Consumer Bankers Association and BB&T’s Leadership Development Program.

Dwight has called Truist or its predecessor’s home for his entire twenty plus year career in financial services.  Currently Dwight is the Regional Managing Director for Truist Wealth in South Carolina.

Dwight and his wife Seana reside in Greenville, SC with their two children.  As a family they enjoy finding ways to foster community and use their talents to improve the lives of others.  Currently Dwight is a registered leader with Scouts BSA and serves on the board for Artisphere in addition to his dedication to Upstate Warrior Solution and the Veteran community.

 

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Jim DeMint

Endowment Chair

DeMint was born James “Jim” Warren DeMint on September 2, 1951, in Greenville, S.C. Raised by a single mother with his three siblings, he was taught the value of hard work and perseverance. He attended public schools in Greenville, graduating from Wade Hampton High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Debbie Henderson, in 1973. That same year, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from the University of Tennessee. Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in business administration from Clemson University.

In 1983, after working ten years in the research, advertising, and marketing business, he started the DeMint Group, a Greenville-based marketing research and strategic planning business. In addition to his family, small business, and local Presbyterian church, he immersed himself in Greenville civic life, volunteering and leading numerous charitable organizations.

He ran the DeMint Group until 1998, when he was elected as a Republican to the first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. DeMint kept his promise to serve only three two-year terms in the House. His reputation as one of Washington’s most principled conservative leaders grew after his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, the 55th to serve from South Carolina.

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Amy Kissam-Sands

Compliance Chair

Amy Kissam-Sands achieved more than 20 years of senior level management experience, working in global Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), particularly in clinical operations, customer alliances, quality control, clinical process integration and technology platform development. She served on the Clinical Strategy Board for TransCelerate BioPharma INC and as a Co-Chair for the CRO Forum. She stepped down from her position to focus full-time on her philanthropy efforts. She served on the MADD National Board for Victim Services and MADD GA Advisory Board for six years. Her passion is proactively educating and engaging youth in the dangers of underage drinking and drunk and drugged driving. She is an Advisory Board member for the cohesive preventive middle and high school program at The Fontaine Center at the University of Georgia. Ms. Kissam-Sands is on advisory board for The Warrior Alliance to help develop an integrated veteran community model for our veterans and their family members who live in Georgia. She was appointed to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society Board of Trustees to help raise awareness and find a cure for blood cancers. Mrs. Kissam-Sands graduated with high honors from San Diego State University, achieving a B.S. in biochemistry. She and Skip, her husband, reside in Alpharetta and are the parents of five children. She loves to travel, spend time in the outdoors, and cheer on the Clemson Tigers.

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Marianna Black Habisreutinger

Director

With her extensive involvement in education, healthcare, and the arts, Marianna Black Habisreutinger enriched her native Spartanburg, as well as the entire Upstate community. As a graduate of Mt. Vernon Junior College and the University of Mississippi, Marianna is a former Spartanburg County public school teacher and serves as an officer of Champion Investment Corporation.

At present, she holds leadership roles with numerous Upstate charitable organizations. She served on the Upstate Forever Board of Directors since 2005, formerly serving as Board Secretary. She serves on the boards of the Charles Lea Foundation, which she founded in 1986; the Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties, Inc.; Spartanburg Methodist College; Storm Eye Institute of the Medical University of South Carolina; and Mary Black School of Nursing Advisory Board of USC Upstate. In addition, she is a Governor of the Piedmont Club, as well as a founder and co-chair of the Executive Guild of the Hope Center for Children.

For more than twenty years, Marianna served on the boards, including stints as chairman, of Mary Black Memorial Hospital and the Mary Black Foundation, the Spartanburg County Foundation, and the Urban League of the Upstate. She served as the President of the Junior League of Spartanburg, chairman of the Ellen Hines Girls’ Home, on the Boards of the St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic and the Children’s Advocacy Center, as well as on the Board of Visitors of the Medical University of South Carolina. Additionally, Marianna served on the Boards of the Friends of the Arts as the Founder, the Artist Guild, the Art Association, the Symphony Guild, the Spartanburg Day School and the SDS Parents’ Club.

In 2011, Marianna was named as South Carolina’s Mother of the Year, an affiliate of the American Mothers, Inc. She is blessed by her wonderful family: her husband, Roger; daughter, Anna H. Converse; sons, Paul and Charles; and two grandchildren, all of whom are residing in Spartanburg.

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Tee Hooper

Director

Tee Hooper, the current board chairman and co-owner of FGP International, Inc., which deals with executive search, staffing, and HR Consulting, serves as a board member of Southern First Bank and Verdae Development, Inc. He has served as board chairman, co-owner, and CEO of Sign Crafters USA, a sign manufacturing and service company, from 2006 to 2016; board chairman, co-owner, and CEO of General Wholesale Distributors, a Trane HVAC distributor of residential and light commercial equipment in South Carolina, from 2006 to 2013; CEO of Profit Lab, a telecom expense management company, sold to Cass Information Systems, from 2002 to 2006; southeast regional president of IKON Office Products, 1993 to 2001; president of Modern Office Machines, MOM, sold to IKON Office Products, from 1983 to 1993; and general partner of Reedy River Ventures, a “Small Business Investment Company,” which made venture capital investments, from 1980 to 1984.

Tee was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor given in South Carolina, in 2009 for his efforts in reforming the Department of Transportation, where he was chairman from 2003 to 2008, appointed by Governor Sanford.

He served as chairman of Patriots Point Authority, US Medal of Honor Museum, and the Yorktown Aircraft Carrier Museum in Charleston, from 1998 to 2001, appointed by Governor Hodges. Additionally, he served as chairman of Greenville Urban League, as well as Greenville Chamber, United Way, YMCA, Leadership South Carolina, Camp Greenville, and South Carolina Council of Competitiveness (New Carolina).

Tee earned his MBA at the University of South Carolina in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1971 through 1974 and in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1975 through 1976. Additionally, he served on the Citadel Board of Visitors from 2011 from 2017.

Tee earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Citadel in 1969, where he was captain of the basketball team and the tennis team. He was inducted into the Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

Tee and his wife, Sherry, have two children and six grandchildren.

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Dan Cooper

Director

Dan Cooper is a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 10 in Anderson County. He served the people of South Carolina from 1990 to 2011 when he was elected to replace his father, M. J. “Dolly” Cooper, who held the same office from 1974 to 1990. Cooper has the distinction of being the first Republican from Anderson County elected to the SC State House. Throughout his time in office, Cooper was recognized as a devoted public servant who shaped public policy based on his dedication to making South Carolina an even better place to live and work.

Cooper was born and raised in the Piedmont community in Anderson County, where he lives today. He graduated from Wren High School in 1979 and from Clemson University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics. He received honorary doctorate degrees from the Medical University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University, The Citadel, Clemson University, and Anderson University.

He began his career working for state and local governments. In 1987, Cooper embarked on a career in the insurance industry, spanning twenty-five years. He completed programs at several commercial property and casualty insurance schools and became a Certified Insurance Counselor in 2004. He was a partner in Capstone Insurance Services in Greenville from 1999 to 2012 when he sold his interest in the company. He was a principal in Parker Poe Consultants in Columbia, SC from 2001 until October 2014. He joined the administration of Tri-County Technical College as economic development and government relations director in 2014.

Cooper received the Order of the Palmetto from Governor Nikki Haley in 2011 and was named a SC Ambassador for Economic Development by Anderson County in 2012. Cooper is the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Riley Institute at Furman University Wilkins Award and received many other legislative awards over his career.

During his time in the South Carolina House of Representatives, Cooper was an influential voice for his constituents and for all of the people of South Carolina. In 2005, he was elected by his fellow representatives to serve as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, a position he held until 2011. In that role, Cooper managed the House version of the State budget and served as a member of the State Budget and Control Board. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Cooper served on the Joint Bond Review Committee, which reviews and approves permanent State improvement projects. Cooper was a member of the State Agency Restructuring Study Committee, which studied ways to streamline state government in an effort to better utilize taxpayer dollars. Prior to his service on the Ways and Means Committee, he served as a member of the House Medical, Military, and Municipal Affairs Committee and the Education and Public Works Committee.

In addition to his civil service as a representative in the SC House, Cooper continues to be active in his community and the Upstate. He served on boards for SC Freedom Weekend Aloft, the Small Business Association, Goodwill Industries of the Upstate and Midlands, Boys Home of the South, and was a member of the Legislative Advisory Board of Palmetto Pride, the Anderson University Board of Trustees, Upstate Warrior Solution, and the Hunley Commission. He was an Assistant Cub Master and Cub Scout Den Leader of Pack 13 in Piedmont. He serves as a Sunday school director at Mt. Airy Baptist Church and as president of the Wren Athletic Booster Club. Cooper is the “Voice” of the Wren Golden Hurricanes football and basketball programs.

Cooper lives in Piedmont with his wife, Melissa “Missy,” and their two children, Leanne and Daniel.

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Tracy Swinney

Director

Tracy Swinney served as a police officer for the state of Alabama for 25 years. He retired in May of 2012, and currently, he serves as director of Football Security and Community Liaison for the Clemson Football program.

Tracy was a S.W.A.T. Officer for ten years then promoted to sergeant, where he was assigned to the detective unit, investigating homicides, thefts, and juvenile crimes. Tracy was a certified hostage negotiator, where he negotiated high level incidents. Tracy was promoted to supervisor of the hostage negotiation team, where he remained until his retirement.

Since June of 2012, Tracy has been responsible for the safety of the football facility, players, and coaches. He is the liaison to law enforcement in other states while the team travels. His responsibilities include coordinating logistics and safety procedures at the hotel, stadium, airport, and security at the practice facility while the team is at home.

Tracy serves on Dabo’s All In Team Foundation, which was founded by his brother Dabo Swinney. Dabo’s Foundation focuses on breast cancer awareness, along with other local charities.
Besides serving on the Upstate Warrior Solution board, he is also a board member for the Upstate Heart Association, as well as a board member for The Family Effect and The Foothills Area Y.M.C.A.

Tracy was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a graduate of Pelham High School and Samford University in Birmingham. Tracy is married to Tammy Swinney, and they have four children and one grandchild.

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Lillian Brock Flemming

Director

Lillian Brock Flemming is a native of Greenville and graduate of the historical Sterling High School. She retired in July 2017 after 46 years with Greenville County Schools as a teacher and professional employment recruiter. She received a bachelors and a masters of mathematics education from Furman University, as well as an honorary doctorate of humanities from Furman University in September 2014.

She is a past president of the Municipal Association of South Carolina, charter member of the West End Lions Club, past president of Greenville Blue Star Mothers (Chapter 3), current secretary and past board chairman of Brockwood Senior Housing, Inc., past board chair of Southernside Block Partnership, Inc., board of directors member for Boy Scouts Blue Ridge Council, and executive committee member of the NAACP Greenville Branch. Recently, she served on the board of the Girl Scouts of SC (Mountains to Midlands) and the Girl Scouts personnel committee.

Councilmember Flemming received many awards and honors, including Mentor of the Year Honoree of United Way and Furman University’s Outstanding Alumni Award. Additionally, she is a life member of the Girl Scouts of SC.

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Darwin Simpson Major General, USA (Ret)

Director

Major General Darwin H. Simpson began his 39-year military career in the Arkansas Army National Guard in 1964 as a private E-1. In 1967, Simpson graduated from the Army’s OCS program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Throughout his career, Major General Simpson held numerous staff and command assignments, including commanding general of the 228th Signal Brigade and commanding general of the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the US Army War College. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, South Carolina’s Order of the Palmetto. Major General Simpson is a Veteran of the War on Global Terrorism and was inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame in 2007.

As a civilian, Darwin H. Simpson is the retired president and CEO of Univar Corporation, a global chemical distribution company. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and an master’s of business administration from Pepperdine University. Simpson is active in our community and serves on a number of not-for-profit boards. He is an elder and former deacon at Spartanburg’s First Presbyterian Church, chairman of the Board for the Spartanburg Humane Society, chairman of Spartanburg Regional Hospice, past chair of St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, past Board Member Patriots Point and Healthy Smiles, past president of Palmetto Council Boy Scouts of America, past president of Spartanburg Downtown Rotary, chairman of Board of SC Military Family Care Association, and chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. In addition to his community and governance board service, Simpson was awarded the Kiwanis Club of Spartanburg 2011 Citizen of The Year, 2012 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for Excellence of Character and Service to Humanity from Wofford College, 2012 Recipient of the Alan Willis Society Service Award from the Upstate Employers Association, 2016 Recipient of the Neville Holcombe Distinguished Citizen Award from the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce, and the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the FAA for over 50 years of flight service. He is a past Trustee of Wofford College. As a volunteer, he serves as the director of the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport. He is married to Bonnie Simpson, and they have two children, Melissa and Brad, and three grandchildren, Page, Mac, and Clive.

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Craig Brown

Director

Craig Brown is the President and Owner of the Greenville Drive, a Minor League Baseball team; the single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and is a founding board member of MiLB Enterprises, which oversees brand marketing for Minor League Baseball. Prior to leading the construction of Fluor Field, the Drive’s award-winning stadium, Brown spent 23 years as a key executive in the globalization of the advertising industry, most recently as president and chief operating officer of the Bcom3 Group.

Brown’s philanthropic endeavors include serving on the Greenville Health System’s Strategic Coordinating Organization Board, chairing the Advisory Board of the Medical Experience Academy and Co-Chairing the ACCELERATE! Greenville Initiative. Brown is also senior vice chairman of the Hydrocephalus Association and serves on several boards at his alma mater, Michigan State University.

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Paul Sparks

Director

Paul Sparks is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of RealOp Investments. Based in Greenville, South Carolina, RealOp is a leading real estate private equity firm with over $250 million in cumulative capital commitments and a aggregate asset value of $550 million. Mr. Sparks has been directly involved in all phases of RealOp’s development since its inception and directs RealOp’s corporate strategy and vision, firm governance, and risk management. He is also the Chairman of RealOps’ Executive Committee and sits on the firms’ investment committee.

Mr. Sparks is also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Adelphos Capital, a lower-middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on small companies and passionate entrepreneurs with niche strategies within the healthcare, financial services, packaging, and technology industries.

Leveraging more than 25 years of private equity investing experience, Mr. Sparks has completed transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $3.0 billion. Prior to founding RealOp Investments, he was Executive Vice President, Senior Credit Executive, of a multi-billion-dollar commercial bank based in South Carolina. Mr. Sparks received an MBA from Louisiana State University, Graduate School of Banking; a BS in Finance, from the University of Alabama; and a Certificate in Private Equity Management from Harvard Business School. He currently serves on the boards of The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, Upstate Warrior Solutions, Venture Carolina, and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Sparks is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and lives in Greenville, S.C., with his wife and daughter.

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Michael R. Fee

Director

Michael R. Fee is a graduate of Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University.

A resident of Simpsonville, Michael is currently the Special Advisor and an Owner of The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., a manufacturer of fire protection equipment with more than $400 million in sales and over 1,000 employees.  The company has 20 locations in North America and eight international locations.

Michael is a board member of the Adaptive Sports Foundation. He also actively participates in Habitat for Humanity, American Cancer Society of Greenville, United Way of Pickens County, Clemson University’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Family Effect of Greenville, among other associations and programs.

Michael has four children and is married to Melanie, who has two children. Together, they have served as foster parents for over 10 years with Miracle Hill.

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Greg Hall

Director

Greg entered the United States Marines Corps after high school. He served from 1983-1987 as an Ordnance Tech with VMA-513, 3rd Marine Air Wing. After being honorably discharged, he attended Illinois State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1989. Upon graduation, Greg started and led several entrepreneurial ventures in the worlds of insurance claims, underwriting and loss control. He has over 30 years of experience building national insurance sales and service organizations leading large teams of professionals. He is a commercially rated pilot, and is type rated on the Embraer Phenom 100. In his spare time, Greg loves to fly with his wife, Christine. He also flies people who cannot reach needed care because of cost, or they are too ill to fly commercially or to drive long distances. Greg and his wife Christine currently reside in the Reserve in Oconee County.

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Charles T. Wong, Jr.

Director

Charlie Wong is the founder and managing partner of WongHolland, LLP (a California based Certified Public Accounting firm) and is a Certified Public Accountant and Personal Financial Specialist (PFS). Charlie is currently the Trustee of a number of California trusts. Prior to founding his own CPA firm, Charlie had extensive audit, tax, and business consulting experience at both the national and local practice level. His experience includes assignments that involved special projects for the Department of the Interior and the Securities Exchange Commission. While living in California, Charlie founded and operated Synergy Financial Strategies, LLC (a CA Registered Investment Advisor firm).

Charlie served in the Air Force as an Intelligence Operations Specialist assigned to the USAF Security Service and the Strategic Air Command.  While living in California he was a Specialist Reserve Police Officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, assigned to the Commercial Crimes Division.

Charlie and his wife, Linda, moved to South Carolina in 2021, and live in the Glassy Mountain Cliffs Community, Landrum. Charlie and Linda have two children, a daughter (deceased) and a son living in Nevada.

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Foster McKissick

Director

Foster McKissick Ill is Chief Executive Officer of Fairway Automotive Group in Greenville, South Carolina. The company, in business since 1966, sells Ford, Lincoln, and Subaru Vehicles and has an offsite state-of-the-art collision repair shop. Foster is past President of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association and currently represents the state on the board of directors of the National Automobile Dealers Association. He serves as board chairman of SCDNR Law Division, and has served as a board chairman of The American Red Cross of Upstate South Carolina and as a board member of the YMCA Greenville Foundation. A 1978 graduate of The Citadel and life member of The Citadel Alumni Association, Foster currently serves on The Citadel Foundation Board and is a past president of The Citadel Foundation Board and The Citadel Brigadier Foundation. He and his wife, Murray, reside in Greenville and are members of Christ Church Episcopal. They have two children and seven grandchildren.

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Ally Powell

Director

Ally Powell was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and worked for Fox Sports in Atlanta, Comcast Sports in San Francisco, CBS in Texas and NBC in Greenville, South Carolina. She recently transitioned to the finance world as Assistant Vice President, Premier Private banker at South State Bank and has been working in that role over five years now. She has also enjoyed her role as mother to Holden (14), Ellie (11), and Izzy (deceased) while traveling the country with her husband who formerly was a professional baseball player, now head coach at North Greenville University.

Ally also serves on the board for March of Dimes. She was named one of Top 30 Emerging Leaders under 30 by the Greenville News, Woman of the Year candidate by American Cancer Society, Volunteer of the Year by Donate Life South Carolina, and Cystic Fibrosis Star award winner.

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John Hyatt

Director

John is the Resident Director for Bank Of America/Merrill Lynch in Greenville, South Carolina.  John and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children: William (11) Jack (8) and Maggie (1). They live in the Five Forks area of Simpsonville.  As a member of Bank Of America’s Upstate Leadership Team, John is responsible for 23 Merrill advisors in Greenville and is still an active advisor with Elrod, Long & Hyatt, an advisory team within the local office.  John was raised in the Air Force and is the son of the late Major General Bill (“Hoss”) Hyatt and Becky Hyatt.  A graduate of The Citadel, John has a passion for our veterans and the families that support our service members.

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Charlie Hall Lieutenant Colonel, USMCR

President

Charlie was born and raised in York, South Carolina. He is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and served on active duty for 10 years in both the Army and Marine Corps. After a combat deployment to Iraq in 2005, Charlie moved to Greenville, South Carolina, and began work in the private sector at Harper Corporation – General Contractors and the USMC Reserves.

Charlie then served on active duty as the District Injured Support Coordinator for the states of South Carolina and Georgia with the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment from 2009 – 2014, while volunteering with Upstate Warrior Solution in its formative years. In addition to being the President of Upstate Warrior Solution, Charlie continues to serve in the US Marine Corps Reserves.

He and his wife Elizabeth live in Greenville, SC, and have three children.

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Justice John W. Kittredge

Director Emeritus

John W. Kittredge was born in Greenville, South Carolina on September 28, 1956 and is the son of the late Elwyn Herbert, Jr. and Marian Jeffries Kittredge. John married Lila Graham Hewell on June 20, 1981. John and Lila have three children: Lila Marian, Will, and Zay. The Kittredges are members of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville.

Justice Kittredge graduated from the University of South Carolina, summa cum laude, in 1979. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1982. His academic honors include Phi Beta Kappa, Order of the Coif, and Wig and Robe.

Justice Kittredge began his legal career as a law clerk to The Honorable William W. Wilkins, Jr. He practiced law in the firm of Wilkins, Nelson, and Kittredge. Justice Kittredge was involved in community and state service: Governor’s Committee on Crime and Delinquency, Governor’s Juvenile Justice Task Force; Greenville Technical College Foundation as the vice president; City of Greenville Civil Service Commission as the chairman, Greenville County Crime Stoppers as the president, and the Board of Directors of Child Evangelism Fellowship. In addition to his admission to the South Carolina Bar, Justice Kittredge is admitted to practice before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, United States Court of Military Appeals, United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

Justice Kittredge was elected to the South Carolina Family Court Bench in 1991. He was elected to the Circuit Court Bench in 1996, and the Court of Appeals in 2003. Justice Kittredge was elected to the Supreme Court in 2008.

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Ambassador David Wilkins

Director Emeritus

Ambassador Wilkins chairs the public policy and international law practice group with a special focus on U.S.–Canada interests. He proudly served as U.S. ambassador to Canada from June 2005 to January 2009, appointed by President George W. Bush. Since returning home from Canada, David spent six years chairing the Clemson University Board of Trustees and remains an active member of that board. He also sits on the board of United Community Bank.

In 2010, then South Carolina’s Governor-elect Nikki Haley tapped David to chair her government transition team. First elected in 1980, David served 25 years in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was elected speaker in 1994 – a position he held for 11 years until he resigned for his ambassadorship post. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the state’s highest honor, the Order of the Palmetto. David and his wife Susan have two grown sons and two grandchildren.

 

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Michael Riordan

Director Emeritus

Co-CEO of Prisma Health Michael C. Riordan is responsible for providing the strategic direction and financial oversight for Prisma Health. Prisma is a not-for-profit system, created in 2017 when Greenville Health System and Palmetto Health came together to improve the healthcare for the citizens of South Carolina. Prisma Health is the largest system in South Carolina with 13 hospitals, hundreds of physician practices and ambulatory centers, more than 28,000 employees and 2,800 physicians employed and affiliated, and generates almost $4 billion annual net revenue.

Prior to joining Prisma Health in 2006, he served as president and CEO of the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System and as senior associate hospital administrator for Emory University Hospital and Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, he served three years in the United States Marine Corps as a lieutenant.

Riordan earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts/English and a master’s degree in education/psychology from Columbia University in New York, as well as a master’s degree in health systems from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Currently, Riordan serves on the governing boards of the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems.

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William M. Webster, IV

Director Emeritus

William M. Webster, IV is the co-founder and chairman of the Board for Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc. and served in the White House.

He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1983 and a Bachelor of Arts in English and German from Washington & Lee University in 1979, where he graduated summa cum laude. He attended Germany’s University of Regensburg on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Mr. Webster served multiple roles in the White House, including  assistant to the president and director of scheduling and advance, where he was responsible for the coordination and planning of all presidential events with management responsibility for a staff of 25 full-time and 300 part-time employees. Also, he served as chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and chief of staff for the presidential transition, where he was responsible for coordination and administration of sub-Cabinet appointments in the Clinton Administration. Previously, he was the President of Greenville-based Carabo, Inc., which at that time operated 27 Bojangles’ Chicken ‘n Biscuit restaurants in S.C.

His community activities include service as chairman of the Board of Trustees for Converse College and on the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees, the M.D. Anderson Medical Center Board of Visitors, the Spartanburg Day School Board of Trustees, and the Liberty Fellows Board of Directors.

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