South Carolina General Assembly
116th Session, 2005-2006
Journal of the Senate

Printed Page 1412 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006

Friday, March 24, 2006
(Local Session)


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

The Senate assembled at 11:00 A.M., the hour to which it stood adjourned, and was called to order by the ACTING PRESIDENT, Senator SHEHEEN.

REPORT RECEIVED

The following was received:

COMMITTEE TO SCREEN CANDIDATES FOR BOARDS OF
TRUSTEES OF STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Memorandum To:     Clerk of the House

Clerk of the Senate

Re:     Committee Hearings, March 21, 2006

Findings of Fact

The Committee to Screen Candidates for Boards of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities finds the following candidates for Boards of Trustees qualified. Background reports from the State Law Enforcement Division show no felony charges against any of the candidates.

Coastal Carolina University

6th District, seat 12                 Mr. Joseph Wayne George

Mrs. Ann Kirven Sanders

Respectfully submitted,
Rep. Olin Phillips, Chrm.             Sen. Thomas Alexander
Rep. Becky Martin                   Sen. Linda Short
Rep. Lanny F. Littlejohn             Sen. Jake Knotts
Rep. Jesse E. Hines                 Sen. Harvey S. Peeler, Jr.

Printed Page 1413 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006

Tuesday, March 21, 2006
11:33 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

The candidate screening conducted on March 21st, 2006, Room 501, Blatt Building, Columbia, South Carolina before Sonya K. Grice, Court Reporter and Notary Public in and for the State of South Carolina.

APPEARANCES:
Representative Olin Phillips
Representative Lanny F. Littlejohn
Sophia Floyd, Administrative Assistant

CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: We'll go ahead and start. I'll call the meeting of the Joint Committee to Screen Candidates for our Boards of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities. The committee members present today is Representative Lanny Littlejohn of Spartanburg, Cherokee Counties; and myself, Representative Olin Phillips from Gaffney, Cherokee County; and taking dictation for us today is Sonya Grice of the Creel agency and Sophia Floyd with the committee, acting as our secretary to the committee. As you both stand, I want to swear both of you at one time. Please raise your right hand. The information given here today be the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
CANDIDATES: Yes.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Thank you very much. The first candidate would be Mr. Wayne George. Joseph Wayne George for candidate for the Coastal Carolina University, 6th District, Seat 12. Mr. George, please stand, sir.
MR. GEORGE: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Mr. George, we have a couple of questions I need to ask you. Do you have any health-related problems that would keep you from, if you're elected, by serving in a full capacity with the Board?
MR. GEORGE: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Do you have any elected positions or appointed positions now in your community that would cause a conflict of interest by serving, a dual-office holding?
MR. GEORGE: No, sir.

Printed Page 1414 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Okay. Do your hobbies or your business, would it not interfere with being a member of the Board of Coastal Carolina University?
MR. GEORGE: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Thank you, sir. If you'll give us a brief statement we'd appreciate it.
MR. GEORGE: Okay. I'm a life-long resident of Mullins, South Carolina. That's been my home forever. I live about 35 miles from Coastal Carolina. And Coastal Carolina is very special to me. I was sort of a poor high school student, grade-wise, and Coastal offered me a basketball scholarship coming out of Mullins High School. I attended the college for two years and transferred to the University of South Carolina and later went on to finish college on weekends and at night. Coastal is special to me. I've kept up with it. Although I'm not a alumnus of the college, I've gone back and participated in some of the basketball alumni games. I've also participated there on other functions for the college. It's been something I've followed over the years. My family is a hundred percent in support of the college. My oldest son now is a junior. Jeff is a junior, studying business, at the college, the university. My second oldest son will attend, he's just been accepted to attend Coastal and he will attend in the fall. So I'll have my two oldest children, and I'm sure my third one is going to probably follow, too. My third boy. I have three boys. I have a concern. I love the college. One concern I have is being sure that we allow our in-state students to attend the college. That has been a concern of mine, to be sure that there's enough open positions for freshmen to attend. My second thing, I think that my background in public service and government and business, that I can help maybe from a fund-raising standpoint. I know that money is tight with all universities and colleges in South Carolina, and I think with my background I can do that. I've been a person that believes in community service. In 2004, Mullins awarded me the Community Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. In 2004 I was recognized by the Department of Commerce for my activities there in Mullins in the revitalization of downtown. The Historic and Preservation of South Carolina Chapter awarded me the Elected Official of the Year in 2004. I spent 24 years in local government serving Mullins and, as I said, I believe in community service. Past President of the Rotary Club, past President of the Chamber of Commerce, and I'm very involved the city. I wanted to, and sort of in closing, Mr. Chairman, I don't know how much time,
Printed Page 1415 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006
if I've taken too much time or not enough, but in closing, education has meant so much to me, personally. Not only at Coastal, but as I said, I was not bragging or not boasting, but I was not a good high school student, I was not a good college student coming out of high school. I had to go back and I struggled, raising a family and trying to make a living, to go back and finish at night and on the weekends. The appreciation, it might sound corny, but I think due to my business and my government experience, the last year I've taken on another role as a part-time professor. Both at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, and Conway, the neighboring school there, and Coastal allowed me to teach two courses, two business courses, there at the college in 2004. In this past semester at the University of South Carolina, I taught an insurance class, a junior level class. So it's really meant something to me, so you can see I love and have a fondness for education and I think getting back involved, there's been a void in my life since I left public office in 2004, and I think this position on the Coastal Carolina Trustee Board would certainly fill that void. Thank you very much for your attention and time. And if I can answer any question, I'll be glad to.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Thank you very much. Representative Littlejohn, do you have any questions?
REPRESENTATIVE LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Chairman, I don't have anything. It looks good.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Thank you for offering. I don't have any either but I thank you for offering yourself to serve on the Coastal Carolina Board. Good luck to you. Thank you very much.
MR. GEORGE: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Okay. Now we'll hear from Ms. Sanders. Now, Ms. Sanders, please stand. Ann Sanders?
MS. SANDERS: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Okay. I'll ask you the same questions I asked him. Do you have any health-related problems that would prevent you from serving as a full-time member of the Board?
MS. SANDERS: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: None. Do you have any hobbies or any conflicts of interest by any kind of occupation that would cause a conflict of interest by serving on that Board?
MS. SANDERS: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Do you hold any elected or appointed positions in your community now?
MS. SANDERS: No, sir.
Printed Page 1416 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: None. Thank you. Well, give us a short statement, if you don't mind.
MS. SANDERS: Well, as you can see, Mr. Chairman, from my Letter of Intent, I, too, have served in the public sector for the past 31 years as Director of Planned and Behavioral Health Services. During that time I've had the opportunity to serve on numerous boards and commissions. I've been President of the South Carolina Behavioral Health Services Association, which is all the alcohol and drug abuse directors in the state. I have served two terms on our Chamber of Commerce, and during one of those terms I had the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the Education Committee. And in meeting with business and industries in our small rural county, I realize just how much education means in luring businesses to our communities. And especially communities like Clarendon County and most rural parts of our state we desperately need business and industry to come in and help our economy. And one of the complaints they have is we are not preparing our young people to meet those needs and, therefore, like in our county, [inaudible], we lost over I think a hundred slots in our county because we just didn't have the workforce that we needed. So I believe that education is extremely important, as you can see from my Letter of Intent, I got my original masters degree in counseling from the University of South Carolina and then went back at a much older age to get a second masters in human resource management. And I'm also a licensed professional counselor so I continue to get at least 60 hours of continuing education every year. I think that education is the key to economic success both in our counties, in our state, and certainly in our nation. I did not attend the Coastal Carolina University but I have watched with interest through the years how much they've grown. I know that Horry County is certainly growing. Every time you go it just seems like you don't know where anymore people are going to be placed in that area. But I believe that I, with my administrative background, and we've always had sound physical management at our agency, which is not always true sometimes of state and county agencies. So I believe that with that strong administrative background that I have the expertise to be a good board member and could contribute to this Board of Trustees.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Thank you very much. Representative Littlejohn, do you have any questions of Ms. Sanders?
REPRESENTATIVE LITTLEJOHN: I don't think so, Mr. Chairman. We've got two good people.
Printed Page 1417 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: All right. I would think so. I don't have any either, Ms. Sanders. Thank you for offering your services and, certainly, whichever one of you are elected to serve, it's fortunate to Coastal Carolina that we do have two good people wanting to fill the seat that was held by Representative Cathy Harvin, who resigned to run for the House after the untimely death of her husband.
REPRESENTATIVE LITTLEJOHN: How much time is left on that term, Mr. Chairman? Do you know?
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: I don't have it.
MS. FLOYD: I've got it written down. Is it two years?
MR. GEORGE: I was thinking it was two years.
REPRESENTATIVE LITTLEJOHN: Two years.
MS. FLOYD: '08? I believe it's '08.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: But to fill the unexpired term of Representative Harvin. Cathy Harvin. We thank both of you for coming and we thank you for your service.
MR. GEORGE: Thank you.
MS. SANDERS: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Any other business to take care of?
MS. FLOYD: I'll be in touch when y'all can start asking for commitments.
MR. GEORGE: We can't ask for two today?
MS. FLOYD: No.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: With 170 to go. We'll put your statements in the journal next ...
MS. FLOYD: Ask Sonya, she's in charge. Can you do it by next Tuesday?
COURT REPORTER: Yes.
MS. FLOYD: Okay. So Thursday at noon.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: So next Thursday at twelve noon you may seek commitments. Now, when the election comes off, we'll have to let you know because it will be separate from the next election which will be held ...
MS. FLOYD: April the 4th.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: ... April the 4th. Yours will come later, a couple of three or four weeks after that.
MS. FLOYD: Give you a little more time.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Gives you a little more time to solicit votes. Thank you very much.
MS. FLOYD: And I'll mail you a copy of the transcripts. Thank y'all.
Printed Page 1418 . . . . . Friday, March 24, 2006
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: Any other business to take care of at this time?
REPRESENTATIVE LITTLEJOHN: No.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS: If not, I'll call the meeting adjourned. Thank you for coming, Representative Littlejohn.
(The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m.)

On motion of Senator KNOTTS, with unanimous consent, ordered printed in the Journal.

MOTION ADOPTED

On motion of Senator CLEARY, with unanimous consent, the Senate stood adjourned out of respect to the memory of Marilyn D. Jones of Garden City, S.C.

ADJOURNMENT

At 11:24 A.M., on motion of Senator JACKSON, the Senate adjourned to meet next Tuesday, March 28, 2006, at 12:00 Noon.

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