Community Relations Council announces new Executive Director

The Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, a non-profit organization created to establish better race relations in the city of Columbia in 1964, is happy to announce Columbia businessman James M. McQuilla as the new Executive Director. McQuilla will fill the vacancy of former Executive Director Henri Baskins and Interim Executive Director Elliott Epps.

Hal Stevenson, Chair of the Community Relations Council’s Board of Directors stated “James is a unique visionary with a leader’s mentality. His professional credentials are impressive and we are excited by the  enthusiasm and sincerity he’s shown for helping the CRC once again set the tone for a culturally unified Columbia”.

McQuilla graduated from The Citadel in 1988 with a bachelor of science in business administration. He received his MBA from Winthrop University in 1994. His resume includes almost 30 years of executive management, administration, governance and marketing in both the public and private sector. Prior to the CRC, James was the Chief Executive for a firm specializing in federal government procurement. He has also served on numerous civic boards and committees including The Citadel Board of Visitors, Rotary and the Boy Scouts. Throughout his very diversified career, Mr. McQuilla has been a champion for the quantifiable merits of diversity and inclusion.

About the Community Relations Council

The Community Relations Council serves to promote social progress, mutual respect and unity through dialogue, education programs and collaborative efforts which will validate the benefits of diversity and inclusion throughout Greater Columbia. Among its founders were Columbia Mayor Lester Bates, then City Councilman Hyman Rubin, Sr., businessman Willie Lyles, Sr., USC President Thomas Jones, Attorney Lincoln C. Jenkins and Mr. Jasper Salmond, to name a few.