Furman’s Riley Institute names Bryan Boroughs as executive director

Boroughs to assume leadership Oct. 1

The Riley Institute at Furman University has appointed Bryan Boroughs ’02 its executive director. Boroughs will assume leadership on Oct. 1, taking the reins from the institute’s founding Executive Director Don Gordon, who is stepping into an advisory role, and Deputy Director Jacki Martin, who is retiring.

Boroughs brings a wealth of policy and leadership experience in critical areas of The Riley Institute’s work. He spent the last decade at the Institute for Child Success, most recently serving as chief operating officer and general counsel. He previously served as an investigative counsel on the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Brian Boroughs in Charleston, SC

Boroughs received his bachelor’s degree from Furman University and his law degree and a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University. He is a 2015 graduate of The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative.

“The chance to contribute to the impact of this incredible team—and to do so on the campus that played such a significant role in my life—is the kind of opportunity most people can only dream of,” Boroughs said. “I am so honored and excited to lead The Riley Institute into its next quarter century and am so very grateful to Don and Jacki for the remarkable institute they have built.”

“We are delighted to welcome Bryan home to Furman and very excited for him to be the next leader of The Riley Institute,” said Richard W. Riley ’54, namesake of the Institute, Furman alumnus, two-term Democratic governor of South Carolina and U.S. Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton. In 2008, Riley was named one of the “Top 10 Cabinet Members of the 20th Century” by TIME magazine.

“We all are very fortunate that Don and Jacki have dedicated their time and talents toward building The Riley Institute into a nationally respected resource for public education research and improvement, as well as for diversity expertise,” Riley said. “What Don created, and Jacki elevated, is unprecedented in South Carolina. Thousands of people from all walks of life in South Carolina and beyond have benefited from their effective leadership in developing high-quality initiatives to advance our society, and an excellent internal team to implement those progressive programs.”

“The Riley Institute is synonymous with excellence and represents Furman University’s ability to reach beyond campus to help communities everywhere, while providing leadership opportunities for our students,” said Furman President Elizabeth Davis. “The scope of its outreach is equaled by its principled methods and unflinching integrity. We can’t thank Don and Jacki and everyone at the institute enough. I’m looking forward to welcoming Bryan and supporting his vision.”

Gordon served as The Riley Institute’s executive director from its beginning in the fall of 1999 until July 2024. He will continue to work with the institute as special counsel.

Working with Riley, Gordon strategically designed The Riley Institute to advance social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond, to benefit Furman students through high-quality programs and experiences and to create better educational outcomes for public school students across South Carolina and the country. Following the former Secretary of Education’s example, the institute was founded on the principles of nonpartisanship and evidence-informed approaches to change.

Under Gordon’s direction, The Riley Institute grew from a part-time, one-person initiative into three centers focusing on diversity leadership, public education and critical issues confronting the state and the nation. The Riley Institute grew to 18 staff and more than 40 programs.

Martin joined as deputy director in 2009 to help manage and expand the programs.

Martin quickly grew the institute’s statewide footprint by developing its signature OneSouthCarolina awards and events; conceptualizing the annual StraightTalk series carried out in partnership with OLLI@Furman; and securing a federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant. Awarded in 2011 to KnowledgeWorks, The Riley Institute, and two South Carolina school districts, the i3 grant was designed to pilot and expand the New Tech Network project-based learning approach.

Martin’s retirement was celebrated with campus and community partners on August 20.

“The Riley Institute simply would not be what it is today without the leadership and vision Jacki brought to her role,” Gordon said. “The institute owes its sterling reputation to her dedication to excellence and carrying out our mission.”

For more information, please contact Clinton Colmenares at 919-548-6493, or Claudia Winkler at The Riley Institute, 864-294-3368.