Columbia Chamber announces 2022 Leadership Columbia class
September 20, 2021
65 Local Individuals selected for 49th Class of Chamber’s Leadership Program
Leadership Columbia, a Columbia Chamber program, presented by BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina, for emerging and existing leaders in the Midlands, announced the Leadership Columbia Class of 2022. The 65 individuals will be the 49th graduating class since the program was founded in 1972.
“This year marks our largest Leadership Columbia class to date,” says Columbia Chamber President and CEO, Carl Blackstone. “Champions of their communities, this class is comprised of some of the brightest talent in the Midlands,” continued Blackstone.
This group will engage in a 10-month curriculum including monthly class day sessions, a retreat, a class project, and a variety of enrichment activities around the area. Since its inception, Leadership Columbia has celebrated more than 2,000 graduates.
Leadership Columbia Class of 2021-2022 Class Roster:
| Dana | Austin | South Carolina Department of Education |
| Briana | Bateman | Office of United States Senator Tim Scott |
| Dee | Bell-Williams | Dr. Dee Unlimited, LLC |
| Fran | Boyd | Renaissance Collegiate Academy |
| Daniel | Branham | W.O. Blackstone & Co., Inc. |
| Paige | Bryant | Foundry Commercial |
| Pamela | Bynoe-Reed | The COMET – Central Midlands Transit |
| Shawn | Caraballo | City Year Columbia |
| Nic | Collins | Wolseley Industrial Group |
| Ken | Corning | The Camp Cole Foundation |
| Coleman | Davis | Cypress Commercial & Investment Real Estate |
| Helen | Dennis | Experience Columbia SC |
| Lauren | Eckstrom | Oliver Gospel Mission |
| Mary Cothonneau | Eldridge | Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. |
| Angela | Emerson | Courtyard By Marriott – Cayce |
| Karlin | Ferguson | MUSC Health Kershaw Medical Center |
| Donnie | Fetner | Hood Construction Co., Inc. |
| Kim | Fuller | Central Carolina REALTORS® Association |
| Benjamin | Gaston | Midlands Technical College |
| Maureen | Grewe | UofSC – Office of the Dean of Students |
| Quantina | Haggwood | Richland County School District One |
| Chad | Hardaway | UofSC – Office of Economic Engagement |
| Jona’ | Hodges | The Law Firm of Carl B. Grant, P.A. |
| April | Jackson | Palmetto GBA |
| Caroline | Jackson | McGriff Insurance |
| Jimmy | Jarvis | Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina |
| Alex | Johnson | Commercial Metals Company |
| Chandler | Jordan | South Carolina Council on Economic Education |
| Ebony | Kelly | City of Columbia |
| Casey | Kemmerer | Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina |
| Allen | Kendrick | Vivid Church |
| Sarah | Landholt | Truist |
| Casey | Link | Colonial Life |
| Sherryl | Linkous | South Carolina Air National Guard |
| Adriane | McGillis | SSOE|Stevens & Wilkinson |
| Travis | McNeal | Oliver Gospel Mission |
| Kristina | Palmer | Columbia Museum of Art |
| David | Porth | Colonial Life |
| Kirsten | Pratt | South Carolina Technical College System |
| Crawford | Prezioso | Colliers International |
| Allison | Rapp | First Citizens Bank |
| Shayla | Riley | Coldwell Banker Realty – Midtown Office |
| Bradford “Jack” | Robinson | Thompson Turner Construction |
| Eric | Schelble | United Community Bank |
| Lindsey | Shealy | Cure Sanfilippo Foundation |
| Kelly | Simmons | Empowered To Win Consulting |
| Rhonda | Sims | KELLER WILLIAMS |
| Lincoln | Skalla | Diesel Laptops |
| Walker | Sojourner | Columbia Development Group, LLC |
| Richard “Blake” | Stancil | Thompson Turner Construction |
| Isabel | Steen | United Way of the Midlands |
| La’Jessica | Stringfellow | Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC |
| Meg Southern | Syms | Garvin Design Group |
| Eric | Tatum | Dominion Energy |
| Jonathon “David” | Thompson | South Carolina Air National Guard |
| Adam | Vance | Sound & Images, Inc. |
| Aubrey | Wall | St. Peter’s Catholic School |
| Courtney | Watson | FoodShare SC |
| Lee Ann | Watson | South Carolina Human Affairs Commission |
| Cliff | Weatherman | Owen Steel Co. |
| Sarah | West | Find Great People |
| James | Williams | Sullivan Management |
| Ebony | Young | Shifting Solutions Consulting LLC |
| Lester | Young | Path2Redemption |
| Matthew | Zackon | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP |
“We are extremely excited to introduce the Leadership Columbia Class of 2022,” said Shayla Merritt, Senior Marketing Coordinator at SSOE | Stevens & Wilkinson and Leadership Columbia Advisory Board (LCAB) chair. “This year’s class represents a diverse mix of professionals from across the Midlands who are some of the fiercest advocates of our community. We look forward to seeing how each and every member of the class will continue to contribute to the overall growth of the region.”
The class was chosen from combined application and interview scores, each marked by separate groups of Leadership Columbia Alumni. The selection criteria included civic involvement, leadership potential, diversity of perspective and commitment to the leadership program and the community.
About Leadership Columbia
Leadership Columbia is an educational program offered through the Columbia Chamber. The 10-month program provides emerging and existing leaders in the Midlands area with an opportunity to enhance their civic knowledge and network. For over 45 years, Leadership Columbia has helped participants better understand the local community, while building relationships with the region’s current and future leaders.
For more information on Leadership Columbia, visit www.ColumbiaChamber.com or contact Hilary Bell at 803.733.1115.
About the Columbia Chamber
The Columbia Chamber is a private, non-profit, partner-driven organization comprised of 1,200 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals in Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry and Richland counties. The Columbia Chamber serves as the voice of its Partners and the business community at large on matters of economic, educational, social, cultural and political concern, as well as supports and promotes the success of its Partners through networking, professional development, advocacy and leadership. The organization has represented the interests of the local business community since 1902.
To become a Partner or to learn more about the Columbia Chamber, as well as its events, programs and initiatives, visit www.ColumbiaChamber.com.
