PC Grads Named Amongst Greenville’s Most Influential

“Honestly, I don’t think 19-year-old Chad would take advice from present-day Chad; he probably wouldn’t believe anything I would have to say,” said Prashad with a laugh when asked what advice he might share with his college-aged self.

Prashad at 19 might want to think again, knowing who he has grown to become and the success he has seen in his career over the last two decades.

Today, Prashad is president and chief executive officer at World Acceptance Corporation, a finance company headquartered in Greenville that provides personal installment loan solutions and personal tax preparation and filing services.

This January, Prashad was named to the “Greenville’s 50 Most Influential” list for 2023 by Greenville Business Magazine. He joins two other extraordinary PC graduates recently named to the same list: Beth Paul ‘99, the general manager at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, was named for both 2022 and 2023, and David Wise ‘83, president of Harper General Contractors was named to the Hall of Fame list in 2023. Not to mention David Lominack ‘97, South Carolina Market President at TD Bank, also made the “Greenville’s 50 Most Influential Hall of Fame” list in 2020.

As the city itself continues to experience tremendous growth and an influx of new residents and businesses, it’s inspiring to see how PC graduates are making a lasting impact on Greenville and the entire Upstate.

Growth and Impact in That Greenville

In recent years, Greenville has been named again and again as one of the fastest-growing places in the U.S. “Greenville has transformed from a blip on the national map to a bustling metropolis,” says a 2023-2024 finding from U.S. News & World Report, citing the city’s family-friendly opportunities, low cost of living, and influx of jobs.

Many PC students make the drive up 385 to that Greenville after graduation, ready to join a new community and launch their careers. For Prashad, heading to Greenville after PC actually meant returning to his hometown.

“I was born and raised in Greenville, and it’s amazing to see how much it’s grown in just the last few years,” Prashad said. Outside of his leadership role at World, he is active on a number of nonprofit boards across the Upstate, all dedicated to building a healthy way of life in the area.

“It’s tremendous what people are doing in terms of business, quality of life, and overall service in the community. These are all things that I value personally, and it is amazing to be part of the transformation that I think everyone who lives in Greenville really enjoys.”

Wise has spent his entire career in Greenville, literally transforming the landscape of the city through commercial, education, institutional, and industrial builds. His company’s work includes Fountain Inn High School, Prisma Health at Verdae, Unity Park in Greenville and Union County Carnegie Library. In both his work and home life, Wise puts an emphasis on community service and philanthropy; he has served on a number of local boards and is an active member of his church. As a company, Harper Construction has donated more than $1 million to local charities.

“Being named to the ‘Most Influential’ list is as much a reflection on Harper General Contractors as it is on me,” Wise said. “We have played a prominent role in the construction in our community and have been key community stakeholders. The recognition really is an honor for the entire Harper family, and for all the people who make Harper what it is. I believe the entire Upstate of South Carolina has a very bright future.”

Paul has worked in arena and venue management for more than 20 years. At Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Paul oversees the execution of strategic objectives. While this of course means operating the arena from a financially sound position and continuing to grow revenues, it also means ensuring the fan experience is top-notch and impact on the local community is top of mind. She simultaneously manages the Greenville Arena District’s 30-year Capital Improvement Plan and long-term financial obligations.

“The wellness and quality of life in Greenville is fantastic,” said Paul, who also sits on the board of directors for VisitGreenvilleSC and Habitat for Humanity of Greenville. “At the arena, we really focus on how easy it can be for a resident of Greenville or the surrounding counties to be able to come to a show that rivals shows in Atlanta and in Charlotte.”

Paul and her team have brought many noteworthy acts to Greenville, including Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, the Eagles, and a number of major sporting events. Despite the astounding growth in the region, Prashad says the city still has a tight community feel that he hopes carries on into the future.

“I work on Main Street in Greenville, and when I sit outside and eat lunch downtown, rarely will I not see six or seven other people who I know really well,” says Prashad. “There is still a small-town feeling here. In the next 30-40 years, I do hope that culture continues. It creates an amazing sense of belonging, but it also creates a sense of responsibility to take care of what we have and continue to work to improve it.”

From Clinton to Greenville

Though graduates of different years and majors, Paul, Prashad and Wise all look back fondly on their years at PC. Pointing to the critical thinking and communication skills fostered by their liberal arts education, they explain how these have directly contributed to their career accomplishments and positive impacts in their field.

Wise was a student-athlete at PC, balancing his English and business majors with his position on the football team. He says being an athlete at PC taught him to be disciplined and practiced; how to strategically develop a game plan and execute.

“Elliott Poss was my position coach at the time, and he taught me to be prepared and focused,” said Wise. “How to use my mind to be successful, maybe when my athletic skills weren’t quite on the same level as some of the people I was competing against. I learned how to really work together as a team. All of these things I use every single day in my work life today.”

Paul attributes much of her career success to the mentors and educators she has met — and continues to meet — along the way. The first mentor she had out of college was PC graduate Liz Wolferton, who hired Paul for her first job.

“I’ve had a great number of people who I can look up to and learn from,” said Paul. “At PC, there were some professors who instilled great values, like Dr. Jody Lipford. Of course, Dr. Suzie Smith. Dr. Norman Scarborough. Dr. Foard Tarbert. Dr. Rachel Stewart. I really gravitated towards the business school and the professors there, and I valued the class sizes, how accessible they were, and their style of instruction. Overall, it was a really great learning experience for me.”

When back on campus, Prashad always tells prospective students that the liberal arts approach and small community at PC did wonders for getting him to where he is in his career today.

“PC fosters an environment where you create relationships and learn to communicate with people who are very different from you,” said Prashad. “As CEO of a company here in Greenville with over 3,000 employees who all have different backgrounds and different perspectives on life, I am able to really be able to connect with them on authentic, genuine levels.”

Now a member of the college’s Board of Trustees, Prashad is still incredibly active at PC today: he operates the charitable foundation CHAM Innovation Fund, which partnered with PC to offer the Jacobs Scholars Program and the Service Entrepreneurship Case Competition, currently the largest in the nation for high school students.

Thinking again of the advice he would share with his 19-year-old self, Prashad says he would urge himself to truly relish this time.

“This is an amazing time in your life, and you will make some of your most important relationships here at PC,” says Prashad. “At 19, the value of those relationships was hard to grasp. Today, it is one of my greatest blessings.”