Kirby Player receives the Order of the Palmetto

Kirby Player, a longtime Clemson University employee and three-time graduate, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto during a recent golf tournament held in front of former students, alumni and agricultural leaders. Player, who has worked at Clemson for 37 years, serves as the coordinator of the Palmetto Leadership Program for the Environment, Agriculture and Forestry.

The nomination was submitted by Curt Spencer, a commissioner for the South Carolina Department of Transportation and a former participant in the leadership program. Spencer and Player have known each other since high school, and Spencer cited Player’s influence on leadership development and environmental stewardship in his recommendation to the governor.

Player helped launch Palmetto LEAF after being approached by university leadership. The program became the 40th of its kind in the U.S. and eighth in the world. It is now preparing to recruit its fourth cohort. Player earned degrees from Clemson in agricultural education, parks and recreation management, and therapeutic recreation.