Walter Isaacson to speak at Liberty Fellowship Summit

Close to 1,000 Expected to Attend Strategy Session on Improving South Carolina

November 30 Noon – 6pm
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
 
COLUMBIA, SC – Change happens together or not at all. On November 30, hundreds of leaders from across South Carolina will tackle issues facing the state – together – at the second annual Liberty Fellowship Summit, being held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Transcending Tribalism, the Summit theme, is the crux of the noon – 6 PM event. Attendees will be challenged by national thought leaders and participate in interactive discussions on how to move from thought to action to make South Carolina better. Open to the public, Summit tickets are still available and must be purchased in advance online.
 
Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs biographer and CEO of the Aspen Institute, will kick-off the Summit with a keynote address on transcending tribalism. Isaacson’s remarks will focus on working collectively to move past barriers, or tribes, that can impede progress – geography, religion, gender, politics, race, etc.
 
South Carolina has a bright future if we can step out of our silos and collaborate on forward progress, commented Hayne Hipp, Liberty Fellowship founder. Each participant will have a chance to move toward action while meeting other leaders who share their desire to improve South Carolina. The fact that we have an outpouring of interest in the Summit again this year is incredibly exciting and says a lot about the direction this state is headed.
 
For the afternoon sessions, groups will be based on common interest areas, selected by attendees during the registration process. These subject matter experts will start the discussion on topics critical to South Carolina:
 

• Economic Development – Jack Markell, Governor of Delaware where he has helped open shuttered manufacturing facilities, made progress in public school reform, and signed new laws to drive improvements in the economy, environment, and education
• Environment – Andy Karsner, Chairman and CEO of Manifest Energy and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Health – Anton J. Gunn, M.S.W., Regional Director at the Region IV Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a Liberty Fellow
• Education – Kim Smith, Founding team member at Teach for America and Co-founder and CEO of Bellwether Education Partners, a non-profit organization working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students
• Public Policy – Mickey Edwards, former member of Congress where he served as a senior member of the House Appropriations and Budget Committees. Currently he is Director of the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship program for elected public officials

Following the speaker remarks, groups will work collaboratively on action plans for topics ranging from economic development strategy to gender equality to energy conservation.  Using a solution-based model, the goal is to end the day with action groups formed and next steps identified on select topics. The day will close with a networking hour to keep the conversations going.
 
A passion for South Carolina is the common ground uniting the hundreds of people who will be there November 30, commented Edens & Avant CEO and Liberty Fellow Terry Brown. It is time to stop talking and start doing, and this excites me most about the potential for the Summit this year. The pieces are in place to make that happen.
 
Isaacson will be signing copies of Steve Jobs the morning of the Summit from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the convention center. Books will be available for purchase. For more information and to register for the Summit, visit www.libertyfellowshipsc.org.
 

About Liberty Fellowship
Liberty Fellowship is a statewide leadership initiative founded by Hayne Hipp, Wofford College and The Aspen Institute. Through the Fellow program, Liberty Fellowship seeks to inspire outstanding leadership in South Carolina, empowering the state’s leaders to realize their full potential. Fostering a values-based approach, Liberty Fellowship exposes rising leaders to diverse perspectives, critical thinking, and intellectual and personal development. The Liberty Fellowship Summit is open to all South Carolinians. For more information: www.libertyfellowshipsc.org.