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Z2 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.

COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA


Community leaders climb ladders to success. But those who pull others
up with them enjoy an added sense of richness in their own lives and
enrich the lives of their communities.
Each year, The State honors 20 rising business stars under the age of 40
in the Midlands who are committed to improving life in South Carolinas
capital city.
This years class is filled with young professionals who are raising up
those around them even as their own profiles rise.
They mentor students because they remember what their mentors
did for them. They help repair homes and also stock them with
essentials because they want people to know that somebody
cares. They carry on traditions of service from giving
manicures in nursing homes to holding hands of the
victimized instilled by generations that came before.
They do this even as they stay up until midnight
working on proposals, help lead large
organizations through transition and land
community-transforming economic
development deals.
Meet these tireless advocates who
are stepping up to lead the
Columbia community into
the future the 10th
annual class of 20
under 40 honorees.
Kristy Eppley
Rupon
20 rising business stars
committed to Columbia
Haley Bowers 9
Holt Chetwood 7
Wesely Donehue 20
Sidney Evering 16
Kevin Felder 11
Katie Fox 4
John Frick 8
Jenny Isgett 19
Amanda Loveday 17
Heidi Johnson 4
Sam Johnson 8
Terree Korpita 3
Jay Schwedler 15
J.P. Scurry 13
Monica Scott 6
Keith Shah 10
Nick Stomski 12
Allison Waymyers 14
Alan Wilson 5
Vida Yousefian 18
INDEX
Bios compiled by
Kristy Eppley Rupon
Photographs by
Kim Kim Foster-Tobin
Leadership. Schclarship. Service.
SN0E 1978
Cougratulatious to all
tbc 20 uuacr 40!
LEARN M0RE 0R APPLY AT
www.Ieadershipsc.com
when the workday ends,
she's [ust gettlng started.
7erree korpita
Asslstant vlce Presldent for
Sales Compensatlon Servlces
20l3 Colonlal Llfe & Accldent |nsurance Company
Colonlal Llfe ls the marketlng brand of Colonlal Llfe
& Accldent |nsurance Company.
CongratuIations to
7erree korpita, one of
"20 Under 40.""
At Colonlal Llfe, our employees
are commltted to helplng people
when they need lt most.
Terree demonstrates thls
commltment to the hlghest
degree, supportlng numerous
communlty organlzatlons,
lncludlng Home works,
Unlted way of the Mldlands
and Ponald McDonald House.
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z3
Age: 39
Occupation: Assistant vice pres-
ident for sales compensation
services
Family: Husband, Gary; step-
daughters, Megan and Mary
Kate
Education: BS, computer infor-
mation systems, Columbia Col-
lege; currently in the MA pro-
gram, organizational change
and leadership program at Co-
lumbia College
Community/professional high-
lights: Volunteer with Home
Works and Harvest Hope; Youth
Corps board member; fund-
raiser for National Down Syn-
drome Family Alliance in Green-
ville; United Way of the Midlands
Young Leaders Society member
In her own words: Its very re-
warding to help someone solve a
problem or gain exposure to a
new idea or technique. My goal is
to make a positive impact on oth-
ers in whatever way I can by uti-
lizing my knowledge and talent.
What saying do you live by?
Treat others as you would want
to be treated.
Your life changed when: I grew
up in a rural part of West Virginia
where furthering ones educa-
tion beyond high school was not
common. My parents and I
moved to south Florida when I
was a junior in high school. If I
had not been exposed to a differ-
ent environment at that point in
my life, its hard to say where I
would be today.
What did you want to be when
you grew up? I still dont know
what I want to be when I grow
up! I do know that I want to con-
tinue being in an environment
where I feel my contributions
matter and that I can have a posi-
tive impact on the growth of
others.
In a recent community service
project, you took service to the
next level by not only repairing a
home for a family in need but al-
so cleaning, replacing house-
hold items and stocking the
pantry. What drives you to go
above and beyond? I want oth-
ers to know that people really
care about their well-being.
How do you balance work and
community service with con-
tinuing your education and hav-
ing a personal life? I generally
focus on what needs to be done
one week at a time. If I think
about everything I need to do ov-
er the course of the next few
months, I feel very over-
whelmed. As the saying goes, the
only way to eat an elephant is
one bite at a time.
Terree Korpita
Z4 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 35
Occupation: Director of The-
atre Operations, Harbison The-
atre at Midlands Technical Col-
lege (and Im a strategic plan-
ning facilitator on the side, be-
cause Im a huge nerd who
chooses to do that in her free
time)
Family: Single (unless you
want me to talk about my fan-
tastic parents and sibling)
Education: Undergraduate de-
grees in education with a minor
in theatre from the University
of Missouri; Masters in Arts
Administration and an MBA
from the University of Cincin-
nati (MA from the UC College
Conservatory of Music)
Community/professional
highlights: Founder of Colum-
bias New Audience Road
Show; chairwoman of Speaker
Selection and Event Produc-
tion for TEDxColumbiaSC;
former captain of CORs Pro-
mote Columbia committee;
Leadership Columbia 2011;
former production manager
and board member of the Co-
lumbia Quadsquad Rollergirls
In her own words: I want peo-
ple to know that they are im-
portant, and I usually do that by
planning events that offer them
the chance to learn something
or to feel something new. The
Columbia community has been
amazingly welcoming toward
me, and by developing interest-
ing experiences for my neigh-
bors, I return the favor (and
help welcome the folks who are
moving in after me!)
What saying do you live by?
Make good choices. And, if
you cant make a good choice,
at least make a choice that will
lead to a terrific story.
My life changed when: I saw a
high school production of The
Sound of Music when I was
about 4. Its one of my earliest
memories (I remember I had
Chicken McNuggets for the
first time that night, too). From
that point on, Ive always
thought if I could be a part of
the theatre, why would I do
anything else?
What did you want to be when
you grew up? A teacher or a
singer or an actress (and thats
exactly how I said it in elemen-
tary school). There was a brief
moment of interest in profes-
sional journalism before I was
cast in a school play and refo-
cused my aspirations.
Tell me about the New Audi-
ence Roadshow. How did you
dream it up and why do you
stay involved in it? I founded
the Road Show as part of my
former position with the South
Carolina Arts Commission.
The SCAC was part of a nation-
al initiative at the Wallace
Foundation that focused on in-
creasing the size of arts audi-
ences and we had a little money
to try out new ideas. The Road
Show was initially an experi-
ment to see if we could increase
arts participation among peo-
ple in their 20s and 30s on a ci-
ty-wide basis via hands-on arts
education. If we understood
choreography more clearly,
would we attend more dance
concerts? Roadies as partic-
ipants are called learn the ba-
sics of multiple art forms from
artists, musicians, dancers and
others who work at arts organi-
zations in our city. Roadies
have about an 80 percent re-
turn rate to the organizations
we visit. They become sub-
scribers, volunteers, donors
and board members. The Road
Show only required grant
funding in its first year of oper-
ation, and the partnering arts
organizations stuck with it af-
ter that period because they dig
their new audience members.
I kept leading the Road
Show after I moved on to a new
job because I really believe that
our lives are better when were
involved with the arts, and I be-
lieve that helping people un-
derstand whats happening on-
stage makes them more likely
to show up. Personally, some of
my best friends were the first
Roadies probably because I
love being around people who
are curious and adventurous.
What do you hope to accom-
plish at the new Irmo-area the-
ater? Harbison Theatre is a
program of Midlands Techni-
cal College. MTC plays a huge
role in the economic vitality of
the Midlands, and we under-
stand that access to excellence
in the arts is one attribute that
attracts and retains smart peo-
ple in our community. Housed
on the colleges Harbison cam-
pus, we are definitely accessi-
ble to those in Irmo, but we see
plenty of audience members
driving over from downtown
and beyond! Harbison Theatre
is a great opportunity for MTC
to offer educational experienc-
es in and through the arts.
Katie Fox
Age: 39
Occupation: President and CEO,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater
Columbia
Family: Husband, Michael Gibbs
Hill
Education: Western Washington
University, B.A.; The New School
for Public Engagement, M.S.
Community/professional high-
lights: Tutor with the Midlands
Reading Consortium since 2009;
pet therapy volunteer at Lexington
Medical Center since 2008; Uni-
versity of South Carolina Womens
Club member since 2007; USC
Womens and Gender Studies
Partnership Council member; I
Believe Anita committee mem-
ber; volunteer advocate for the
Sexual Trauma Services of the
Midlands; Girls Inc. of Greater Co-
lumbia board member, 2009-2010
In her own words: Im lucky to
have a job that allows me to serve
others on a daily basis. Since much
of the success of the nonprofit sec-
tor, especially an organization like
Big Brothers Big Sisters, depends
on volunteers, I try to find a way to
give back, too. It was important to
me to find a volunteer role that is
very different from what I do for
work. Therefore, instead of writ-
ing grants on a volunteer basis, I
read with a child once a week and
visit the hospital with my dog as a
pet therapy team.
My life changed when: Going to
China for the first time as an ex-
change student in 1993-1994 was
truly a life-changing experience. It
taught me so much about myself
and opened my eyes to all of the
wonderful diversity of this world.
What did you want to be when you
grew up? When I was young, I
wanted to be a marine biologist. I
started college as a music perfor-
mance major only to start studying
Chinese and switch my major to
East Asian Studies. Chinese stud-
ies led me to the nonprofit sector,
and now I am the executive of a
youth-serving organization. I
strongly believe that we are re-
warded for taking advantage of
new opportunities and challenges,
even if they dont lead us where we
expect at first.
You had an exciting career in New
York after college. How did you
end up in Columbia? I moved to
Columbia in 2007 when my hus-
band finished his Ph.D. and got a
job teaching Chinese language
and literature at the University of
South Carolina.
You volunteer with pet therapy.
How do animals make a differ-
ence for sick people? I saw what a
difference a visit from a dog made
for my father when he was in the
hospital. When he got out, he
didnt talk about the doctors, the
nurses or the procedures. He
talked about the dog that came to
visit him. It is such a small thing for
me and Daphne to visit the hospi-
tal for an hour or two, but it brings
at least a little bit of joy and smiles
to the faces of patients. Daphne is
also there for the nurses and other
hospital staff, for whom I have so
much respect, to brighten up their
day and maybe relieve a little
stress.
Heidi Johnson
1uu tuH tI IrumItrt

Director of Operations
Harbison Theatre at
Midlands Technical College
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z5
Age: 39
Occupation: Attorney General of
South Carolina
Family: Wife, Jennifer; son, Mi-
chael, 4; daughter, Anna Grace, 3;
dog, Nate, almost 77 (or 11 in hu-
man years)
Education: Francis Marion Uni-
versity and University of South
Carolina School of Law
Community/professional high-
lights: Lifelong member, First Pres-
byterian Church of Columbia; Eagle
Scout since 1991; member, South
Carolina Army National Guard, cur-
rent rank lieutenant colonel; foun-
ding member, West Metro Rotary
club
In his own words: My three brothers
and I were taught at a very early age
how important it is to serve our com-
munity, state and nation. That is why
all four of us are all Eagle Scouts and
officers in the military. I apply those
childhood lessons of service in my
role as Attorney General every day.
My inspiration is: My wife, Jenni-
fer. She is able to maintain a pro-
fessional career, be a wonderful
mother to our children and still
find time to support me in my ca-
reer. Her ability to take care of our
family is an inspiration to me.
My life changed when: My one-
year deployment to Iraq had a
profound impact on me. Seeing
an entire society living in abject
poverty provided me with a new
perspective. The hostile condi-
tions that we lived in helped me to
appreciate what a blessing it is to
be an American.
What do you aspire to? Watching
my children grow every day moti-
vates me to give them any and ev-
ery opportunity that I either did
not have, or was unable to
achieve, when I was growing up.
Being a great role model and pro-
vider for my family is my
aspiration.
You have worked to establish
Badges for Baseball in Colum-
bia. Why is that initiative so im-
portant? I was blessed to have
many mentors throughout my
life. Each of them left a lasting im-
pression on me and guided me to
be a better person. Without these
mentors, I would not be where I
am today. Badges for Baseball is a
mentorship program that uses the
game of baseball to team up law
enforcement officers with chil-
dren and provides them with
greater access to positive role
models in their communities.
You recently were promoted to
the rank of lieutenant colonel in
the National Guard. How did you
become involved in the Guard,
and why do you stay involved? I
grew up in a family where all of
my male role models served in the
military, so it seemed like a logical
and natural choice for me to join.
There are several reasons I have
stayed involved in the National
Guard. The first reason goes back
to a conversation that I had with
my dad on the day I was commis-
sioned a 2nd lieutenant in 1996.
We had just left my commission-
ing ceremony at Francis Marion
University and were heading to a
family lunch. As we walked into
the restaurant, he told me some of
the best friendships he ever had
were gained from his service in
the National Guard. I can honest-
ly say that the same is true for me.
The relationships I have devel-
oped through my service are a
major reason for my continued in-
volvement. Another reason is the
amount of personal development
I have gained from my time and
service. I enjoy the constant men-
tal and physical challenges, and I
believe those challenges have aid-
ed me greatly in my everyday life.
Alan Wilson
Z6 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 29
Occupation: Director of
marketing, Dennis Corp.
Family: Single
Education: BA in art with
concentration in graphic
design, Newberry College
Community/professional
highlights: Family Con-
nection of SC, board secre-
tary; Newberry Opera
House Guild; Pawmetto
Lifeline Young Lifeline
member; Newberry Col-
lege Womens League; Ep-
worth Childrens Home
2013 Picture Perfect Gala
marketing chair; First Re-
sponders Remembrance
Memorial Committee;
member of St. Andrews
Lutheran Church, serves
on communications team;
elections freelancer for the
Associated Press
In your own words: I love
seeing the hard work we
put into proposals turn in-
to great projects for our
firm. For example, one of
the largest contracts our
firm has ever received was
the result of a proposal that
we stayed at work prepar-
ing until after midnight. It
is nice to see that our time
and effort ultimately pays
off. It is also exciting to see
how our firms completed
engineering projects im-
pact the communities
around South Carolina.
Whether it is a pedestrian
bridge in a rural county
that increases recreation
opportunities for residents
or a road design that im-
proves safety for citizens
of the Lowcountry, these
infrastructure improve-
ments make significant
differences in our state.
Who was your inspiration
in life? My professors at
Newberry College. When I
began college, I did not
have a declared major.
During my first semester, I
took an art class that I real-
ly enjoyed. At the same
time, graphic design be-
came a major at Newberry
College. My art professors,
Tania Sosiak and Bruce
Nellsmith, really encour-
aged me to pursue my pas-
sion and made learning art
and graphic design fun!
My junior year, they sug-
gested I attend the Univer-
sity of Georgias Study
Abroad Program in Corto-
na, Italy, where I took pot-
tery, bookmaking, photog-
raphy and art history. Al-
though these were not di-
rectly related to graphic
design, each of these clas-
ses enhanced my skills in
graphic design and my cre-
ative eye. Additionally, my
professors at Newberry
assisted me in finding sev-
eral internships, including
the Newberry Magazine.
These opportunities al-
lowed me to hone my skills
as a graphic designer and a
manager. Even though I
have graduated, we still
stay in touch, and they pro-
vide advice to me as
needed.
Your life changed when:
Growing up, my parents
always encouraged my sis-
ters and me to be involved
in the community. We vol-
Monica Scott
unteered at an assisted liv-
ing facility after school
once a week from the time
I was in middle school until
I graduated from high
school. We visited with res-
idents, assisted with arts
and crafts projects, helped
with parties and other ac-
tivities and gave mani-
cures and pedicures to the
residents. At first, I
thought our work there
was trivial, thinking,
What difference could a
manicure really make in a
persons life? However, af-
ter working there for a
while, I began to see the
importance in the resi-
dents lives. One after-
noon, as I polished an el-
derly womans nails, she
spoke to me about her life
and faith and asked me to
recite the Nicene Creed
with her as I painted her
nails. Through this experi-
ence and others of a simi-
lar nature, I learned that
people respond to my ac-
tions in all kinds of ways
that I cannot expect or pre-
dict. As a manager, this
knowledge has enabled
me to encourage others
and to help them excel in
all of the work we accom-
plish together. Since that
day, I have tried to live by
the motto of Aesops
words, No act of kind-
ness, no matter how small,
is ever wasted, because
you never know how your
actions will impact anoth-
er persons life.
You started your career in
graphic design. How do
you use your creativity to
give back to the communi-
ty? Even though I often do
not have time for volunteer
work during the day, I find
ways to use my artistic and
design skills for charities
at night or during my own
time. For example, I love
working with Family Con-
nection of SC, a local non-
profit that makes connec-
tions for children with spe-
cial healthcare needs. I en-
joy designing invitations
and other graphics for the
gala. Through my work
with other nonprofits, I al-
so design posters and ad-
vertisements, plan various
events, address invitations
in calligraphy and create
various publications.
Why is it important for you
to mentor young interns
just coming in to the busi-
ness? Some of my best
portfolio pieces coming
out of college were from
my internships and volun-
teer assignments. Now as a
professional, I enjoy host-
ing interns at Dennis Cor-
poration. The interns learn
from working in our mar-
keting department, and we
ultimately learn from
working alongside the
interns.
20

Congratulations
Columbia Chamber Members
Leadership Columbia Graduates
& COR Leaders
2013
Hayley 8owers | M.8. Kahn ConsLrucLion Co.
columbiachamber.com
@columbiachamber @leadershipCAF @impacLcolumbia
J. HolL CheLwood | Wells Fargo
LC Class ol 2008 | Chamber 8oard Member
Kevin Felder | Clory CommunicaLions lnc./WFMv 95.8
Heidi Johnson | 8ig 8roLhers 8ig SisLers ol CreaLer Columbia
LC Class ol 20 | COR Member
Sam Johnson| CiLy ol Columbia
COR 8oard Member
1erree Lynn KorpiLa | Colonial Lile lnsurance Co.
J.P. Scurry | Colliers lnLernaLional
LC Class ol 2006
Monica ScoLL | Dennis Corp. KeiLh Shah | 8lueCross 8lueShield ol SC
Nick SLomski | NAl AvanL
LC Class ol 200
Allison Waymyers | CiLy ear
LC Class ol 202 | COR 8oard Member
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z7
Age: 37
Occupation: Midlands Market
President, Wells Fargo
Family: Wife, Marni; children,
Emerson, 9, Annie, 8, Jack, 5, and
Locke, 1
Education: Clemson University,
BS in business management
Community/professional high-
lights: Columbia Chamber of
Commerce, board member and
executive committee; United
Way of the Midlands, board
member and development com-
mittee; board member for Mid-
lands Technical College Founda-
tion, EngenuitySC, St. Lawrence
Place, SC Higher Education
Foundation and Junior Achieve-
ment. Member of the Columbia
Rotary Club and Midlands Busi-
ness Leadership Group. Named
Outstanding Young Banker for
2012 by the SC Bankers Associa-
tion and Young Professional of
the Year in 2007 by the Columbia
Chamber of Commerce.
In your own words: I am blessed
to have a job that allows me to in-
teract each day with a wide range
of people with differing personal-
ities, beliefs and opinions. I ap-
preciate that no day is the same. I
enjoy connecting people and or-
ganizations that can help one
another.
What saying do you live by? Ro-
mans 1:16: For I am not
ashamed of the gospel, because it
is the power of God that brings
salvation to everyone who be-
lieves. My faith defines who I
am. It impacts how I interact with
my family and friends and my
dealings professionally.
What did you want to be when
you grew up? I wanted to be a
Major League Baseball player. It
did not take long for reality to set
in. If I had only been bigger,
stronger, faster and able to hit a
curve ball, I might have had a
chance.
Transitioning from Wachovia to
Wells Fargo was a tremendous
undertaking. What did you learn
as you helped lead that transi-
tion? The transition reinforced
for me the importance of keeping
the customers experience at the
center of every decision that is
made. I am privileged to work
with a fantastic group of bankers,
and we worked to communicate
clearly and often to make sure ev-
eryone understood their respon-
sibilities. We removed obstacles
that hindered our team from do-
ing their job well. We encouraged
our team and then got out of their
way to allow them to do their job.
What is your most rewarding civ-
ic activity? I enjoy working with
the talented staff of the United
Way. They impact thousands of
lives in the Midlands by provid-
ing assistance and funding for a
number of important causes, in-
cluding childrens reading pro-
grams, feeding the hungry and
providing shelter and life skills
for the homeless and less
fortunate.
Holt Chetwood
weIIefargo.com
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Z8 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 25
Occupation: Special as-
sistant to the mayor of
Columbia
Family: Single
Education: University of
South Carolina, English
and political science
Community/professional
highlights: I have had the
pleasure of co-chairing
the 2012 and 2013 Fa-
mously Hot New Year cel-
ebrations. I serve on the
boards of Columbia Op-
portunity Resource, the
Human Services Advisory
Committee of Midlands
Technical College, Senior
Resources, SC After-
school Alliance, the Nick-
elodeon Theatre, the
Tapps Arts Center, and
chair the Capital City
Clubs Membership com-
mittee. I am also a co-
founder of the Talented
Tenth.
In his own words: Colum-
bia is my home. It is where
I was born and raised. I
could not ask for a better
opportunity than to work
in the mayors office and
improve my hometown.
Beyond being rewarding
professionally, I have an
opportunity to help the
people that mean so much
to me, to help those that
just need a chance, and to
give back to a city that has
blessed me beyond
measure.
Your life changed when:
There are two key points
in my life that were life-al-
tering. Master Tracy
Goodwin, my Taekwondo
instructor, made an im-
mense impact on my life.
Through him I learned
discipline and tenacity.
The second key point
would be when I began
working for former State
Rep. Anton Gunn. He
taught me how to make a
difference.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? My
pediatrician, Dr. William
Taylor, told me that Id be
66 like my idol, Michael
Jordan. So, I had the
dream of being an NBA
player. However, Im near-
ly a foot shorter so other
dreams quickly began to
take shape. I wanted and
still have a desire to be an
attorney. I became a Taek-
wondo instructor at the
age of 9, which was very
rewarding and therefore I
developed an interest in
opening a martial arts
school. I am still growing
up ...
Not only have you stayed
in the Columbia commu-
nity instead of taking your
talents to a bigger city,
but you also work to en-
sure others stay here, as
well, and become in-
volved. Why is that impor-
tant? Columbia will reach
its potential when our tal-
ented, bright leaders feel
that they can and should
blossom right here in their
hometown. That will
mean the realization of a
few things: more entre-
preneurs, more creativity,
more energy, and a better
Columbia.
You helped bring Fa-
mously Hot New Years to
Columbia to increase
tourism. Why are events
like that important to the
city? These new and dif-
ferent endeavors help
change Columbias cul-
ture. They help to stretch
our creative muscles so
that we become a stronger
community that is able to
attract more cultural tour-
ism and realize what we
are truly capable of.
Sam Johnson
Age: 37
Occupation: Vice Presi-
dent for Government Re-
lations, The Electric Co-
operatives of SC, Inc.
Family: Single
Education: B.A. (Philoso-
phy), University of South
Carolina 2000; J.D., Uni-
versity of South Carolina
2003
Community/profession-
al highlights: Helped es-
tablish an endowed
scholarship at the USC
School of Law in memory
of the late Judge Marc H.
Westbrook; volunteers
with the Sexual Trauma
Services of the Midlands;
serves as a guardian on
Honor Flight trips for mil-
itary veterans; volunteers
with Trustus Theatre.
In his own words: If Ive
ever worked hard or been
competent at my job or
tried to help others, it is
only because doing so has
been drilled into my
(hard) head for 37 years
by my family. My parents
and grandparents (what a
blessing to have them all
still with me) have always
walked their talk and I
want them to be able to be
proud of me.
What saying do you live
by? I dont always live up
to it, but from everyone
to whom much has been
given, much will be
required.
Your life changed when?
When I stopped worrying
about where my path
would take me and fo-
cused instead on trying to
make sure that each of
my steps was well-placed.
What do you aspire to?
As I sat at the funeral of a
friend and mentor, Judge
Marc H. Westbrook, I re-
alized that he had
squeezed every bit of
good personally, profes-
sionally and spiritually
out of the (too few) years
that he had on this Earth.
When my life is over, I
hope the same can be said
for me.
What drives your desire
to be a consumer advo-
cate? I think everyone
wants to feel a sense of
fulfillment from their
work. Im privileged to
represent consumer-
owned, not-for-profit en-
tities. Staying centered
on our consumers keeps
me motivated, makes me
better at my job and ulti-
mately makes me happier
at the end of each day.
What is your most impor-
tant accomplishment in
the community? Ive
been privileged to see the
difference that organiza-
tions like Sexual Trauma
Services of the Midlands,
the Oliver Gospel Mission
and the Jubilee Academy
make in the lives of the
people they serve. Each
of these organizations ac-
complishes meaningful
and lasting change in our
community and each is so
worthy of support.
John Frick
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z9
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For over 45 yeors, the NAl Avont Teom
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service ond performonce for its
commercioI reoI estote cIients. Nick
is the 3rd NAl Avonts ossociote to be
oworded 2 Under 4.
Age: 35
Occupation: Marketing Director
at M.B. Kahn Construction Co.
Family: Husband, Robert; son,
Dalton, 10
Education: B.A., English, Colum-
bia College, 1999; currently en-
rolled in Leadership for the New
South at Columbia College
Community/professional high-
lights: Lexington County School
District 1 Educational Founda-
tion Board; Friends of the Lexing-
ton Main Library Board; Lexing-
ton Medical Center Foundation
Ambassador and Women of
Hope; presenter at career fairs.
In your own words: I enjoy work-
ing with communities, school su-
perintendents, political leaders
all who are improving the Mid-
lands. I like to hear from the stu-
dents and teachers. I recently
spoke to high school students
about their future careers. A stu-
dent asked, How much money
do you make? I told her that she
needs to find something she en-
joys doing, or the money would
not be worth it.
What saying do you live by?
How wonderful it is that nobody
need wait a single moment before
starting to improve the world.
(Anne Frank) I tell students they
can start now on their careers,
and help each other and the com-
munity in the process.
My life changed when: I traveled
across Greece during my senior
year of college. You see people in
different circumstances and cul-
tures, yet you have so much in
common. We all want our fami-
lies and children to be happy, pro-
tected, educated. We can all bene-
fit from connecting with each
other.
What do you aspire to? When I
read that kids who arent reading
on level by grade three are six
times more likely to drop out of
school, I started doing more with
the library. Education has be-
come a personal mission for me.
Sometimes that means I am mix-
ing up fruit punch at an event for
kids, and the next hour, I could be
meeting with school leaders
about a new program. Education
is a big part of the solution to our
problems, but its more than a
building. It takes a lot of people to
make it work.
Your Granny (Millie McKenzie)
instilled the philanthropy bug in
you. How have you carried on her
tradition? My grandmother did little
things for people took them chick-
en stew if they were sick; gave kids a
ride to church; traveled to nursing
homes with an electronic keyboard
so the ladies could play church
hymns. She was the Original Ran-
dom Acts of Kindness Queen. I
work for some nonprofits that are
doing good things for people. But
Granny was special. No person or
group could replicate her. She was
killed tragically in a car accident, on
the way home from visiting a sick
person. Sometimes you dont real-
ize the impact people have on your
life until they are gone. When I am
tired, I think about how much time
and money she sacrificed in order to
brighten the lives of other people.
Youve been described as the
Help This Person Now, Howev-
er We Can director. What was
the most challenging business
dilemma you have faced? Every
business dilemma evolves from
the personal dilemma of sacrific-
ing family time for work, or vice
versa. I have an inner June Cleav-
er saying, You should be at home
helping with homework. In to-
days hectic society, we struggle
with stress and over-booked
schedules. If true work-life bal-
ance exists, I dont have it figured
out yet. But Im fortunate to work
for a community oriented compa-
ny, and my family is wonderful.
Hayley Bowers
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Z10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 37
Occupation: Assistant Vice
President of Corporate
Planning and Strategic
Services for BlueCross
BlueShield of South
Carolina
Family: Wife, Laura; two
beautiful yet manipulative
daughters, Olivia, 5, and
Sydney, 3
Education: BS, Drexel Uni-
versity; MHRD and MBA,
Clemson University; PhD,
University of South
Carolina
Community/professional
highlights: President, Ro-
tary Internationals Spring
Valley Chapter; co-chair-
man for the USC School of
Public Health Capital Cam-
paign; editorial board
member for Social Work
in Public Health; advisory
board member, USC
School of Public Health;
member of iTs|SC, South
Carolinas insurance tech-
nology and services cluster,
managed by New Carolina.
In his own words: I enjoy
solving problems particu-
larly issues related to
health care and education.
My current role affords me
the opportunity to wear a
few hats that are associat-
ed with both fields. The fact
that my company has a
great history of service, and
intends on positively im-
pacting the community for
the long term, is simply a
bonus.
What saying do you live
by? Oscar Wilde once said,
Most people are other
people. Their thoughts are
someone elses opinions,
their lives a mimicry, their
passions a quotation. Ive
tried to be original per-
haps in vain.
My life changed when: I
found out my second child
would be another daughter.
There is a certain perspec-
tive on self-preservation
needed when you realize
you are the minority in your
own household. Having
girls to raise changes your
outlook on the world. Its
even worse when they
know how much you adore
them. Over the past 15
years, I have been truly
honored to have a number
of mentors. These individu-
als have gone above and be-
yond to provide input, in-
sight and perspective, all of
which has benefited me
greatly. And while my
daughters represent a sig-
nificant life-changing
event, my sustained growth
has been driven by my for-
tune of mentors.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? The
next Joe Montana. Prob-
lem is when you are the son
an Indian engineer and
Irish nurse, theres not too
much genetically in your
favor
How were you selected to
be part of the recent eco-
nomic development trip to
Israel and what did you
learn from it? I was select-
ed due to some of my recent
community and economic
development work for the
state and Midlands. Like
any travel, Im always
amazed at how limited my
perspective is and how
humbling it can be to learn
and draw from other cul-
tures. Likewise with re-
spect to Israeli businesses
and people, it was a great
opportunity to share some
of the unique qualities of
South Carolina in order to
build stronger relation-
ships for future growth.
What drives your involve-
ment in iTs|SC and how
are you helping it achieve
its objective? I relish work-
force development oppor-
tunities. My colleagues in
iTs|SC and I get excited
anytime we can be involved
in the development of our
community and economic
base through the attraction
of new talent. South Caroli-
na has a lot to offer why
wouldnt we promote that,
and increase the talent pool
and culture for our state?
Keith Y. Shah
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WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z11
Age: 33
Occupation: Senior ac-
count executive, Glory
Communications Inc. and
CEO of B. Euniek Music
Family: My beautiful bride
Tisha and 17-month-old
Benjamin
Education: Bachelor of
Arts in Communication,
Wake Forest University,
2000
Community/professional
highlights: Choir and
praise team member at
Right Direction Church
International, Columbia;
2008 Radio Advertising
Bureau/Broadcast Music
Inc. FastStart Scholar;
founder of Caravan of
Love
In his own words: I love to
see my clients businesses
grow over time as a direct
result of the creative, tar-
geted marketing cam-
paigns I help them design.
As their businesses grow,
the communities we live
and work in become more
vibrant.
What saying do you live
by? Whatever you feed,
will live; whatever you
starve, will die, from my
pastor, Dr. Herbert Bailey
Jr. If we live by this simple
principle, we will become
the person we dream of
becoming, in our profes-
sional, spiritual, and inter-
personal lives.
My life changed when:
Benjamin Piper intro-
duced me to having a per-
sonal relationship with
God through Jesus Christ
in 1997. My life changed.
My focus changed, my
habits changed, my family
changed, and my life was
set on a course for true
success.
What do you aspire to? I
aspire to inspire as many
people as I can, and to al-
low my daily actions to
leave a legacy of integrity
and faith for my genera-
tions that follow.
How did you become in-
volved in gospel rap and
why is it important in
reaching young people to-
day? I learned how to rap
during recess as a student
at Crayton Middle School.
When I became a Chris-
tian, I decided to use the
same talent to rap about
God, instead of the ob-
scene subject matter I
used to rap about. Young
people are influenced by
rap music, either positive-
ly or negatively. I use rap
to communicate to the
young and young-at-heart
that God is real, present,
relevant and vital to living
a life that overflows with
enduring achievement
and authentic happiness.
You started the Caravan of
Love to help one person.
What do you envision for
it? When I met Mary Sin-
gletary, she shared with
me the touching story of
her 52-year-old brother,
Wendell, now bedridden
and blind after a debilitat-
ing series of asthma at-
tacks and cardiac arrest.
To ease his transportation
to and from therapy each
week, I spearheaded a
campaign to buy Wendell
a handicapped-accessible
minivan. Through this
campaign, local, regional
and national communities
are coming together, em-
bodying the premise that
for us to truly live, we must
give. I envision that after
we raise the money to buy
his van, we will not only
have more than enough
money to help the Single-
tarys with the expenses
surrounding Wendells
need for 24-hour care, but
that each year, we are able
to assist other members of
the Greater Columbia
community who have sim-
ilar needs.
Kevin E. Felder
Z12 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 28
Occupation: Commercial
real estate broker, NAI
Avant
Family: Wife, Teri; daugh-
ter, Ava
Education: University of
South Carolina under-
graduate, Moore School of
Business with double ma-
jor in Real Estate and En-
trepreneurial
Management
Community/professional
highlights: Central Caroli-
na Realtors Circle of Excel-
lence recipient, 2007-2010;
Central Carolina Realtors
New Life Member, Circle
of Excellence 2009; CoStar
Power Broker, which high-
lights the top three brokers
in the market divided
among sectors, 2010 and
2011 Industrial Leasing,
2011 Sales Transactions;
NAI Avant Top Producer
Award 2011 and 2012; So-
ciety of Industrial and Of-
fice Realtor Designee;
Leadership Columbia
Alumni; 2012 Belle Isle
Wahoo Tournament, 3rd
place; 2010 Healthy Learn-
ers Golf Tournament 1st
Place; South Carolina Eco-
nomic Developers Associ-
ation Member and Com-
mittee Member; Commit-
tee of 100 Member; Com-
mittee of 100 Kershaw
County Member; South
Carolina Economic
Growth Partnership Board
Member; Leadership Co-
lumbia Alumni Associa-
tion; Harvest Hope Food
Bank Committee Member;
SIOR National Young Pro-
fessionals Committee
Member; SIOR Carolinas
Member; University of
South Carolina Alumni As-
sociation; Ducks Unlimit-
ed Member
In his own words: Seeing
the landscape change in
the Columbia market and
knowing that I contributed
to the change is very re-
warding for me. When I
can see that what I do on a
daily basis has a positive
impact in my community, it
reconfirms why I love do-
ing what I do. As for my
community involvement
efforts, I very much enjoy
giving my time to help
those in need. Harvest
Hope is a great example,
especially in this recent
market downturn. When
you hear the stories about
people struggling that do
deserve better, it confirms
why I get involved and do-
nate my time to help this
organization serve the
community.
What saying do you live
by? I have a quote in my of-
fice that I found when I
first started my profession-
al career that I apply to my
daily life: The only thing
that stands between a per-
son and what they want in
life is the will to try, and the
faith to believe its possi-
ble. This quote inspires
me to believe in myself and
Nick Stomski
that anything is possible
with hard work. I look at
this quote every day and
apply it. It is one thing to
like a quote, but another to
integrate it into your life.
My life changed when:
When I was given the op-
portunity to be a broker at
NAI Avant. Coming
straight out of college no
other real estate firm want-
ed to give me a chance. I
continued to hear that I
needed a few years of pro-
fessional experience be-
fore I could move into the
brokerage arena. I was
told I was too young and it
would be difficult for the
firm to hire someone fresh
from college. Gene Green
gave me the opportunity,
and I will never forget that
he took a chance on me
when no one else would.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? I want-
ed to be a millionaire! I was
not sure how I was going to
get there, but knew that is
what I wanted to be.
What drove your success
in the real estate business
during the Great Reces-
sion and its effects over
the past five years? Ex-
pensive habits and numer-
ous hobbies. When I start-
ed in 2006 with NAI Avant,
the phone rang, you an-
swered and off you went to
get another deal done. To-
day, the phone doesnt
ring, and when you do find
a deal, it takes three times
as long to get it across the
finish line. I made a choice
in 2009 that I was going to
make every effort to estab-
lish long-term relation-
ships. I wanted to associate
myself with good, hard-
working people in the
community. I was willing
to roll up my sleeves and
work hard.
Tell us about your involve-
ment with Harvest Hope? I
got involved through a col-
league at work. I have ad-
mired Ben Kellys drive
and being across the hall
from him, we became
friends. He introduced me
to the board and thought it
would be good to get in-
volved with this organiza-
tion, which he has been a
part of for numerous years.
Today, I sit on the facilities
committee. I act as a
sounding board along with
the other committee mem-
bers. Our responsibilities
include real estate deci-
sions, logistics, improving
efficiencies, and operating
budgets. While on the com-
mittee I have assisted in se-
curing the former US Food
Service building in Green-
ville, securing warehouse
space in the Columbia
market, as well as aiding
the group in reducing their
unnecessary space and
overhead.
C0h6RATULATI0hS, J.P.!
Co|||ers lnernu|onu| congruu|ues
J.|. Scurry on be|ng numed o |e
Sue newspuper's "20 Under 40' ||s.
|un| you, J.|., or your |euders||p
|n |e commun|y und |e commerc|u|
reu| esue |ndusry.
www.co|||ers.com/co|umb|u
John Peyre J.P.1 Scurry, Jr., CCIH
Vice President I South Caro|ina
City Year Columbia
Celebrating 20 years!
City Year is an education-focused,
nonprot organization that partners
with public schools to help keep
students in school and on track to
graduate. City Year AmeriCorps
Members commit to a year of full-
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 20 UNDER 40 HONOREE
Allison Spry Waymyers
From the advisory board, staff and corps members!
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z13
Age: 36
Occupation: Commercial Real
Estate, vice president, Colliers
International
Family: Wife, Pence; children,
Thomas, 4, and Mary Henley, 3
Education: Heathwood Hall
Episcopal School, BA from
Washington & Lee University,
IMBA from the Moore School of
Business at the University of
South Carolina
Community/professional high-
lights: Involved with the Colum-
bia Development Corp., The Co-
lumbia Museum of Art, The Ur-
ban Land Institute, The United
Way, Leadership Columbia, Trin-
ity Cathedral, Washington & Lee
Alumni Chapter, Palmetto Base-
ball League, YMCA Youth Soc-
cer and Home Works.
In his own words: One word: re-
lationships. Our business com-
bines financial, economic devel-
opment and real estate knowl-
edge to assist in fostering growth
in our communities; however, at
the end of the day, we are as good
as our relationships. These rela-
tionships are based on character,
trust and faith. I think these traits
are equally as important in our
professional and community
endeavors.
What is your inspiration? The
following came from John Fol-
som, our CEO, and is a great day-
to-day reminder: Focus On
What Matters. I also read the
following the other day and
agree: Two of the most impor-
tant things in life are your repu-
tation and your character. Its ve-
ry important what other people
think of you. Thats your reputa-
tion. But it is even more impor-
tant what you know yourself to
be. Thats character.
Your life changed when: Tough
to pick one moment, but achieve-
ments and disappointments in
sports, work and academics
taught me the importance of de-
voting myself to a goal and work-
ing diligently to get there. The
support and direction that my
parents, coaches and teachers
provided was invaluable. But
meeting my wife and having chil-
dren have been the most signif-
icant changes in my life.
What did you want to be when
you grew up?A professional ath-
lete. Football, basketball or base-
ball it changed depending on
the season.
Whats the most exciting real
estate deal you have worked?
Two. No. 1: a large medical office
sale lease-back of 22 properties
for a North Carolina health care
system. This was a complicated
transaction that included a great
team effort to get it to market and
close it in a tough economic time.
No. 2: The sale of 912
Gervais/911 Senate Street in the
Vista. I worked on this project for
six-plus years and was ultimate-
ly able to attract a national retail-
er (that had not been made pub-
lic as of presstime) to be the lead
tenant in the redevelopment of
this property. The relationships
that were forged in this process
and the potential impact that it
will have on our community
make it especially gratifying.
How did it feel to be named the
youngest VP at Colliers Interna-
tional South Carolina? I think ev-
eryone enjoys a pat on the back
or vote of confidence from time
to time. Hopefully, it provides ev-
idence that your hard work and
that of those around you is both
appreciated and yielding results.
In my case, it would not happen
without the support of my family,
colleagues and community.
J.P. Scurry
Z14 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 29
Occupation: Development
& External Affairs direc-
tor, City Year Columbia
Family: Husband, William
Waymyers Jr. (married
Aug. 2012); two dogs,
Shorty & Cali (short for
Calico)
Education: B.S. in market-
ing, specialty of interna-
tional business, Spanish
minor from the University
of South Carolina; M.A. in
organizational change and
leadership from Columbia
College
Community/professional
highlights: Junior League
of Columbia, provisional
class member; Leadership
Columbia 2012; C.O.R.
Board of Directors; Co-
lumbia Urban Leagues
Young Professionals mem-
ber; S.C. Chapter of Amer-
ican Association of Blacks
In Energy, served as the or-
ganizations youngest
president in 2010; United
Way; Lamplighters Philan-
thropic Organization, for-
mer president; Worldwide
Whos Who Of Executives,
Professionals and Entre-
preneurs, VIP designee for
nonprofit sector; National
Council of Negro Women -
Columbia Sections Living
The Legacy Award; Delta
Sigma Theta Inc. Richland
County Alumnae Chap-
ters Phenomenal Woman
On The Move Finalist.
In her own words: To
whom much is given,
much is required, and Im
blessed! I want to be a
blessing to others. Every
person deserves an equal
opportunity to excel.
When I moved here from
Beaumont, Texas, for col-
lege, it was quite an adjust-
ment. There are great peo-
ple here, and we need to let
the world know. I moved
here in 2000 and never left.
I feel an urgent need to ed-
ucate and expose our
youth so theyre empow-
ered to pursue their educa-
tion and attain a comfort-
able quality of life. I enjoy
ensuring that young lead-
ers know everything about
our city and state, so
theyre not excluded from
the critical conversations.
What saying do you live
by? If youre not part of the
solution, youre part of the
problem. Learning what
you dont want to do in life
is just as important as
knowing what you want to
do. Sometimes to be a
leader, you must stand
alone.
My inspiration is: My fam-
ily. My parents Goya and
Willie Spry set the bar ex-
ceptionally high for me
and my brother, Allan, by
their daily example. We
werent given allowances,
nor rewarded for good
grades it was expected.
My husband is a lineman,
who risks his life daily on
the job, without complaint.
Hes always on call and of-
ten works holidays, typi-
cally in extreme weather
conditions, but he loves his
job. He inspires me, and
reminds me I have nothing
to complain about.
My life changed when: I
sacrificed studying abroad
in Spain to pursue my
dream internship with the
Carolina Panthers. It was
an extremely hard deci-
sion, but I figured I could
always go to Spain, but I
couldnt pass up my dream
job! The late Dr. Jeffrey Ar-
pan, (former USC chair of
International Business)
and his wife, Luz Rodri-
guez-Arpan, taught me its
all about perspective. Why
not help make Columbia
diverse and help give it an
international flair? Ive
never forgotten that. The
NFL internship allowed
me to interact with Coach
John Fox, and transition to
the NFL along with then
rookie Travelle Wharton.
When I got to run out of
the tunnel with Warren
Sapp and chat with Julius
Peppers, and joke with
Steve Smith ... I had to
pinch myself.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? I want-
ed to be a civil rights attor-
ney, or corporate attorney
that handled international
cases. I aspire to be a se-
nior-level executive and
business owner, that is an
agent of change who glad-
ly opens the doors of op-
portunities for others. I
want to be Charlotte Berry
(longtime philanthropist
and fundraiser in Colum-
bia) in my next life.
What did you learn being a
scout for the NFL? I
learned that it is extremely
hard to grow vertically as a
female, but particularly as
a young African-Ameri-
can. Unless you have a
champion to block hurdles
for you, it can be extreme-
ly difficult to get a fair
shot. Like other profes-
sions, the sports sector is
very political. When work-
ing with the NBA and at
Augusta National Golf
Club, the absence of mi-
norities at the senior ad-
ministration level was as-
tounding to me. The pipe-
line of athletes that transi-
tion to staff needs to be
strengthened. Thats why I
enjoy encouraging young
athletes to look past their
career span as an athlete
and focus on how to lever-
age relationships to
achieve their long-term
goals.
It took courage to leave a
stable job with a big com-
pany to go to work for a
nonprofit. What drove
that decision? If I could
get a dollar for every time
Ive been asked that this
past year, Id be rich! It
wasnt a hard decision at
all; I didnt even give it a
second thought. My goal
is, (and always will be) to
grow as a professional, use
my skills, and apply my ed-
ucation. Every young pro-
fessional wants to be ap-
preciated and respected.
Be willing to take risks.
Though it is a recession,
there is a multitude of
companies looking to ex-
tend their talent pipeline
and invest in bright indi-
viduals that can take them
to the next level. What a
turn on! When you know
your worth, you dont set-
tle and its easy to expect
to be set up for success.
Allison Spry Waymyers
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WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z15
Age: 38
Occupation: President and CEO of
the Sumter Development Board
Family: Son, Jes, 7
Education: BS in economics,
Clemson University
Community/professional high-
lights: Honorary Commander
79th Fighter Squadron, 20th
Fighter Wing Shaw AFB; Leader-
ship South Carolina Graduate
2010; Tuomey Fellow; South Car-
olina Economic Developer of the
Year 2011, SCEDA; Outstanding
Achievement Award 2012, Great-
er Sumter Chamber of Com-
merce; State Director Southern
Economic Development Council.
In his own words: Someone (of
course in the economic develop-
ment industry) once said that
economic development might be
the closest thing to Gods work
next to speaking from the pulpit.
As an economic developer, I par-
ticipate in my craft because at the
end of the day I can rest easy
knowing I am doing my part to
make my community a better
place. It is an interesting field
that mixes so many professional
disciplines law, engineering,
sales and marketing, construc-
tion, negotiations and so forth. I
guess I wasnt good at any of
them so I found a field that I could
dabble in all of them.
What saying do you live by? Live
life without regrets because the
best is yet to come. I truly believe
we all make mistakes and I make
my share of them but if we can
pick up and move on and not live
in fear of failure and carry the
burden of regret, then lifes beau-
ty will reveal itself and great
things will come our way.
What did you want to be when
you grew up? I dont think I ever
really knew what I wanted to do
and I still dont know, but I am en-
joying life and my job immensely.
I get great satisfaction from see-
ing transformations occur and I
never really expected to be doing
what I do in Sumter, SC. Its a
great community and I am proud
of the accomplishments we have
made and hopefully there are
more on the horizon.
What was your role in helping
land the Continental Tire deal? I
guess I could equate my role in
the Continental Tires recent de-
cision to construct a $550 million,
1 million-square-foot facility in
Sumter as that of a quarterback.
My role was to make sure the
playbook designed by our com-
munity leadership was executed
flawlessly. My responsibility was
and continues to be to make cer-
tain the Sumter community is in
the best position possible to win
deals and to provide the leader-
ship of the community with the
information to allow them to cre-
ate solid economic development
policy, which in turn results in
jobs being created.
What challenges do you face re-
cruiting industry in the current
economic climate? How does
landing Continental affect that?
Economic Development is a
slow, arduous effort, with posi-
tive results taking sometimes
years to achieve. But we recog-
nize it as it is and understand that
in order to succeed there has to
be vision and leadership. It takes
a perfect storm to land a project
and it takes seamless efforts of
everyone involved believing in
the vision. Continental will have
a game changing impact on the
greater Sumter community for
the next 50-75 years and the op-
portunities that will arise are im-
measurable at this point, but the
possibilities are endless.
Jay Schwedler
Z16 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 38
Occupation: Attorney and
director of diversity with
Parker Poe Adams &
Bernstein
Family: Wife, Wendee;
sons, Sidney, 8, and Chris-
tian, 5 months
Education: University of
South Carolina, BS in Busi-
ness Administration; Uni-
versity of South Carolina
School of Law, Juris Doctor
Community involvement/
professional highlights:
Former board member for
City Year Columbia; Lead-
ership South Carolina
alumni; mentor to USC
Law School students; S.C.
Chamber of Commerce di-
versity council member
In his own words: Numer-
ous people have made and
continue to make tremen-
dous sacrifices so I can
have the opportunity to
pursue my goals. I believe
it is imperative that we all
give back in some capacity.
Sometimes something as
small as an encouraging
word can have a huge im-
pact on someones life.
Much of what I do profes-
sionally and for the com-
munity centers around en-
suring that young people
are not only provided op-
portunities for success, but
are prepared to take ad-
vantage of them.
What saying do you live
by? I dont have a particu-
lar saying that I live by, but
there is a passage of scrip-
ture in the Bible, Romans 8:
38-39, that I use as a sort of
spiritual 5-hour energy
whenever Im feeling a lit-
tle down. It reads: For I am
persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor pow-
ers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height,
nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Je-
sus our Lord. In a nutshell
it states that nothing can
separate me from the love
of God and I find that ex-
tremely reassuring.
My life changed when: I
lost my father to cancer in
2007. That moment
changed my life in several
ways. First and foremost, it
helped to reinforce a fact
that Ive always known to
be true and that is God is in
control. Through all the
pain, through all the tears,
through all the emotional
waves of sadness that
crash against your con-
science when you lose a
loved one, there remains
for me this one immutable
fact God is in control. And
with this knowledge comes
a very real peace and
strength that carries you
through it all. My fathers
death also helped me to
place things in life in their
proper perspective. As my
father was lying on his
deathbed, I didnt think
about the car he drove nor
the clothes he wore. What I
did reflect upon was how
he was always there for
me, how he got up and
went to work every day,
how he sacrificed to pro-
vide a better life for his
family and how the great-
est example of being a man
he provided for me was not
by what he said but by what
he did.
What do you aspire to? I
aspire to continue to try
and help bring people to-
gether. Unfortunately soci-
ety, in my opinion, has got-
ten to be far too label-ori-
ented. Were either Demo-
crat, Republican,
conservative, liberal, Yan-
kee, Southern, gay,
straight, black, white, 1
percenters, 99 percenters
and on and on and on. We
place these labels on each
other and make prejudg-
ments based upon them in-
stead of getting to really
know one another. Human
beings are not like food
items, where you can just
read a label and think you
know everything you need
to know about that person.
People are much more
complex than that and
when you fail to realize this
you risk building up artifi-
cial barriers that lead to
distrust and
misunderstandings.
What have you learned
from working with young,
aspiring lawyers in your
Life in a Law Firm pro-
gram or with young people
through City Year? Hope
springs eternal. Through
all of the challenges that
we face as a society, there
are selfless young people
out there who are willing to
make amazing sacrifices
and go above and beyond
for the benefit of others.
We are often bombarded
by negative images of
young people in the media,
but when I see the quiet
work and sacrifices made
by young people like the
corps members and staff at
City Year Columbia Im in-
spired to know that hope
and goodness endures.
You have been called a
bridge-builder in your
work with your law firm.
What is the most challeng-
ing thing about being a
bridge-builder? The thing
Ive learned about build-
ing bridges so to speak is
that although our divisions
may not be as wide as they
once were in the past, they
are oftentimes still as deep.
Maybe we can all eat in the
same restaurants now, but
still far too rarely do we
share the same table. Our
superficial interactions
give us a false sense that
everything is OK, when ve-
ry real issues sometimes
linger right beneath the
surface. For example with
race relations, it seems that
we would rather not have
the difficult conversations
about race because it might
make us uncomfortable.
Yet it is through these diffi-
cult conversations that
meaningful breakthroughs
often occur. We all need to
feel loved and secure, we
all want what is best for our
families and we all want
the right to pursue happi-
ness. The key to building
bridges is to help people re-
alize and truly understand
that internally, at our core,
we are all the same. Once
people come to this realiza-
tion, accepting external
differences becomes a
great deal easier.
Sidney J. Evering II
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z17
Age: 28
Occupation: Executive di-
rector of the South Caroli-
na Democratic Party
Family: Husband John Lo-
veday; two furry children,
Bella and Molly
Education: Bachelors in
Journalism and Mass Com-
munications from the Uni-
versity of South Carolina
Community/professional
highlights: Junior League
member, former president
of the Columbia Chi Ome-
ga Alumnae Chapter; USC
School of Journalism and
Mass Communications
Alumni Society; Nancy
Walton Laurie Leadership
Institute; SCSPA and SIPA
facilitator.
In her own words: I have a
passion for politics that
constantly motivates me. I
enjoy working with the
people of South Carolina
on political processes and
helping them understand
the impact of the right to
vote. My work is not part of
a9-5 profession and while I
put a great deal of time and
effort into it, I am gratified
by how much I get out of it.
Moreover, I am proud to be
a female figure in the male-
dominated profession of
politics. I believe more
women should be involved
in the process, and I thank
all the women before me
for allowing my generation
to have even more options
than others have had
before.
What saying do you live
by? In life you have to set
out in good faith for else-
where and lose your bear-
ings serendipitously. My
life has always been about
taking chances and travel-
ing the road with unexpect-
ed twists and turns. I enjoy
being outside my comfort
zone because it is in those
experiences that I grow
and learn the most.
My life changed when: The
real turning point in my life
occurred when I moved to
New York City to work for
NBC. During my time at
Dateline, I worked with ma-
ny producers and on-air tal-
ent covering a variety of sto-
ries. These stories include
bringing a face to the guerril-
la conflict in Darfur; putting
lives to the innocent who
spent time in prison for
crimes they didnt commit;
telling the life story of Gram-
my Award winning perform-
er, P!NK; and understanding
the dark side of sexual preda-
tors. Leaving home, living in
New York City and working
on Dateline opened my eyes
to the wider world and the di-
versity within it. Every story I
worked on at NBC taught me
about our world and the hu-
man elements in them.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? As a
young girl, I always wanted
to be the next Katie Couric.
I think good journalists are
able to capture the details
and emotions of a story
that can have a lasting ef-
fect on the viewer. Ive al-
ways respected and ad-
mired the professionalism
and creativity that is re-
quired to be a successful
journalist in todays
24-hour news cycle and so-
cial media popularity.
Who is the most interest-
ing political personality
you have met? Vice Presi-
dent Joe Biden is probably
the most interesting politi-
cal personality with whom
I have had the opportunity
to talk. When I interviewed
him as a presidential candi-
date in 2007, he conveyed
that honesty and receptive-
ness was more important
than power and prestige. In
my experience, Joe Biden
does not hide behind a
guard of any kind, but rath-
er shares his beliefs and
personality. I admire him
for saying what he believes
and doing so with no apol-
ogies. Our vice president
leads with a spirited initia-
tive and I wish more politi-
cians made a difference
with their spirit and
enterprise.
What did you learn as an
assistant producer on To
Catch A Predator? To
Catch a Predator, taught
me never to judge a book
by its cover. Too many nor-
mal people with normal
jobs have dark sides that
are frightening and threat-
ening. As a result of experi-
ences behind the scenes,
my future children will
have strict parental online
controls! Fans of the pro-
gram might be surprised
that it took many of us
watching hundreds of
hours of disturbing record-
ings and interviews to find
the most entertaining piec-
es for each one-hour
episode.
Amanda Alpert Loveday
/M/|L/ |O\|L/`
'20 ||L|| +0'
Tbe Soutb Caro|lna Democratlc Party sa|utes
Amanda Loveday |or ber recognltlon as
one o| Tbe State's 2O under 4O.
Congratu|atlons, Amanda!
+S2' Haootoo Stoot, Su|to 200, Co|uob|a, SC 2'20+
803) ''-'8 o||co
www.scdp.org
SCDP CONGPATULATLS
Z18 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 34
Occupation: Civil engineer
Family: Husband, Payam;
son, Bayan Ian, 16 months
Education: Bachelor of sci-
ence in Civil Engineering,
Bahai Institute for Higher
Education; currently pur-
suing Master of Science in
Civil Engineering from
University of South
Carolina
Community/professional
highlights: Co-founder
and director of Hybrid En-
gineering Inc.
What saying do you live
by? I live by hope and per-
sistence. By many peoples
standard, my life has been
anything but ordinary
since I was born! I was
born right before Irans
1979 Islamic Revolution in-
to a Bahai family in the
middle of the government
curfew. Founded by Baha-
ullah (1817 -1892), the Ba-
hai Faith is the youngest
independent world reli-
gion. The Bahai Faith up-
holds the unity of God, rec-
ognizes the unity of His
Prophets, and inculcates
the principle of the one-
ness and wholeness of the
entire human race. It pro-
claims the necessity and
the inevitability of the uni-
fication of mankind. Right
after the Revolution, the
Irans government put in
place systematic measures
to suffocate the Bahai
community both economi-
cally and socially. Since
then, more than 200 Baha-
is have been executed or
killed, hundreds more
have been imprisoned, and
tens of thousands have
been deprived of jobs, pen-
sions, businesses, and edu-
cational opportunities. For-
mal Bahai administration
had to be suspended, and
holy places, shrines, and
cemeteries have been con-
fiscated, vandalized, or de-
stroyed. From a very
young age, I started experi-
encing these persecutions
in different situations,
from the attack to my
grandparents home and
my grandfathers arrest to
difficulties registering for
school and later on denied
access to higher education
purely based on my reli-
gious belief. Throughout
all these years, in spite of
all of the persecutions, the
Bahais of Iran never lost
their hope and with persis-
tence saved their unity and
not only managed to sur-
vive for more than 30 years
but also established the Ba-
hai Institute for Higher
Education (BIHE), an un-
derground university,
which now offers 5 associ-
ate programs, 17 under-
graduate degree programs
and 10 graduate programs
and is recognized by most
universities around the
world.
My life changed when: I
attended BIHE, experienc-
ing first-hand that any-
thing can be achieved if
you believed in it. The in-
stitute started with offer-
ing only liberal art classes
with no specific major and
later on different majors
started to shape. Our clas-
ses were held in peoples
living rooms a couple of
times during the semester.
At the beginning of each
semester we were given
booklets which basically
told us what to study from
week to week and what our
assignments were. The on-
ly way of communicating
with the teachers during
the semester was through
a group of people called
Peiks, which means mes-
sage carriers. The Peiks
from all around the coun-
try would collect students
assignments and deliver
them to a central system in
Tehran which would then
distribute the assignments
to the instructors. Once the
assignments were graded
they would come back to
us through the same sys-
tem. Using telephone and
the postal service were ve-
ry risky and would endan-
ger both students and
teachers. Today, all of their
communications are
through internet which
makes it faster and safer.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? Ask
this question from anyone
who grew up in a Persian
family, you only get two an-
swers: a doctor or an engi-
neer! I guess I wasnt an
exception.
What drew you to the engi-
neering profession, espe-
cially considering you had
to attend an underground
higher education institu-
tion to earn your BS? My
father was in construction
business back in Iran.
Growing up, I watched him
spread out the construc-
tion drawings on our din-
ing room table and study-
ing them for the work that
had to be done next day. I
would sometimes get the
chance to help him pro-
duce some detailed shop
drawings. Thats how I fell
in love with engineering.
Why did you decide to
start a business during
the Great Recession? I al-
ways wanted to start my
own company one day
when I had more experi-
ence, but I never thought it
would be this early for me.
When I first came to the
United States in 2005, I
joined a local civil engi-
neering company where I
got to know my colleagues,
Doug Clary and Larry
Watts. I knew civil engi-
neering but not the busi-
ness. Working with Doug
and Larry who had started
the branch office of the
company we worked for, I
learned a lot about the
business of civil engineer-
ing. When I was ap-
proached by them about
starting Hybrid Engineer-
ing in 2008, though not in
the best economy, I knew
that it was a chance of a
lifetime and I jumped right
in. We figured if we could
make it then, we could
make it anytime. Since
then, Hybrid has grown
from three employees to
nine, with 5 of them civil
engineers, and still
counting.
Vida G. Yousefian
WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 Z19
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Age: 35
Occupation: Assistant vice
president, serving as attor-
ney and agency represen-
tative, for Old Republic Na-
tional Title Insurance Co.
Family: Husband, Chris;
two stepchildren, Carrie
and Laney
Education: BS, University
of South Carolina; Juris
Doctor, Campbell Univer-
sity School of Law
Community/Professional
Highlights: Palladium So-
ciety of Historic Columbia
executive board member;
member of Contemporar-
ies of the Columbia Muse-
um of Art, Junior League of
Columbia and Rotary Club
of Five Points; Urban Land
Institute member; board
member for the Palmetto
Land Title Association.
In her own words: I have
never been the kind of per-
son who sits around and
waits for things to happen,
I want to be the person
making things happen. I
really believe that you get
out of things what you put
into them. You have to be
personally invested to
achieve your goals and you
have to be passionate
about achieving them. I
love my job because I play
an integral role in the suc-
cess of the 150 law firms
that I oversee. I have the
unique opportunity to
work with people all over
the state. In my communi-
ty, I belong to groups that
work toward improving
the quality of life for the
people of Columbia and
South Carolina. I love col-
laborating and networking
with so many different
people with different per-
spectives. It really gives me
an opportunity to learn
and grow as an individual
and then pour that back in-
to the community and my
profession. Building and
fostering relationships
with others in the commu-
nity is very important to
me. I also believe there is
much to gain from serving
others.
What saying do you live
by? To whom much is giv-
en, much is expected. I
have been blessed with a
great family, great friends,
agreat job and so many op-
portunities in life. I feel ob-
ligated to use my gifts and
talents to extend a hand to
those who may not have
had the same opportuni-
ties and to help my com-
munity grow. I also feel an
obligation to do the very
best I can no matter what I
am working on as a way to
share the gifts I have been
given.
My life changed when: I
discovered running when I
joined the cross country
team in seventh grade. I
have learned so many life
lessons through this exer-
cise. I learned about set-
ting long term goals and
how important the short
term goals are to ensure
that you get there. I devel-
oped the mindset of Dont
quit until you get to the fin-
ish line. I have discovered
personal achievement I
never thought possible. I
have learned that the pain
is worth the gain. Hard
work always pays off! The
biggest gain is that running
is vital to my mental
health. It is my own per-
sonal therapy. When hav-
ing a bad day, I go for a run
and shake it off.
What did you want to be
when you grew up? I al-
ways knew that I wanted to
be an attorney. I always
thought I wanted to prac-
tice criminal law; however,
sometimes life takes you
on a different unexpected
path and mine wound up in
real estate. While my work
is not the traditional prac-
tice of law, my law degree
comes in handy every sin-
gle day.
You have been involved
with the Palladium Soci-
ety, raising money for the
Historic Columbia Foun-
dation. Why is it important
for young people to get ex-
cited about Columbias
history? Considering
South Carolina was one of
the original 13 colonies
and Columbia is our capi-
tal city, I think everyone
should have an interest in
preserving our history. It is
important to know where
we came from so that we
can see how far we have
come and where we are go-
ing. It is important to pre-
serve what those who went
before us worked so hard
for. Preserving our heri-
tage, whether through
buildings or artifacts, is im-
portant so that we can tell
our story and our unique
traditions can be passed
down to future genera-
tions. We need the energy
and fresh ideas that young
people bring to the table.
In addition to all of your
other duties, you are a
popular adjunct professor
at Midlands Tech. What do
you enjoy about teaching?
Hands down, the students!
I learn as much from them
as they do from me. They
inspire me every semester
with their hard work and
dedication. I teach from
6-8:45 in the evenings.
Most of my students are
coming in from full-time
jobs and leaving to go
home and tend to families,
household chores and
homework. They are truly
there to earn their degree
and make a better life for
themselves and their dedi-
cation is evident. Their sto-
ries are truly motivating!
Jenny Sarvis Isgett
Vith over 100 years of combined experience in title insurance, the
South Carolina State O[ce of Old Republic Title takes great pride in
jennys contributions to serving our 200+ attorneys across the state.
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Z20 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2013 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Age: 33
Occupation: Political consultant
and tech entrepreneur
Family: Wife, Elizabeth
Education: University of South
Carolina
Community/professional high-
lights: Founder of Donehue Di-
rect and Pub Politics, a local
weekly show encouraging politi-
cal discourse in politics; leads a
Sunday School class and started
a social media ministry at First
Baptist Church of Columbia.
In his own words: I do what I do
because sitting on the couch and
wasting my life away in front of a
TV seems like the dumbest idea
in world. Work is a means to an
end experiencing more and
pushing ideas that can change
the world.
Who was your inspiration in life?
My father. He was a drug addict
who abandoned his kids and never
got his life together. I dont want to
be that guy. My favorite band, The
Avett Brothers, has a line in their
song Head Full of Doubt that says
decide what to be and go be it.
Those are the words I live by. The
first step in being better is deciding
to be better. The second step is just
being it.
My life changed when: I was in
high school and my guidance
counselor told me that my mom
didnt have the money for me to
go to college. Thats when I told
myself that no one else could tell
me what I can and cannot do. No
one else controls my destiny. I do.
I firmly planted into my mind
that anything can be done by in-
vesting a lot of sweat equity.
What did you want to be when
you grew up? Scotty from Star
Trek. Politics was just a hobby
and an interest. I showed up at
the University of South Carolina
as an engineering major because
I was the nerd who wanted to
build technology. Then I started
working at the State House and
realized that people were doing
politics as careers. I quickly
changed my major to political
science and started working on
every political campaign that
would have me. Somehow I
stumbled into being a political
consultant and eventually my
two loves tech and politics
merged into my current career
where I get to teach politicians
across the country how to use
technology to win campaigns.
Why did you create Pub Politics?
We have a tendency to categorize
people as bad people or my ene-
my if they disagree with us politi-
cally. That marginalization puts us
so at odds that we find ourselves
stagnant and unable to move on the
most important issues facing our
state and nation. Good people can
disagree and once we realize that
our opponents typically are good
people, with good intentions and
just a different way of seeing the
world, we can typically find some
common ground. Pub Politics is my
attempt to bring the two sides to-
gether in a civil and fun manner so
that we can talk about issues like
adults. What better way of doing
that than over a pint of beer?
What drives your entrepreneur-
ial spirit? A lot of people are driv-
en by money, but thats not me.
Being an entrepreneur gives me
the resources and flexibility to do
what I want to do, when I want to
do it.
Wesley Donehue

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