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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 SCOTT.

Committee Members In Attendance:

Senator Harvey S. Peeler, Jr., Chairman

Senator J. Yancey McGill

Representative Phyllis J. Henderson

Staff:

Martha Casto

SENATOR PEELER: I would like to call the meeting to order. This is a meeting of the Committee to Screen Candidates for Trustees for Colleges and Universities. I would like to welcome everyone here.

First, we have a candidate for the Fifth Congressional District, Seat Five. Charles E. "Chuck" Lewis from Gaffney for Coastal Carolina.

Chuck, if you would, please come forward.

Is the green light lit?

MR. LEWIS: The green light is lit.
SENATOR PEELER: Good.

MR. LEWIS: I would like to thank you, Senator Peeler, and all the committee for giving me the opportunity to meet with you today.
SENATOR PEELER: Thank you.

I'm going to swear you in. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help you God?
MR. LEWIS: I do.
SENATOR PEELER: Would you like to make a brief statement on why you would like to serve the Coastal Carolina board?
MR. LEWIS: Yes, sir. The big reason is my daughter graduated from Coastal Carolina in 1994. She was a basketball player. We lived in Virginia at the time and Gina Markland, who was the coach, came all the way to Virginia to watch her play and offered her a scholarship.

And she visited other schools, but fell in love with Coastal Carolina just like her mother and I did. I asked Kim sometime, "Why was it?" She said, "Well, one of the main things, when I looked at the dorms at other schools and then at Coastal Carolina, I had a little bit of room to move around and get some studies done." But we love Coastal Carolina. We ended up buying a little place in Myrtle Beach. We still go back and visit Coastal Carolina and have just been extremely impressed with the growth of Coastal Carolina, the buildings, the way they have maintained and improved everything. And even though I didn't go to Coastal Carolina, I feel a real part of it.
SENATOR PEELER: Thank you. Staff has a few standard questions for you. No?
MS. CASTO: We usually don't do that. I can go get the questions we ask for college and university, I mean, but --
SENATOR PEELER: Okay. You want to give us some background on him?
MS. CASTO: Yes. He's representing the Fifth Congressional District. This term expires in 2017. It's for Seat Five. Like he said, his daughter finished Coastal Carolina. She now is an assistant solicitor --
MR. LEWIS: That is correct.
MS. CASTO: In the Cherokee-Spartanburg circuit.

His driving record is good. There were no speeding tickets and no accidents on his driving report.
SENATOR PEELER: Wonderful.
MS. CASTO: And his SLED check came back great, and his finances are in order.
SENATOR PEELER: This is for the Fifth District seat, and you live in the Fifth District, you live in Gaffney?
MR. LEWIS: Yes, I do, sir.

SENATOR PEELER: Any questions? Comments?
SENATOR McGILL: Mr. Chairman, let me say this --
SENATOR PEELER: Yes.
SENATOR McGILL: -- that it's an honor for anyone to serve on any of these university and college boards and to think of you buying a residency or buying a place down on the coast to go and participate at Coastal Carolina University speaks well of you and your wife, your family.
MR. LEWIS: Thank you.
SENATOR McGILL: And I can tell you Dave DeCenzo is one of the finest presidents anywhere in this country, and you will enjoy working with him. They're an active board. As you stated, one of the fastest growing universities in South Carolina. You will make a great board member.
MR. LEWIS: Well, I appreciate it, and I look forward to serving.
SENATOR PEELER: Yes, sir.

Ms. Henderson, you all right? What's the will of --
SENATOR McGILL: Move favorable.
SENATOR PEELER: The motion is a favorable report.
REPRESENTATIVE HENDERSON: Second.
SENATOR PEELER: Second is heard. All in favor, raise your right hand.

Thank you, Chuck.
MR. LEWIS: Thank you. Thank all of you.

MS. CASTO: Our next candidate is for Medical University, Barbara Johnson-Williams.

If you can come forward. Ms. Williams is for the Sixth Congressional District on the MUSC board, the lay seat. The term expires in 2016. She is from Orangeburg, which is in the Sixth Congressional District.
SENATOR PEELER: If you would, please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Yes, I do.
SENATOR PEELER: Would you like to make a brief statement on why you would like to serve.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Thank you all, too, for having me here today.

Well, I think I could bring some perspective to the board and serve as connector between the communities, hopefully, and the university.
SENATOR PEELER: Good.
MS. CASTO: Has MUSC ever had a board member from Orangeburg? I don't -- we tried to --
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: From the county, I believe. Many years ago, I'm thinking, if I'm correct, Mrs. Addison, I think. I think she was.
MS. CASTO: Okay. Ms. Williams is an Army reservist, I think.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Army reservist, yes, that's correct.
MS. CASTO: Her driving is record is good. She has no speeding tickets and no accidents on her driving record, and her SLED check came back with nothing.
SENATOR PEELER: Good. I think the age you put on here is wrong. You can't be this age.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Yes, I am. 63.
SENATOR PEELER: Now, Chuck looks his age, but you don't. You found that fountain of youth, I think.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Thank you.
SENATOR PEELER: Any questions or comments?

Senator McGill.
SENATOR McGILL: Let me let you know up front that President Greenberg and certainly others that are on the board of trustees, they're excited that you're willing to serve. I've already heard them speaking well. Your background evidently is impeccable because they are bragging on you already and you hadn't got on the board.

But what an exciting, historical moment for you, but a historical moment for MUSC to have such an articulate individual that's willing to serve on that MUSC board.

And there was a lady who served from Orangeburg years ago. She was a great board member, and but we congratulate you as well.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Thank you, sir.
SENATOR PEELER: Thank you.

Ms. Henderson.
REPRESENTATIVE HENDERSON: Thank you for your willingness to serve. I was just looking, what was your state retirement? Were you a teacher?
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Well, I started as a teacher, and I ended up as a special education coordinator. When I left, that's where I was.

REPRESENTATIVE HENDERSON: Thank you, again, for your willingness to serve.

I'll make a motion to screen out Ms. Williams favorably.
SENATOR McGILL: Second, Chairman.
SENATOR PEELER: Motions heard. All in favor raise your right hand.

Thank you. I think we have two fine candidates.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Thank you so much.
MS. CASTO: Mr. Chairman, let me tell the candidates, we are trying to have the election before the legislature adjourns. It just depends on their schedule between now and June. We're trying to do it either when they come back for vetoes, which will be the middle of June. But we'll let you know as soon as we have something. And both of these are running unopposed.
MS. JOHNSON-WILLIAMS: Thank you all. Have a great day.
SENATOR PEELER: Hey, Senator Hayes. You're just in time to make a motion to adjourn.
REPRESENTATIVE HENDERSON: I make the motion to adjourn.
SENATOR PEELER: Thank you.

(The hearing concluded at 9:18 a.m.)

The Joint Legislative Committee to Screen Candidates for College and University Boards of Trustees found the following candidates qualified to stand for election to their respective Boards:

Coastal Carolina University Candidates
5th Congressional district-seat 5 -                 Charles E. Lewis
(expires 2017)                                   Gaffney, S.C.

Medical University of South Carolina
6th Congressional district (lay member)     Barbara Johnson-Williams
(expires 2016)                                 Orangeburg, S.C.

The Candidates are released to seek the vote of members of the General Assembly at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 3, 2013. In addition, members of the General Assembly are not permitted to issue letters of introduction, announcements of candidacy or

statements detailing a candidate's qualifications on behalf of a candidate, and are not permitted to offer a pledge to vote for a candidate until 10:00 a.m. on June 3, 2013.

Transcripts of the screening hearings will be available at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 31, 2013 at:
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/committeeinfo/Universities&CollegesScreeningCommittee/Univ&CollScreening.php.

In accordance with S. 745, the date for the election to these seats is Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 12 Noon in the House Chamber.

Respectfully submitted,
Sen. Harvey Peeler   , Jr.           Rep. William Whitmire

Chairman                     Vice Chairman
Sen. Thomas Alexander           Rep. David Mack III
Sen. Yancey McGill             Rep. Phyllis Henderson
Sen. Robert Hayes, Jr.           Rep. Peter McCoy, Jr.

At 11:15 A.M., on motion of Senator CROMER, the Senate adjourned to meet next Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at 10:30 A.M.

This web page was last updated on Friday, November 15, 2013 at 12:24 P.M.