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H. 4925

STATUS INFORMATION

House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Alexander and Tedder
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24648ph22.docx

Introduced in the House on February 8, 2022
Adopted by the House on February 8, 2022

Summary: Dr. David E. Rivers

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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    2/8/2022  House   Introduced and adopted (House Journal-page 22)

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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/8/2022

TO EXPRESS PROFOUND SORROW UPON THE PASSING OF DR. DAVID E. RIVERS, PROFESSOR AND FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVE AT THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TO EXTEND DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS LOVING FAMILY AND HIS MANY FRIENDS.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of Dr. David E. Rivers on Friday, February 4, 2022; and

Whereas, Dr. Rivers earned degrees in urban affairs, political science, and public administration at Georgia State University and was a charter member of the school's first Black Greek organization, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. He was a graduate of the National Urban Fellows Program in Public Administration at Yale University and the Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Program at Furman University; and

Whereas, after serving three years in the United States Army, he joined the Medical University's faculty in 1995 and served in many distinguished capacities, promoting partnerships to build healthier communities; and

Whereas, Dr. Rivers served as principal investigator, administering over twenty million dollars in sponsored funding and collaborated to secure funding for over one hundred million dollars in national, state, and local programs during his career; and

Whereas, under his leadership, the Public Information and Community Outreach (PICO) initiative conducted nationwide community leaders' institutes to address the impact of health disparities and environmental issues in low-income, ethnic-minority communities and other underserved populations; and

Whereas, in recognition of his work on climate change and its impacts across the United States, Dr. Rivers received multiple nominations and won a Bronze Telly Award for highest viewership of a televised program produced by South Carolina ETV; and

Whereas, he planned and executed the National Conference on Health Disparities for nearly two decades, which provided a national dialogue to share progress in building healthy communities; and

Whereas, Dr. Rivers was Atlanta's first African American Commissioner of Budget and Planning, and served on the Atlanta Regional Commission, at Georgia State University, and the United States departments of Health and Human Services and Energy; and

Whereas, in 2009, he became the first African American to hold a citywide elected office in Charleston, serving as a commissioner of public works for the City of Charleston for which he also served as vice chairman and chairman; and

Whereas, Dr. Rivers served as board chairman of the National Urban Fellows, chairman of the James E. Clyburn Research and Scholarship Foundation, president of the Jonathan Green Foundation, and vice chairman of the Sea Island Comprehensive Health Care Corporation; and

Whereas, he served on the boards of the South Carolina Aquarium, My Brother's Keeper, 100 Black Men of Charleston, Allen University, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's 21st Century Council's Executive Committee, Charleston's First Reliance Bank advisory board, the Trident Urban League, the Community Foundation, and Charleston Regional Development Alliance; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives values the life and legacy of David Rivers and the example of service he set for all who knew him. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, express profound sorrow upon the passing of Dr. David E. Rivers, professor and founding director of the Public Information and Community Outreach initiative at the Medical University of South Carolina, and extend deepest sympathy to his loving family and his many friends.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. David E. Rivers.

This web page was last updated on March 4, 2022 at 8:51 AM