The South Carolina Education Association announces newly elected President, Vice President and NEA Director

The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA) announces their new roster of elected officers for their new four-year governance term, which began on July 16.

The SCEA newly elected officers are:

• Sherry East – President
• Dena Renee Crews – Vice President
• Bernadette R. Hampton – The SCEA NEA Director

“I am honored the members of The SCEA have elected me as their President and I look forward to spending the next four years serving in this role,” said The SCEA President, Sherry East, who teaches high school science at the Phoenix Academy in Rock Hill. “While serving as The SCEA Vice-President, I was privileged to meet educators from across SC and the nation.  The frustrations facing SC educators are mirrored throughout the country. Educators are fed up and ready to take action. We must all come together to fight for the resources we need to do our job. I promise to use my voice to fight for our profession. I urge fellow educators to do the same.”

Ms. East graduated with a BS in education from Concord University in Athens, WV. She has also earned a Master of Science in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley University and has completed an additional 30+ graduate credits from Clemson University.

She began her teaching career at South Aiken High School and later moved to Rock Hill where she taught at Rock Hill High School.

Ms. East’s leadership roles have included Association Representative, York County Education Association (YCEA) Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President, President, and member of The SCEA Executive Board.

As The SCEA Vice-President, Ms. East’s duties included serving as the membership committee chairperson. During this time, she worked closely with President Hampton to launch The SCEA’s Annual Read Across SC Art Contest to promote art and literacy. She also represented The SCEA on South Carolina Dept of Education’s Discipline Task Force, serves on Winthrop’s Teacher Preparedness Committee, Rock Hill’s River Park Advisory Board and is a member of the York County Master Gardener’s Club.

She succeeds former President Bernadette R. Hampton, who has been elected NEA Director.

The SCEA Vice President Dena Renee Crews is an educator from Florence County School District 1. Mrs. Crews began teaching at St. John’s Elementary School in Darlington County in August 2000. She has experience teaching in Sumter and Lee Counties as well. She currently serves as the Read to Succeed Literacy Coach at North Vista Elementary School in Florence School District 1.

Mrs. Crews is a graduate of Francis Marion University with a BA in English and BS in Elementary Education. She holds Master of Science degrees in Elementary Reading and Literacy and Educational Leadership and Administration from Walden University. She is an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. serving as South Carolina Area Coordinator. She spends her free time with friends, family and her new husband, Allendale Physical Education teacher, Russell Crews.

As an active member of The SCEA, Mrs. Crews has served and chairs the Leadership Training Committee and chaired the Elections Committee. She served on the board of directors for two terms.

Regarding taking on the responsibility of Vice President for The SCEA, Mrs. Crews stated: “To whom much is given, much is required. I live by that quote. I am looking forward to serving as Vice President of The SCEA. I am following in the footsteps of great leaders. My role involves membership. It is my goal to provide avenues to strengthen our membership. We are told as educators to meet the needs of our students, as Vice President it is my goal to meet the needs of our members. My first priority is to find out the professional development needs of members and developing a plan for our association to meet those needs. I am in this role to serve – serve our members to help them thrive in their profession.”

Before assuming The SCEA Presidency in 2014, incoming The SCEA NEA Director Bernadette R. Hampton was a mathematics instructor and mathematics department chair at Battery Creek High School in Beaufort County for 21 years. She served as president of her local, The Beaufort County Education Association, from 2002 through 2008. She also served as the Vice President of The SCEA from 2010-2014.

Ms. Hampton has been a member of the United Education Profession for 25 years. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Morris College and a Master of Education from Cambridge College. She also received a second Master of Education in Teaching from the University of South Carolina located in Columbia, SC.   Ms. Hampton has been a member of the Morris College National Alumni Association Leadership Team from 2009 – 2014. She is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, as well as Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

“It’s a momentous time for our country, for our state, and for me personally. Educators across the nation are organizing, mobilizing, raising their voices, and making history on behalf of our profession and the students we serve,” said NEA Director Bernadette R. Hampton. “As an NEA Director, I look forward to bringing the voices of South Carolina’s educators into the national conversation, and to equipping our members and leaders here with the information and analysis they need to make the critical decisions ahead of us all.”