Katrina Shealy honored for legislative leadership

January 30, 2025

Senator Katrina Shealy, who served in the S.C. Senate from 2012-2024, was honored as the 2025 Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Legislative Leadership Award winner for her commitment to some of the most vulnerable populations of South Carolina, including children, the disabled, and the elderly.

The award, bestowed annually alongside a civic award by the Riley Institute at Furman University, recognizes leaders who influence equitable opportunities for all South Carolinians to thrive. At the celebration, held in Columbia on January 14, 2025, Shealy was recognized for the courage it took to serve as the only woman in the South Carolina Senate, and for her legislative focus on communities who did not have strong representation in the legislature.

Throughout her tenure, Shealy was an advocate for children and families, playing a leading role in juvenile justice reform and serving as the sponsor of legislation creating the Office of the Child Advocate in South Carolina.

Shealy also served as chair of the Family and Veterans’ Services Committee; chair of the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children; and member of the Finance, Corrections and Penology, Rules and Labor, Commerce and Industry committees and boasted a proven record for working collaboratively to drive progress for South Carolinians.