Mary Black Foundation elects new Trustees

The Mary Black Foundation has announced the election of Ken Couch and Gregg Wade to four-year terms as a Trustees beginning January 1, 2016.

Ken Couch is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the JM Smith Corporation.  He also serves as President of the JM Smith Foundation.  He retired in 2015 from the positions of President of the JM Smith Corporation and President of Smith Drug Company.  As a registered Pharmacist, Ken is very active in the Pharmacy profession and has served the industry for over 45 years. He is presently serving on the board of Presbyterian College.   His community activities include service to United Way of the Piedmont as Chair and as Campaign Chair, St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, Rotary Club of Spartanburg, and Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.  Ken has been honored with the Morgan Award from United Way of the Piedmont and The Al Willis Award for Service from Upstate Employers Network.

Gregg Wade is Owner of Palmetto Advisory & Investment Co., LLC, a commercial and residential real estate development company.  A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration, Gregg also received an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.  His community service includes serving on the board of the YMCA of Greater Spartanburg (serving as Treasurer),  The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg, Spartanburg Children’s Shelter (serving as Chairman and Interim CEO), and the Palmetto Project.

Ken Couch and Gregg Wade

“We are very excited to welcome Ken and Gregg to our Board of Trustees.  Their dedication to improving the health and wellness of Spartanburg is evident in their years of service.  They will be terrific assets to our Board,” said Bill Coker, chair of the Board of Trustees.

The Mary Black Foundation is an independent, private foundation. Since 1996, it has awarded more than $46 million to improve the health and wellness of the people and communities of Spartanburg County. Additional information about the Foundation is available at www.maryblackfoundation.org.