Three Upstate women named Women of Distinction by Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands

Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands will honor three Upstate women at its Annual Women of Distinction: Boots and Pearls Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at AC Hotel, 225 W. Main Street, Spartanburg, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Women of Distinction: Boots and Pearls honors local women of courage, confidence, and character, who exhibit exceptional professional and personal success and have made a lasting impact in their communities. The evening pays tribute to the honorees with an inspirational night of success stories.

This year’s honorees are: Marchele Garrett, Director of Diversity & Language Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Cathy McCabe, City Attorney, City of Spartanburg (Retired) Young Professional: Savannah Ray, Director of Center for Youth Engagement & Partnership, Spartanburg Academic Movement.

Marchele Garrett is a Certified Diversity professional serving as the Diversity Officer and Director of Language Services for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. She works to create an inclusive organization where individuals are respected, welcomed, and provided with excellent healthcare.

Marchele earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Claflin University; Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina; Master of Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University; Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University; and PhD in Organizational Leadership from Liberty University. In 2021 she received an associate degree in Funeral Service from Piedmont Technical College.

Dr. Garrett serves on various boards and committees throughout her community, including Chair of the African American Leadership Society of the United Way of the Piedmont, City of Spartanburg Hospitality Tax Board, SC Centro Latino Advisory Council, Community Health Awareness Day (CHAD) planning committee, and the Good Relief Program of the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen. She is the recipient of the Deloris H. Oliver Leadership Award and the Tomeka Pierce AALS Award.

She is a proud, 28-year life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and past president of the Epsilon Beta Omega Chapter, and an ordained Elder at Grace Cathedral Upstate in Greenville.

Marchele has one daughter, Kerrington, and one granddaughter, Kaisleigh, and a fur baby, Coco Bleu. In her spare time, Marchele enjoys event planning, traveling, singing, and perfecting her skills as an embalmer and funeral director.

Cathy McCabe began her legal career as an associate with Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann in 1994 and was made partner there in 1998. In 2003, she joined The Ward Law Firm as a partner and remained there until joining the City of Spartanburg team in 2007. She served nearly two years as Deputy City Attorney.

Cathy recently retired as Spartanburg City Attorney. During that time, McCabe helped steer the City through a number of milestone achievements, including crafting the City Council-approved ordinance that restricted smoking in restaurants; and another one that created an enforcement mechanism for nuisance properties. Cathy has been instrumental in developing agreements for several landmark City projects, including the USC Upstate George Dean Johnson School of Business and Economics, the redevelopment of the C.C. Woodson Community Center, the new St. John Street Garage, and the Downtown Memorial Airport improvements.|

Cathy has long been a respected community leader in Spartanburg and across the state. She is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, the Spartanburg County Bar Association, the Supreme Court Lawyers Disciplinary Counsel, and is a founding member of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association. She has served two terms as President of the Breakfast of Spartanburg Business & Professional Women and as President of the Piedmont Area Girl Scout Council, among many leadership roles with community organizations.

Cathy’s record of professional achievement and public service includes a number of statewide awards. In 2011, McCabe was named the Sustainer of the Year by the Spartanburg Junior League in recognition of professional accomplishments. McCabe also was named a Business and Professional Women of South Carolina Woman of Accomplishment in 2008, a South Carolina Woman of Achievement by the S.C. Alliance for Women in 2007, and the state Boys and Girls Club New Board Member of the Year in 2001.

Cathy and her husband, Jim, have four children and nine grandchildren. She is a member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent, where she currently provides leadership for church blood drives after founding ecumenical blood drives with seven local churches.

Savannah Ray is a devoted champion of her faith, youth engagement, community building, and leadership. She serves as the Director of the Center for Youth Engagement & Partnerships at the Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM). A native of Woodruff, Savannah works tirelessly to foster active relationships with diverse organizations across Spartanburg County’s nonprofit, faith, and business sectors, aligning their efforts to support youth and families and to enhance educational outcomes.

Savannah leads with a focus on equity, collaboration, and humility, valuing the dignity and self-worth of every individual. At SAM, she spearheads the Out-Of-School-Time Collaborative, a coordinated system of providers aimed at closing opportunity gaps by improving, expanding, and sustaining high-quality afterschool and summer programs for middle and high school youth. She also develops engagement strategies to advance the collective education agenda, supports faith-based initiatives, and promotes racial equity. Additionally, Savannah manages the Youth Philanthropy Board, an initiative of United Way of the Piedmont and Spartanburg Academic Movement, which provides high school students with hands-on grant-making experience.

Savannah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Furman University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. Previously, Savannah led an outreach team at the Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands, to deliver leadership development opportunities for girls in grades K-12 across the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina.

In her free time, Savannah enjoys running, lifting, hiking, cheering for her Furman alma mater, and spending time with her family and her cockapoo, Carmel.

We encourage everyone to celebrate these women of distinction. Event tickets and sponsorship information can be found on our website at gssc-mm.org or https://tinyurl.com/yuhmnze9.

 

About Girl Scouts South Carolina Mountains to Midlands

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