Otis Rawl, Sylvia Echols, and Sam Cook Elected to ICS Board of Directors

GREENVILLE, SC – The Board of Directors of the Institute for Child Success, a research and policy organization working to create a culture that facilitates and fosters the success of all children, has elected Sylvia Echols of Rock Hill, Sam Cook of Murrells Inlet, and Otis Rawl of Lexington as Directors.

Tami McKnew, Chair of the Institute for Child Success board said “Sylvia, Sam, and Otis bring a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm for smart early childhood investment to their work with ICS. They know that the most efficient way to build a stronger South Carolina and a competitive workforce for a 21st century economy is by investing in the first five years of life. We are thrilled that they have decided to join our board and we look forward to working with them in the years to come.”  

Sylvia Echols is a member of the Board of Directors of the Early Learning Partnership of York County, which is a comprehensive, results-oriented initiative, supported by public and private partnership to help prepare children, mentally and physically, for school.   Ms. Echols has been the First Lady of Rock Hill since 1997 when her husband was first elected Mayor. Ms. Echols is a former public school principal. She was recently honored by Winthrop University for her many years of “tireless work in advocating for York County children and to reminding city residents to remember the effect on children’s lives as policies are created.”  Ms. Echols is also ambassadorial chair of the successful “The #1 Question: Is It Good for the Children” campaignin Rock Hill.

Sam Cook lives in Georgetown County and was recently the Business Development Consultant and Nonprofit Management expert for nonprofit organizations and the Waccamaw Community Foundation in Murrells Inlet.  In 2013, Mr. Cook became Director of the Sustainable Forestry Program of The Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation. In this role, he develops and implements a system of support that allows landowners and forest landowners of all income levels to increase their income through education, technical support and implementing sustainable forestry practices on their land. Mr. Cook received his Associate degree from Tuskegee University and Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University in Forest Resource Management and spent much of his career working in Forest Management and Wood Procurement for International Paper Company Forest Resources Division. Mr. Cook is currently serving on the boards of the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, North Carolina State University Natural Resources Foundation, and SC Thrive, formerly The Benefit Bank of South Carolina.

Otis Rawl is President and Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. In this role, he leads the state’s largest, broad-based business organization. He began his career with the South Carolina Department of Revenue as a Tax Auditor. In 1981, he became Director of Tax Research. Primary responsibilities included providing research assistance and advice to the legislative and executive branches on tax legislation and tax administration and providing technical assistance to the Board of Economic Advisors on revenue projections. Additional responsibilities required him to work with the South Carolina Department of Commerce on the recruitment of new industry and local governments, and he was involved with all phases of federal, state and local taxation. In 1995, the Governor of South Carolina appointed him as Chief of Staff to the Department of Public Safety. In 1996, he returned to the South Carolina Department of Revenue in his original position as Director of Tax Research. In May 1999, he became Deputy Executive Administrator for Tax Operations where he served until 2001. Upon leaving government service, Rawl accepted the position of Vice President of Public Policy for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. He was given the added responsibility of Chief Operating Officer in 2004. Rawl assumed his current position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce on October 1, 2008. Rawl is committed to moving South Carolina forward and has served on the Education and Economic Development Act Coordinating Council, Governor Mark Sanford’s MAP Committee, South Carolina Education Council, South Carolina Export Consortium Board of Directors, Business and Industry Political Education Committee Board of Directors, Council of State Chambers Board of Directors, U.S. Chamber Committee of 100, Capital City Club Board of Governors, Security Federal Board of Directors, Lexington Rotary Club and on the Executive Committee of the South Carolina Civil Justice Reform Coalition. He also serves as a Liberty Fellows Mentor, on the Lexington School Board Foundation and with the Lexington Dixie Youth. A life long resident of Lexington County, SC, Rawl is a 1977 graduate of the University of South Carolina.  
About ICS

The Institute for Child Success is a research and policy organization that leads public and private partnerships to align and improve resources for the success of young children in South Carolina. A partnership of the Greenville Health System’s Children’s Hospital and the United Way of Greenville County, ICS supports those focused on early childhood development, healthcare, and education—all to coordinate, enhance, and improve those efforts for the maximum effect in the lives of young people. For more information: www.instituteforchildsuccess.org<http://www.instituteforchildsuccess.org>.