Nineteen South Carolina leaders have completed the requirements to become a Liberty Fellow. They now join a diverse and interconnected group of 330 leaders in the Liberty Fellowship South Carolina Network and 3,000 leaders in the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Through these two networks, Fellows will have lifelong opportunities for engagement and access to an influential group of colleagues and mentors.
The new Liberty Fellows are:
Executive Director and Founder, Turn90
South Carolina House of Representatives, District 114
Executive Director, Alliance for Full Acceptance
Executive Director, Community Initiatives, Inc.
President & CEO, Leroy Springs & Company, Inc.
Associate Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Clemson University
President, Jordon Construction Company
President and Founder, Lowcountry Labor Company
President & CEO, Alice Company
President & CEO, Optus Bank
Senior Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs of Mid-Atlantic States, Southeast and Puerto Rico, Walmart, Inc.
Market Vice President – Clinic Operations, CenterWell Senior Primary Care
Associate Professor, University of South Carolina School of Law
Executive Director and Founder, South Carolina Restorative Justice Initiative
Global Vice President, Ethics, The Boeing Company
Chair, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
Founder and CEO, CITY GRIT Hospitality Group
Chief Strategy Officer, Institute for Security and Technology
Senior Regional Economist, South Carolina and North Carolina, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Vice President of Strategy and Programs, Mary Black Foundation
The Liberty Fellowship experience brings together a small group of leaders who may not otherwise know or interact with one another into a Class. Each Class is selected to contain a wide range of thought, professions, geographic locations, and lived experiences. Through a rigorous 18-month process, each Class member is challenged to embrace their varying perspectives as they build upon each other’s strengths.
QUOTES
“South Carolina must have highly effective leadership to navigate the increasing interdependence of businesses, technologies, communities and nations, and we must have collaboration to foster sustainable growth. These 19 individuals bring unique perspectives, skills and leadership to our state. We are thrilled to welcome them officially as Liberty Fellows to our networks here in South Carolina and across the world,” said Ann Marie Stieritz, president and CEO, Liberty Fellowship.
“The foundational Liberty Fellowship experience challenged me both intellectually and personally in very positive ways. I can’t speak highly enough about the other Fellows in my class. Each and every person brought a unique perspective to the conversations and the experience,” said Laura Ullrich, senior regional economist, South Carolina and North Carolina, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “Becoming a Liberty Fellow has truly been one of the highlights of my professional career thus far, and I look forward to being an active participant in the South Carolina and global networks.”
“Liberty Fellowship granted me two profound gifts. First, I gained a wonderful network of friends and colleagues from around the globe. Many have radically different worldviews, but all are people of goodwill. Second, I achieved a deeper understanding of the thorniest issues facing society today using the wisdom of great texts, both ancient and contemporary,” said E. Smyth McKissick, IV, president and CEO, Alice Company.
“During my first two years as a Liberty Fellow, I embarked on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery, soaking in invaluable lessons in leadership and forging lasting connections with some of South Carolina’s most remarkable leaders. This transformative experience has not only enriched my understanding of leadership but has also empowered me to contribute meaningfully to our state’s future,“ said Rochelle Williams, vice president of strategy and programs, Mary Black Foundation.
“Being part of Liberty Fellowship has vastly expanded my leadership horizons by providing me with unique opportunities, learning from rich and diverse viewpoints and sharing a common vision to make South Carolina successful both now and in the future,” said Seema Shrivastava-Patel, Chair of the South Carolina Board of Health and Environmental Control. “Generations are counting on Fellows to work together and with other state leaders to solve problems at the state, nation and global level. We must see and respect others and find solutions that work for everyone. It is up to us to lead the way toward a prosperous and healthier future for every South Carolinian.”
“To address our state’s greatest challenges, we need a diverse group of thoughtful and innovative leaders from across the state working together to implement solutions. For almost twenty years, Liberty Fellowship has been an effective vehicle for moving South Carolina forward, and I am truly honored to join this wonderful group of leaders who are equally committed to making our state better,” said Tommy Preston, global vice president, ethics, The Boeing Company.
FAST FACTS
ABOUT LIBERTY FELLOWSHIP
Liberty Fellowship activates individual leaders through a deeper understanding of a just, free and equitable society; serves as a convener for bringing together diverse perspectives to advance civil discourse; and provides infrastructure for taking action. The Fellowship is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, nondogmatic organization which operates as an independent 501c3 organization.
ABOUT THE ASPEN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK
The Aspen Global Leadership Network’s (AGLN) is a growing, worldwide community of more than 3,500 high-integrity, entrepreneurial leaders from over 60 countries who share a commitment to values-based leadership and to using their creativity, energy and resources to tackle the foremost societal challenges of our times. Because of their demonstrated accomplishment and abilities, they have been selected to join one of 13 geographic or sector-specific AGLN Fellowships around the world. Fellows convene annually at the AGLN’s flagship event, the Resnick Aspen Action Forum. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org/agln.
