Leadership Spartanburg graduates class of 2017

The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce honored 42 graduates of the Leadership Spartanburg program class of 2017 at a ceremony at The Country Club of Spartanburg on Thursday, May 11.

In his keynote address to the class, Chamber President and CEO Allen Smith encouraged the graduates to continue their leadership and community activism.

“From the economy to education to health to overall quality of life, the progress and momentum in Spartanburg today is both tangible and growing,” Smith said. “It is a credit to the large number of leaders from all walks of life who are investing their time, talent and resources in our community. For decades, Leadership Spartanburg has been at the forefront of helping people to develop and enhance their leadership skills and understanding of where they can contribute, and this year’s class is no exception. I look forward to both working with this year’s 42 graduates and seeing what they accomplish for years to come. There’s only one Spartanburg, and our deep roster of community-minded leaders is a big reason why.”

The 2017 Leadership Spartanburg class kicked off in September 2016 with an overnight retreat focused on team building. Over the course of nine months, class members participated in monthly activities to enhance their understanding of the history of Spartanburg; local and state government; community health and social issues; education; arts and culture, recreation and other local quality-of-life factors; environmental and resource management; economic development; and Spartanburg’s future. In addition, the eight stories identified by a leading community and economic development strategy firm in a community assessment last year were integrated into the curriculum. Those eight stories focus on education, economic development, poverty, talent, quality of place, entrepreneurship and community cohesion. The strategy and supporting data are available atonespartanburg.com.

The Leadership Spartanburg Class of 2017 graduates include:

 

Dan Atkinson, Wilkes Law Firm, P.A.

Duffy Baehr, Baehr Feet

Maria Batson, IT Pros, Inc.

Colleen Bishop, ETV Endowment of South Carolina

Karen Brazeal, Country Club of Spartanburg

Suzanne Brooks, Spartanburg County Historical Association

Karen Canup, Sherman College of Chiropractic

Luke Connell, The Palladian Group

Daniel Craig, Johnson, Smith, Hibbard, & Wildman Law Firm, LLP

Jed Dearybury, Palmetto State Teachers Association

Brian Earnest, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Louise Fagan, Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Phil Feisal, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Elizabeth Fletcher, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Ryan Gaylord, Hyde Law Firm, P.A.

Doug Gregory, Economic Futures Group

Matt Hammett, Wofford College

Aundi Hunter, Alzheimer’s Association

Jay Jackson, Spartanburg Community College

Hannah Jarrett, United Way of the Piedmont

Chris Jennings, Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau

Carter Johnson, Community Volunteer

Eric Kocher, Hub-Bub

Jeremy Long, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch

Jonathan Lounsberry, The Stevens Firm, P. A.

Homer Nestlen, McMillian Pazdan Smith Architecture

Erin Ouzts, LaunchPad Ventures, LLC

Allison Owens, Founders Federal Credit Union

Doug Peters, USC Upstate

Natasha Pitts, City of Spartanburg

Jon Potter, AFL

Reggie Pryor, Pryor Diversified

Reba Quattlebaum, Hope Risers

Kim Ross, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Naomi Sargent, Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce

Justin Schutrumpf, Precision Chiropractic Spartanburg

Khrystal Smith, USC Upstate

McKenna Sprouse, Community Volunteer

Geri-Caitlin Stephenson, Windsor House Assisted Living

Hariette Stinson, Spartanburg Water System

Cal Wicker, BB&T

Frazier Wilson, Comfort Keepers

Nominations and applications for the 2018 Leadership Spartanburg class are currently being accepted through May 31. For information on how to nominate a candidate or apply to the program, contact Leadership Spartanburg Director Cindy Teaster at [email protected] or (864) 594-5022.

 

About the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce

The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit organization supported through membership investment and strategic partnerships. Our mission is to enhance the economic vitality and lifestyle environment of Spartanburg County. For more information, visit www.spartanburgchamber.com.