Columbia Chamber honors Tim Arnold at Annual Gala
September 14, 2026
Tim Arnold, Colonial Life, named Columbia Chamber’s 2026 Ambassador of the Year.
The Columbia Chamber will honor Tim Arnold at Uncorked, the Chamber’s 123rd Annual Gala, Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The Ambassador of the Year Award, sponsored by Trinity Partners, is presented to a member of the community who exemplifies outstanding business ethics and has influenced positive promotion and preservation of the greater Midlands.
“Tim Arnold represents the very best of leadership and service in our business community,” said Terrance Ford, 2025-2026 Chair of the Board of Directors of the Columbia Chamber. “Throughout his career, Tim has consistently used his leadership and influence to make a difference not only through his work at Colonial Life, but through his dedicated service to organizations across the Midlands, including the Columbia Chamber. His commitment to strengthening our business community, supporting others and giving back has left a lasting impact. We are proud to recognize Tim as our Ambassador of the Year and celebrate the tremendous legacy of leadership and service he has built throughout the Midlands.”
Tim Arnold is a longtime business and community leader in the Midlands who served as President and CEO of Colonial Life from 2015 until his retirement in July 2026. He joined Colonial Life in 2011 after a 26-year career with Unum, where he held leadership roles in underwriting, corporate planning, client services, national accounts sales and benefits. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Arnold holds a bachelor’s degree in management and an MBA in finance. Beyond his professional career, he has been deeply engaged in the Midlands through leadership roles with organizations including the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Midlands, American Heart Association of the Midlands and South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families. He currently serves on the Foundation Board of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Columbia College.
“Tim has a remarkable way of making people feel connected to the community and to one another,” said Peyton Bryant, Managing Partner for Trinity Partners. “He has always understood that being a business leader is about more than what happens within your own organization. It’s about showing up, getting involved and helping make the place you call home better for everyone. Tim has given so much of his time, energy and heart to the Midlands, and I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand the difference that commitment makes. He is someone who genuinely cares about people and about this community, and that is what makes this recognition so fitting. We are fortunate to have had Tim as a leader, a colleague and a friend, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of being named Ambassador of the Year.”
Past Ambassador of the Year winners include Sharon Bryant, First Citizens, Keller Kissam, Dominion Energy; Kim Wilkerson, Bank of America; David Pankau, BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina; Mike Brenan, Truist; Pamela Lackey, AT&T; Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina; John W. Folsom, Colliers; former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley; and Dr. Harris Pastides, University of South Carolina.
Additional 2026 awards include the Young Professional of the Year, Partner of the Year, Joe Taylor Public Servant of the Year, Military Advocate of the Year, and Diplomat of the Year.
For more information about Uncorked, the 123rd Annual Gala, please contact Calleen Soper, 803.733.1115. To become a Partner or learn more about the Chamber visit www.ColumbiaChamber.com.
About Columbia Chamber
The Columbia Chamber is a private, nonprofit, 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.
