Phyllis DeLapp named trustee emeritus for the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation
September 20, 2018
Winter coats, field trips, and school supplies, these are just a few of the many student needs Phyllis DeLapp has met at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.
DeLapp’s dedication and long-term support of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind will be recognized on Sept. 25 when the school’s foundation board honors her with the title trustee emeritus. The board will also place four commemorative bricks in the garden area outside Walker Hall to honor DeLapp and her son and daughter-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Babb and to memorialize her late daughter Laurie Babb and late son Philip Babb.
DeLapp is one of only three individuals to be named a trustee emeritus in the foundation’s 40-year history. The title trustee emeritus recognizes exemplary service and conveys the board’s desire to maintain an ongoing relationship.
DeLapp became a member of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation Board in 1999 and served 13 years. While on the board, she served as chairman of the allocations committee and a member of the finance committee. She continues to support the school as a major donor, and the campus welcome center is named in honor of her and school board chairman Bobby Dobson.
DeLapp’s gifts of time and money have been extremely generous. “When we’ve had a need, we’ve always known we could go to Phyllis DeLapp for help,” said Ann Akerman, CEO of the school’s foundation. “In addition to many operational gifts, Ms. DeLapp has supplied new coats year after year, paid for field trips, and provided classrooms with needed supplies. She has even underwritten the school’s junior-senior prom.”
DeLapp is thankful that she is able to give back to the community. As owner of Mid-South Management Company, she oversaw 17 newspapers and became very knowledgeable of the needs in multiple communities across the country. She has contributed to many organizations – most notably Spartanburg Methodist College where the board room is named in her honor.
“Serving on the board of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation has been one of the greatest blessings of my life,” DeLapp said. “To see these wonderful children light up with joy when they perform truly warms my heart.”
The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing resources that enable the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind to achieve its mission and goals. For more information, visit www.scsdbfoundation.org or call 864-577-7583.
The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is the state’s specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. It offers pre-kindergarten – grade12 educational programs on its main campus in Spartanburg and specialized vision and hearing services in school districts and homes throughout the state. Visit www.scsdb.org for more information.
