SC Council on Competitiveness welcomes Bunnie Ward as Director of TransformSC
August 1, 2024
The SC Council on Competitiveness (SC Competes) is pleased to announce the appointment of Bunnie Ward as the new Director of TransformSC. Bunnie will lead the initiative to engage business leaders, educators, students, families, and policymakers in supporting the continued transforming of the public education system, ensuring that every student graduates prepared for careers, college, and citizenship. She will take the reins of TransformSC after the retirement of Dr. Peggy Torrey, who had shepherded the initiative since 2013 until her retirement in June of 2024 from SC Competes.
“We are thrilled to have Bunnie join our team,” said Susie Shannon, President & CEO of SC Competes. “Her extensive experience and dedication to improving education in South Carolina will be invaluable as we work together to advance the goals of TransformSC.”
Bunnie brings two decades of experience in both K-12 and postsecondary state education policy to SC Competes and TransformSC. Prior to joining SC Competes, she served as the Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Engagement at the SC Commission on Higher Education (SC CHE). There, she led her team in critical areas such as government relations, legislative affairs, workforce development, strategic communications, special project management, and strategic partnership creation. Prior to SC CHE, Bunnie held the position of Director of Early Education and Policy at the SC Education Oversight Committee.
“I am humbled and excited to help advance TransformSC’s legacy of bringing key collaborators together so students are prepared for college, employment, and careers in South Carolina,” remarked Ms. Ward. “Our economy and workforce needs are changing rapidly, but together, we can ensure our students have meaningful postsecondary options while also addressing our state’s economic and workforce demands. The time is now.”
A South Carolina native, Bunnie is a graduate of Harvard University and earned her master’s degree in public policy from the Sol Price Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. She is currently completing her professional certification in public management from the State of South Carolina. Bunnie is a Liberty Fellow and serves as a Board Member of the Beaufort Jasper Charter School.
About TransformSC
TransformSC was launched in 2013 as a collaboration of business leaders, educators, students, parents, and policymakers. During its initial phase, TransformSC partnered with 73 schools from 29 districts, including 7 districts in their entirety, to support implementation of innovative practices that reached every student, classroom, and teacher. These inaugural TransformSC schools laid the groundwork for the continuing work of TransformSC. TransformSC helped in developing the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, which was codified by the SC General Assembly in 2016, and which skills and characteristics remain those most desired by the business community.
