Clemson to confer 1,200 degrees, honor S.C. Sen. Yancey McGill
December 15, 2011
CLEMSON, SC – December 14, 2011 – Clemson University will confer approximately 1,200 degreesat 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, at the winter graduation ceremony inLittlejohn Coliseum. South Carolina Sen. John Yancey McGill will receivean honorary doctor of humanities degree during the event.
The graduation ceremonies will be streamed live online at www.clemson.edu.
McGill represents Florence, Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg counties. His current Senate committee assignments include Agriculture and Natural Resources; Ethics; Finance; Fish, Gameand Forestry; Invitations; and Transportation. He also is on theexecutive committee of Senate Finance and chairman of the financesubcommittee on Natural Resources.
He is chairman of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), a regional economic development organization that serves anine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina. NESA’sprimary objective is to enhance the quality of life for residents of theregion by creating additional jobs and capital investment within theexisting industry base, recruiting new companies and expandingtourism-related development.
He also is on the board of directors of the Waccamaw RegionalPlanning and Development Council, and is a past chairman of thecouncil’s board of directors and its Industrial Revolving LoanCommittee. The agency offers planning, economic development and socialservices to aid in the orderly growth and development of the area.
Over the years, numerous groups have recognized McGill. Fiveassociations and organizations have named him Legislator of the Year andthree Senator of the Year. Other awards include the S.C. Association ofCounties Distinguished Service Award, the Clemson PSA Service Award,the S.C. Advocate for Agriculture Award, the Primary Health CareAssociation Legislative Award and the S.C. Counseling AssociationLegislative Award.
McGill is being honored for his commitment to higher education inSouth Carolina and for his support of Clemson’s public service andagriculture mission.
Having attended both The Citadel and Francis Marion College, McGillhas been the recipient of honorary degrees from those institutions aswell as Coastal Carolina University and the Medical University of SouthCarolina, for which he has served on the board of visitors.
He is a real estate broker and residential homebuilder in hishometown of Kingstree, where he got his first taste of politics as amember of the Kingstree Town Council and later as mayor pro tempore andas mayor.
