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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR BARNWELL'S MAYOR MARCUS RIVERA UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS ELECTION AS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO FILL THAT POST IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives were pleased to learn that Barnwell native Marcus Rivera was elected Tuesday, March 12, 2019, to serve as the city's mayor; and
Whereas, Mayor Rivera succeeded former Mayor Dr. Edward Lemon, who served in the position for nearly twenty-two years until he stepped down on January 1, 2019; and
Whereas, this historic election of the city's first African American mayor comes at a time when the City of Barnwell will have many challenges and opportunities in the coming years; and
Whereas, in the special election, Mayor Rivera managed to secure his position by receiving 497 out of 892 total votes and plans to put forth his efforts into continuing to make Barnwell a great place to live, work, and raise a family; and
Whereas, a graduate of Barnwell High School, he attended Barbara Scotia College in North Carolina, where he majored in English and played basketball; and
Whereas, Mayor Rivera's extensive experience in the community and mentoring youth include work with Boys to Men, a youth organization in Concord, North Carolina, and working with children enrolled in the after-school program for the Axis I Counseling Center in Barnwell. He currently serves as the founder and president of the board of Boyz2Men, Inc., a youth development program in Barnwell; and
Whereas, the mayor dedicates countless hours coaching middle school youth in Barnwell School District 45, where he currently serves as the boys varsity basketball coach. He also volunteers with the Barnwell Recreation Department, lending his time and talent to youth playing little league basketball, football, baseball, and softball; and
Whereas, an integrated solutions manager with AT&T Mobility, he volunteers with the company's Aspire program, a community service initiative that pairs AT&T employees with at-risk students in local grade schools. Along the way Mayor Rivera has stepped into a variety of other roles that include retail consultant, senior wireless consultant, assistant store manager, and subject matter expert for the lower Savannah area; and
Whereas, passionate in his endeavors and committed to continued education, Mayor Rivera was also awarded a scholarship to the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie to complete their leadership program; and
Whereas, Mayor Rivera has been blessed through this journey with the support of his wife, Shonda, and their five children; and
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are pleased to learn that Mayor Marcus Rivera will be serving Barnwell as the city's chief executive and wish him every success as he takes office. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Barnwell's Mayor Marcus Rivera upon the occasion of his election as the first African American to fill that post in the city's history.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Mayor Marcus Rivera.
This web page was last updated on February 13, 2020 at 11:43 AM