Spartanburg Community College Foundation Welcomes New Board Members
June 22, 2015
SPARTANBURG, SC – The Spartanburg Community College Foundation recently welcomed two seasoned professionals to its board of directors - Mr. Grant Burns and Dr.Diane C. Vecchio, As the governing body of the organization, the SCC Foundation board of directors is a group of community volunteers who direct assistance to Spartanburg Community College focusing on the provision of scholarships, curriculum, resources, equipment, facilities and grants that help students, faculty, and the community achieve academic excellence that contribute to a vibrant local economy.
“Grant Burns and Diane Vecchio bring much talent and professionalism to the SCC Foundation board as well as long-standing commitment to service and giving back to their communities,” explains Sam S. Hook, executive director of the SCC Foundation. “Both lead extremely busy lives and careers, so we are grateful they have chosen to share their time and talents with the Foundation. I have no doubt their contributions will make lasting impacts in the lives of our students who will in return, make a difference in our community.”
Grant Burns, vice president and general counsel of AFL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan and local manufacturer of fiber optic cable and accessories, oversees all legal matters, including corporate governance, intellectual property, litigation and securities compliance as well as government affairs for AFL. In addition, he is involved in the strategic and legal activities of Fujikura Automotive America (FAA) and Fujikura America Incorporated (FAI). An alumnus of Clemson University, Burns earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Economics and a Juris Doctor from the Washington and Lee University School of Law. Burns has worked extensively with his alma mater, Clemson University, where he served two years on the Board of the Clemson University Foundation in addition to a term on its Board of Visitors. He is also a past president of the university’s alumni association.
“As workforce development becomes a bigger issue for the state of South Carolina, upstate manufacturers like AFL will be looking even more to institutions like Spartanburg Community College for solutions,” commented Burns. “It is an honor to have been asked to serve on the SCCF Board of Directors at a time when higher education and manufacturing partnerships have become so crucial.”
Dr. Diane C. Vecchio is professor of History at Furman University and earned a Ph.D. from Syracuse University. Born in Cortland, New York, her teaching career began in Milwaukee where she taught at Marquette University before relocating to South Carolina. She joined the faculty at Furman in 1996 where she has been an active member of the university community, serving as Chair of the Faculty Status Committee, the Research and Professional Growth Committee and the Women and Gender Studies Committee. After serving as a faculty consultant for the AP U.S. History exam, Professor Vecchio was appointed Chief Faculty Consultant for United States History by the College Board for a four-year term and also served on the AP US History Test Development Committee. She has served on national organizations as Treasurer and Executive Board member of the Immigration and Ethnic History Society and the Editorial Board of the Italian American Review.
Vecchio is the author of Midwives, Merchants, and Laboring Women published by the University of Illinois Press and many articles on Italian and Jewish immigration as well as the history of Upstate South Carolina including “Making Their Way in the New South: Jewish Peddlers and Merchants in the South Carolina Upcountry,” and “From Slavery to Freedom: African American Life in Post-Civil War Spartanburg,” in Recovering the Piedmont Past edited by Paul Grady and Melissa Walker. She and her husband, John C. Stockwell have four children and five grandchildren.
“While I have spent my time in higher education within the college and university worlds, I am excited about being able to be involved with the Community and Technical College environment and learning more about its impact on so many students in South Carolina,” says Dr. Diane Vecchio.
For additional information on the SCC Foundation, visit www.sccfoundation.org or call(864) 592-4624.
About the Spartanburg Community College Foundation
The SCC Foundation exists to provide assistance to Spartanburg Community College through the provisions of scholarships, curriculum resources, equipment, facilities and grants that help students, faculty and the community achieve educational excellence thereby contributing to a vibrant, local economy. For more information, visit www.sccfoundation.org.
