Leadership Greenville’s 50 year impact recognized by the City of Greenville

Greenville Chamber program celebrates 50 years, receives recognition from City for commitment to leadership development and community service

Leadership Greenville, the flagship leadership development program of the Greenville Chamber, was honored by the City of Greenville for its impact and commitment to preparing and informing qualified leaders across Greenville County while supporting a myriad of community needs over five decades. In recognition of the program’s impact, Greenville City Council Member John DeWorken presented a signed proclamation to Greenville Chamber during a special event at Unity Park, declaring April 3, 2024 “Leadership Greenville Day.”

“On behalf of the City of Greenville, I am honored to recognize Leadership Greenville for its remarkable 50-year journey in helping shape our community,” said Councilman DeWorken. “Having personally experienced Leadership Greenville as a member of Class 27, I have seen firsthand how the program cultivates strong leaders dedicated to serving and improving our community while driving positive change across the region.”

Since its founding in 1974, Leadership Greenville has served as Greenville Chamber’s premier leadership development program, equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and networks necessary to lead effectively in Greenville County. The program’s intensive curriculum covers critical areas such as managed growth, the economy, quality of life, human services and local government, empowering leaders to address complex challenges. Each class also selects and completes community service projects for local nonprofit organizations as part of the 10-month program. Over the years, Leadership Greenville has graduated more than 2,400 individuals who have led nearly 80 community service projects across Greenville County.

“The fingerprints of Leadership Greenville alumni span across the Upstate,” said Carlos Phillips, President and CEO of Greenville Chamber. “We continue to be proud of Leadership Greenville’s enduring legacy as we also look forward to the program’s future contributions over the next five decades.”

In addition to Leadership Greenville, Greenville Chamber recently introduced IMPACT Fellows, a capstone leadership development program designed for executive leaders dedicated to the ongoing betterment of the area. A campaign to fund IMPACT Fellows is currently underway with the inaugural class anticipated to begin in 2026, furthering Greenville Chamber’s commitment to developing strong business communities through effective leadership.

Leadership Greenville alumni will celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary through a special event taking place May 16th at Avenue. To learn more about attending, visit here. For more information about Leadership Greenville, please visit greenvillechamber.org/leadership/leadership-greenville/.

ABOUT THE GREENVILLE CHAMBER

The Greenville Chamber, now in its 136th year of operation, is the largest business organization in Upstate South Carolina with over 1,400 Investors supporting the vision of a globally competitive Upstate economy where businesses succeed and people prosper. For information, visit greenvillechamber.org.

ABOUT LEADERSHIP GREENVILLE

Leadership Greenville is the Greenville Chamber’s premier leadership development program designed to inform and prepare qualified leaders for Greenville County. New classes embark each year on a journey to understand the inner-workings of our area, including Managed Growth and the Economy, Quality of Life, Human Services, Local Government, Justice, Education and State Government. Since the program began in 1974, there have been more than 2,400 participants.

ABOUT IMPACT FELLOWS

IMPACT Fellows is the Greenville Chamber’s advanced leadership development program designed to build upon participants’ collective strengths to drive community impact. With a vision to begin enrollment in 2025, the Chamber is seeking funding for IMPACT Fellows, which will support the program, its operations, faculty, and Chamber investors. To learn more about IMPACT Fellows or to donate, please contact Cheryl Garrison at [email protected].