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User: ar ward T me 02-17-2014 06:59 Product COL TheStateTab PubDate 02-17-2014 Zone State Ed t on 1st Pa e S ecial 01 Co or CMYK

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E2 MONDAY, FEBRUARY17, 2014 WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

What is a leader?It is someone who sees the Twin Towers fall and feels

a call to action that leads him to a life and career built

around protecting our country.

It is a little girl who is told she cant make a difference

but grows up to do it anyway as a dogged environmen-

tal steward.

It is a college student who stops to question what

really makes a fulfilling life and, then, sets out on a new

course, using his gift to give back to the community thathelped him realize his dream.

The Midlands is lucky that these folks and many

just like them found their calling right here in the

CapitalCity.

Each year, The State honors 20 rising business stars

under the age of 40 who are making a difference in the

community. They use their talents and gifts to make the

Midlands a better place whether they are building

character in young people, building houses for those in

need or building a closer neighborhood network.

Meet the young leaders who are piecing together a

bright future for the Midlands the 11th annual class

of 20 under 40 honorees.

Kristy Eppley Rupon

Bios compiled by: Kristy Eppley Rupon

Photographs by: Gerry Melendez

Jody A.Bedenbaugh

Page 15

AgataChydzinski

Page 7

Lucas C.ClampPage 3

KioshaGregg

Page 14

KaelaHarmonPage 17

Amy ClaytonPage 4

DavidClaytonPage 5

Joseph A.Cosci Jr.Page 8

Angela P.EnglishPage 9

Luke E.McCaryPage 16

ThomasMcElveenPage 19

R. AndrewFolks

Page 10

AaronGilchristPage 13

JillHammondMenhartPage 12

TommyPreston Jr.Page 18

Bob RuffPage 11

RyanWhittaker

Page 18

RebeccaHaynesPage 14

JohnJohnstonPage 16

JenniferStone

AshburnPage 6


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Age: 35

Occupation: Attorney atNexsen Pruet (member),

with a focus on commercialreal estate transactions,

commercial leasing, fi-nance, business forma-tions and general corpo-rate law

Family: Husband, David;daughter, Caroline, 6

Education: BS in biochem-istry, Clemson University;

JD, University of SouthCarolina School of Law

Community/professionalinvolvement: Urban LandInstitute Midlands Reali-ty Check, steering commit-tee, co-chairwoman of im-

plementation committee;CREW Midlands, board ofdirectors, marketing andcommunications commit-

tee; Columbia Museum ofArt Contemporaries Soci-ety; Girls on the Run of Co-lumbia, board of directors,fundraising committee;

Leadership Columbia,2012, and alumniassociation.

In my own words: One ofmy most vivid childhoodmemories is of the wordsmy father whispered in myear as he sent me off to myfirst day of kindergarten:Always try your best. We

will be proud of you if youalways try your best. His

words of comfort tran-scended the anxiety of thatfirst day of school to be-come a source of motiva-

tion throughout my life,driving me to find mybest through academicachievement and pursuit of

a challenging career, in-spiring my love of runningand fitness, as well aschanneling my energy anddetermination towardcommunity involvement asa way to encourage othersto also find their best. Isent my daughter off tokindergarten with the

same words!My life changed when: Myhusband and spent the firstsix months of our marriageliving in Munich, Germany.Having lived in South Car-olina my entire life, thisprovided an eye-openingexperience, as we adaptedour day-to-day lives to thechallenges and opportuni-ties presented by the cus-toms of different countries.

We appreciated and ab-sorbed the sense of com-munity spirit based in

healthy, walkable, dynam-ic urban cores coincident

with the preserved naturalbeauty of the countryside. I

returned from this experi-ence with a desire to incor-porate these broader per-spectives in my daily lifeand future.

You recently played a rolein the Reality Checkevent. How important is itto plan for future growth?Failure to plan is planning

to fail. The real estateboom (and ultimately bust)of the end of the last centu-ry and 2000s validates thisadage. I believe one of thekeys to economic successin a community is to create(thoughtfully and inten-tionally) a sense of place, a

vibrancy of culture that at-tracts both the best em-ployers and the brightestemployees, with exponen-tial benefits as these com-panies and individuals giveback to the community.

However, this goal cannotbe achieved without re-gional cooperating andplanning at all levels.

Amy Clayton


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WWW.THESTATE.COM THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA MONDAY, FEBRUARY17, 2014 E5

Age: 34

Occupation: Research di-rector, S.C. Department ofCommerce

Family:Wife, Amy; daugh-ter, Caroline

Education: B.S. in me-chanical engineering,Clemson; InternationalMBA, Moore School ofBusiness, University ofSouth Carolina

Community/professionalhighlights: Member ofCarolinas Nuclear Cluster,Science and TechnologyPlan Committee, Accelera-teSC Board, SmartStateEndowed Chairs TechnicalReview Committee, TDL

Council, S.C. EngineeringCluster Board, and varioustransportation planninggroups; youth sports coach

In my own words: My fam-ily has benefited immense-ly from the presence of thelargest corporations in ourstate. My dad recently re-

tired after a 30-plus-yearcareer at Michelin inGreenville. I worked as anengineer at General Elec-tric in Greenville and Wes-tinghouse Nuclear Fuels inColumbia. Ive receivedscholarships from Sonocoand BMW. Part of our mis-sion at Commerce is to at-tract more companies likethese and help them grow,so others can have thesame opportunities thatmy family and I have had.

What saying do you live

by? I was a Boy Scout andthis sentiment from RobertBaden-Powell really stuck

with me: The real way to

get happiness is by givingout happiness to other peo-ple. Try and leave this

world a little better thanyou found it. Its a simplemessage, but planting theidea in the head of a 10

year-old that he can makepositive change or leave alegacy is pretty powerful.

What did you want to bewhen you grew up? I want-ed design robots or air-planes. I think that desirepushed me into engineer-ing. Even as my career hasprogressed to finance andgovernment, I still enjoyfinding ways to be creativeand innovative.

You have worked to helpland some major employ-ers. But how important isentrepreneurship to thestates future? There hasbeen a lot of study on thetopic, but its easier to ask

where the state would bewithout companies like So-noco, Daniel Construction,

Milliken, Benefitfocus andDatastream. These compa-nies all started as small, en-trepreneurial endeavors,but have since createdthousands of jobs. Plus,successful founders rein-

vest in their communities.

How important is it to di-versify S.C.s job base? To

create employment oppor-tunities for our citizens, itsan imperative. Productivi-ty gains have made diversi-fication the only option.The automotive industry inthe state has quadrupledduring the last 20 years andthe aerospace industry wasall but nonexistent 10 yearsago. Initiatives like theSmartState programandbusiness incubatorsworkto strengthen our economyin growing sectors such asbiotechnology and infor-

mation technology. Im-provements in education,tax policy and basic infra-structure also will help.

David Clayton


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Age: 37

Occupation: Attorney andowner, Ashburn Law Firm;general counsel and com-pliance officer, SandhillsBank

Family: Husband, Patrick;dog, Little Bit; cats, Asia,

Viper, Briscoe, Tuna

Education: B.A., psycholo-gy, University of Massa-chusetts, Amherst; M.A.,industrial/organizationalpsychology, New York Uni-

versity; J.D., Brooklyn LawSchool

Community involvement/professional highlights:S.C. Young Lawyer of the

Year 2012; board member,

Central South Carolina

Habitat for Humanity; hasbeen active on severalUnited Way committees;one of Columbias Top

Women of Influence, 2013

In my own words: Thepractice of law is an intel-lectually stimulating andrewarding profession. Asan attorney, not only do Iresearch the law and pro-

vide legal advice, I have thehonor of helping clientsfind solutions to difficultproblems. Sometimes Ihave the opportunity to be

part of improving the law,either by establishing newprecedent or suggestingstatutory changes.

Through my work as a law-yer, I have met people fromall walks of life who haveinfluenced me. I have ma-ny opportunities to giveback to my communitythrough my profession,

whether I am supportingyoung lawyers or provid-ing wills free-of-charge to

Habitat for Humanityhomeowners.

What saying do you liveby? Chief Justice JeanToals motto of "leaving theladder down." We supporteach other by leaving theladder down to pull othersup. Others have pulled meup the ladder, and I hope todo the same.

My life changed when: Mylegal career was flourish-ing, but I realized some-thing was missing, and that

was giving back to thecommunity. Although I had

volunteered and partici-pated in community activi-ties during my youth, once

I graduated from lawschool I focused solely onmy career. I knew that I hadto start giving back.

You launched a programto provide free wills, liv-ing wills and health carepowers of attorney to Hab-itat homeowners? Howdoes it impact their lives?

When homeowners diewithout a will, it can be un-clear who will assume re-sponsibility for the homeand mortgage. Because the

Young Lawyers Divisionof the South Carolina Barprovided wills and otherend-of-life documents tofirst responders, I asked ifthis service could be ex-panded to include Habitatfor Humanity homeown-ers. The response, throughthe Habitat for Humanity

Wills Clinics, provided

end-of-life documents to334 Habitat homeownersduring the first two years ofoperation.

Jennifer Stone

Ashburn


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Age: 31

Occupation: General Manager, Cro-mers Pnuts

Family: Single

Education: BS Marketing/Finance,American Business School in Paris,and BS Marketing/Management,Moore School of Business at USC

Community and professional in-volvement: Judge and adviser forFIRST, a science and technology pro-gram for students, and the regionalFIRST robotics competition. Found-er of Keenan Terrace Nextdoor pri-

vate neighborhood social network.Former operations director at theUniversity of South Carolinas Tech-nology Incubator, providing consult-ing to more than 100 businesses.

In my own words: I have a passionfor Columbia and South Carolina. Ihave lived on three continents and

visited five. Most of my life was spentin cities with a population of 1 mil-

lion-plus. Being a part of a smallercommunity means that my actionscan affect other people. I can beheard, and I can make change hap-pen. I am not just a drop of water in a

vast ocean.My inspiration is: My parents, whohave inspired me to live my life to thefullest, without any regrets becausethey have taught me that mistakesare OK; its what I learn from themthat matters. My parents escaped adictatorship to live their dream in

Western Europe, and both my sisterand I left Europe to live ours in theUnited States.

My life changed when: I moved tothe US, because I made a decision tolive my life fully, without regrets.France was holding me back on ma-ny levels. Moving here gave me thefreedom I needed to be who I wantedto be.What did you want to be when

you grew up? Until my first market-ing class, an attorney. The class

helped me develop a passion for cus-tomers and the way they relate toproducts. It tapped into my creativityand challenged my thinking process.

How have you helped elevate Cro-mers during a recession?Creativity,heart and a VERY low PR budget. Ibelieve that the biggest investment

we can make in anything we under-take is our time and talent. I see the

potential that a family business likeCromers has. Sharing that visionwith my team and executing our planis one step further than what I used todo on a daily basis with the tech com-panies I worked with at the incuba-tor. At Cromers, I need to practicemy own advice. I get to see what

works, what fails and I get to physi-cally make it happen vs. being aspectator.

Why is community cohesiveness soimportant?A friend of mine is one ofthe developers of Nextdoor.com, anetwork that allows locals to findanything they need: from babysitters

to bridge groups all neighborhoodapproved and recommended. I creat-ed the Keenan Terrace page 12months ago and weve grown ourneighborly functions a great deal.

Agata Chydzinski


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Age: 36

Occupation: U.S. Army

Force Manager, U.S. ArmyCentral at Shaw Air ForceBase, Sumter

Family: Single

Education: B.S. manage-ment/professional militaryeducation

Community/professionalhighlights: Comman-dants List at Basic and Ca-reer Officers Courses; Ar-my Ranger School gradu-ate; honor graduate of Ar-my Force ManagementSchool; commanded twice

at the company-level; twodeployments to OperationIraqi Freedom; volunteer,Sumters National Anthem

Project; joined U.S. ArmyCentrals Mentor/Adopt a

School Program; formeryouth coach sports orga-nizer in New York

In my own words: I mustearn my keep as an Amer-ican citizen. Im the benefi-ciary of the incalculablesacrifice and ingenuity of

Americans who came be-fore me. In his 1961 Inau-gural Address, President

John F. Kennedy put forththe ultimate question: Asknot what your country cando for you, ask what youcan do for your country.

After the 9/11 terrorist at-tacks, it was my turn to ask.

Who is your inspiration?Jackie Robinson. His cour-

age and determination areincomparable. Hes one ofthe best ever and a leaderfor all times.

My life changed: Threedays after 9/11, when thecommander-in-chief told

America through a bull-horn that our enemies

would be hearing from allof us soon. It left an indel-ible mark. I internalizeddeeply the spirit to serve.Im a Long Island native; Iknew families from my oldneighborhood who lostbrothers who served thepeople of New York. I grad-uated from college and en-listed in the Army the fol-lowing spring.

How did enlisting changeyour life? I was workingpart-time as a K-12 substi-tute teacher when I enlist-ed in 02. Everythingschanged. Ive got morethan a decade of exposureto relentless, capable and

interesting people who aredriven by accomplishment.Ive experienced manybeautiful parts of the coun-try I love. A dynamic andrewarding professional ca-reer awaits those who drawon their strength andadapt. Most importantly,

American soldiers live theidea that no obstacle orchallenge is insurmount-able if you operate as ateam with unified purpose.

How will you use whatyouve learned going for-ward?The only constant ischange. I must be mindfulof institutional lessons-learned as they pertain to

Army force management.My role for the foreseeablefuture is to help Army deci-sion-makers allocate finiteresources across compet-

ing requirements to pro-duce the most capable, rea-dy and cost-effective forcefor the nation.

Maj. Joseph A.Cosci Jr.


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the New South program, ColumbiaCollege.

In my own words: I love what I do forFirst Citizens because, in my line of

work, no two days are ever alike.

Most of what I do in the communitypromotes education, affordablehousing, and the health and well-be-ing of children. First Citizens and thecommunity organizations with

which I am most involved do so manywonderful things in the Midlandsand across their geographical foot-prints. In addition to working withand learning from many talentedpeople, I enjoy being able to tell thestory of these organizations and ad-

vocate on their behalf to better servetheir constituencies.

What is your inspiration? My par-

ents. At an early age, they instilledpositive values, demonstrated astrong work ethic and taught me theimportance of paying it forward. As aresult, two sayings tend to guide my

Age: 33

Occupation: Director of CorporateCommunications, Senior Vice Presi-dent at First Citizens Bank

Family: Husband, Christian English

Education: Double major, Journal-ism and Mass Communication, andSpanish, University of North Caroli-na - Chapel Hill

Community/professional high-lights:Active member and MissionsCore Team member, Trenholm RoadUnited Methodist Church; boardpresident, Communities In Schoolsof the Midlands; board member, Co-lumbia Housing Development Corp.;member, Junior League of Columbia,United Ways Young Leaders Societyand Public Relations Society of

America; participated in First Citi-zens Leadership Development Pro-gram, CLIMB; completed the United

Way Blueprint for Leadership pro-gram; completed the Leadership for

actions and thoughts on a daily basis:Do unto others as you would havethem do unto you; and, true humilityis not thinking less of yourself; it isthinking of yourself less (C.S. Lewis).

Why are childrens issues close toyour heart? As clich as it maysound, children are our future, andevery child deserves the opportunityand the resources to realize their full

potential. These organizations helpchildren in need by providing sup-port and resources that may not oth-erwise be available.

First Citizens put a cutting edgebank caf in a renovated historicbuilding in downtown Columbia.How does the bank stay relevantthrough generations? The First Citi-zens Caf has been a way for us to en-hance our brand and presence onMain Street. The caf is a first-of-itskind concept in Columbia that allowsus to build relationships with caf pa-trons and introduce them to First Cit-

izens in a casual, relaxed and engag-ing setting. First Citizens stays rele-vant to consumers of all ages by pro-viding products and services throughmultiple delivery channels.

Angela P. English


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Age: 36

Occupation: Existing Business/Industry Manager, South Caroli-na Power Team

Family: Engaged to JuliaRamirez

Education: BS, Presbyterian Col-lege; Masters, Mass Communica-tion, University of South Carolina

Community/professional high-lights: member, South CarolinaEconomic Developers Associa-tion; member, Shandon Presby-terian Church, formerly servingas elder; president, Rotary Clubof Five Points, twice name Rotari-an of the Year; Leadership SouthCarolina, Class of 2011; EagleScout, Boy Scouts of America

What saying do you live by?I liveby my own saying which is Noone has been more richly blessedthan me. Live in a manner that i s

reciprocal.

My life changed when:Amongthe many lessons I learned in col-lege, two from my sophomore

year are as impactful today asthey were then. One: Every lifeexperience is valuable. Two: Bal-ance is the key. Once I took thoselessons to heart, college took offfor me. I continue to apply thosesame basic principles.

What did you want to be whenyou grew up?When I was a kid, itchanged a lot. I wanted to be pres-ident. I think I wanted to be a doc-tor for a while. It has been a longtime since Ive really thought onit. But what I aspire to today is ve-ry clear: Wherever possible, I

want to do something of worthfor someone else.

New big-name companies get alot of attention when they an-nounce they will bring jobs and

investment to the state. Youwork with existing companies.How important is it to work withexisting industry to keep them and their jobs -- in South Caroli-na? There is no greater compli-ment in economic developmentthan a company deciding to in-

vest in an existing facility and cre-ate new jobs. It means that the

community is doing it right. Itmeans that the state is doing itright. It means more opportunityfor our citizens. It doesnt get anybetter.

You became the youngest presi-dent of the Five Points RotaryClub last year. Why is it impor-tant for you not only to be in-

volved in the service organiza-tion, but also to take the helmand help guide it? Rotary is ahappy marriage between individ-uals who desire to serve othersand a tremendous network of

programs in which to fulfill thatdesire. My role as club presidentis to help connect the two togeth-er and, in the process, help as ma-ny people as possible.

R. Andrew Folks

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Age: 31

Occupation: Vice President, BrokerMarket Services, Colonial Life

Family:Wife, Chelsey Ruff

Education: Family Financial Man-agement, Virginia Tech; Masters inBusiness Administration, ClemsonUniversity

Community/professional high-lights: Palmetto Place ChildrensEmergency Shelter Board of Direc-tors; Youth Corps volunteer; United

Way Palmetto Society; United WayYoung Leaders Society; former Spe-cial Olympics volunteer; member,

Virginia Tech Football ACC Champi-onship Team, 2004

In my own words: I enjoy helpingothers. Professionally, I get to helpensure that people have the financial

security needed to help in difficulttimes. In the community, Im a big be-liever in giving back. Sometimes wecan get so caught up in work or life

that we fail to realize there are peopleout there that could use a little help.

What saying do you live by? Everyday before grade school, I wouldleave for the bus and my mom wouldsay Dont forget to be smart. Grow-ing up, I never gave it much thought;but now, I think about all the deci-sions someone is faced with in a day,and it doesnt hurt to remind yourself

to make smart decisions.What did you want to be when yougrew up? I always aspired to be a pro-fessional athlete. Though I was notable to make it to that level, I havetaken the drive and passion I had forsports and applied it to my profes-sional career. Its about the team. I

work hard for Colonial Life to winand that in turns provides working

Americans with financial protection.

You are heavily involved in helpingchildren. What drives that? I consid-er myself blessed to have grown up ina large family. I want to do my part to

help children grow up in an atmo-sphere where they can create greatmemories, as well. It may not be thesame opportunity I had, but Palmetto

Place Childrens Emergency Sheltercan provide a safe and nurturing en-

vironment to give kids that chance.

You achieved a high level of successat a young age. To what do you attri-bute your work ethic? I was taught ata very young age that if you wanted toexcel in whatever youre doing then

you had to put in the time and effort. Iapproach every opportunity with

that thought. I was also fortunateenough to have two very loving par-ents, which included a father who Ilooked up to as a mentor. For as longas I can remember, my father was upevery day at 4 a.m. to go to work and

would return around dinner time. Heworked his way up from a front lineelectrical engineer to a senior vicepresident and eventually presidentfor a Fortune 500 company. However,I dont recall a time when he missedmine or my sisters events. He wouldtake a red eye home from the westcoast or drive through the night ifneeded. If I can accomplish half of

what hes done in the way hes doneit, I would consider my career a suc-cess. Of course, my competitive sidereminds me that I need to do it better!

Bob Ruff


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Age: 39

Occupation: Director ofOrganizational Develop-ment for VC3

Family: Husband, David;yellow Lab, Riley; cat,Maggie

Education: University ofSouth Carolina, MooreSchool of Business, BS inMarketing and Manage-ment, with a concentrationin human resources. Cur-rently pursuing MA degreein Organizational Changeand Leadership at Colum-bia College.

Community/professionalhighlights: Certified Se-nior Professional in Hu-

man Resources, ColumbiaSociety for Human Re-source Management boardmember, IT-oLogy Pro-mote IT Council member,USC Career Center Em-ployer Advisory Board,Midlands Technical Col-lege TelecommunicationsSystems Management Ad-

visory Committee, Mid-lands Education Business

Alliance IT Alliance

In my own words: Being ahuman resources profes-sional allows me to tie whatI love to do so easily with

being involved in the com-munity. One of the highpoints of my professionallife is watching people

grow in their careers, fromhiring someone right out ofcollege, and then seeingthem progress into manag-ing their own teams.I alsoenjoy helping people figureout what they are passion-ate about. Life is too shortto spend your days in a jobthat doesnt fulfill you.

What is your favorite lead-ership quote? Before youare a leader, success is allabout growing yourself.

When you become a leader,success is all about grow-ing others. Jack Welch

What did you want to bewhen you grew up?A vet-erinarian. I changed mymind when I volunteered

with our familys veterinar-ian! When I was a junior incollege, I took my first hu-man resources manage-ment class and something

just clicked. Human re-sources offers the ability tobe involved across all orga-nizational levels and is cen-

tered on buildingrelationships.

You started at VC3 just be-fore the recession started.

What were your challeng-es? Fortunately, the reces-sion was advantageous for

VC3 in that it increased thepool of talented systemsengineers and software en-

gineers seeking employ-ment at the time we neededthem most. The constantchallenge is finding theright fit for our positionsand for the culture of ourcompany.

Why is being a mentor im-portant to you? I thinkmost of us can look backand remember the people

we considered mentors inour lives and the influencethey had on our successes.I believe that we need men-tors throughout our lives to

help us continue to grow.We all have gifts and tal-ents that are meant to beshared with others!

Jill Hammond

Menhart


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Age: 34

Occupation: Global busi-ness director, Bridge to Life

Family:Wife, Shani; sons,Jack, 7, and Bryant, 3

Education: B.S. in financeand in management, with aspecialization in interna-tional business with cogni-tive in German, Universityof South Carolina

Community involvement/professional highlights:board member, GabrielHouse of Care; preliminary

judge, CETi/USC ProvingGrounds; volunteer bas-ketball coach, Trinity Ca-thedral; sponsorship chair,Contemporaries of the Co-

lumbia Museum of ArtIn your own words: Grow-ing up in South Carolina, Idid not have a great deal of

daily exposure to the rest ofthe world. It was only afterI was enrolled at USC that Ibecame exposed to the

world of global potential, ifI was willing to respect oth-er cultures, learn languageand work really hard. Ivemaintained that philoso-phy in both my career andpersonal life, and have al-

ways kept in mind that Iwanted others from SouthCarolina to have the sameopportunity I did. This is

why I chose to seek inter-national work from here.

Who is your inspiration?My grandfather, BishopMaurice Aaron Frye, be-cause he exuded such qual-

ities of fairness, equalityand international diploma-cy in his life and throughhis work in the church.

My life changed when:Ive never told him this, butthe well-known retired lo-cal sports reporter JoeDaggett came and spoke toa class of us German stu-dents while I was at Caroli-na. Among other things, hesaid something to the effectof, if you want to see the

world, go now. Otherwiseyoull get married, havekids, start a career, and

youll be old like me beforeyou get to do it. Thank youfor the strong nudge!

You helped recruit Bridgeto Life to the Midlandsand then later joined thecompany. What appealedto you about the work? It

was a very fortunate step tohave been given the oppor-tunity to recruit business toSC. Bridge to Life supplieslife-saving organ preserva-

tion solutions and othermedical products globallynow, right here in Colum-bia. Two things I was

drawn by: First, I was keento see a small companysucceed, through pro-grams that the state offers.

We need to continue togrow and create fertileground for such compa-nies to thrive and succeed.Second, organ transplantis a tremendously impor-tant medical and culturallyunderserved field. With ashortage of organs, and ov-er 120,000 people in Amer-ica alone on the wait list, itis so important to makecertain we have enough or-gans to transplant.Why do

you serve as a volunteerbasketball coach? Beingaround young people is sospecial, first, selfishly, be-cause it keeps me young as

well! Secondly it is great towork with kids at forma-tive years. Coaching allows

you the chance to instill im-portant values in lifethrough preparation, hard

work and competition.

Aaron Gilchrist


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Age: 31

Occupation: Director of government

relations for Conservation Voters ofSouth Carolina

Family: Engaged to Robert Daviswith a small house full of rescue dogs

Education: B.A. in political science,environmental ethics undergraduatecertificate, and M.S. in conservationecology and sustainable develop-ment, University of Georgia

Community/professional high-lights: President of the EarlewoodCommunity Citizens Organization,founder/past chair of the NoMa BarkPark, Bull St. Advisory Commission

In my own words: Ive been a tree-

hugger since the beginning, and Imnot afraid to claim it. Growing up

with a zookeeper mom, I was intro-duced to nature in unusual ways. Iheld my first snake when I was four. Ireceived a national environmentalaward from Firestone Tires when I

was eight. I was the first (and only)

child to receive the TBS Supercitizenof the Week at age nine. Those earlyexperiences taught me how to advo-cate (and win) with a pragmatic, rea-sonable and passionate approach.

My life changed when: Growingup, I aimed for stability and a solidplan. I did everything right out ofgrad school. I got a job, bought ahouse and got married. Four yearslater, I was relieved to be divorced,starting over and switching to a ca-reer in the non-profit sector. It wasterrifying. It tested me. It made mestronger. I learned that I could makemistakes. I could divert from theplan it would be OK.

What did you want to be when you

grew up?When I was in sixth grade, Iwanted to be a game warden in Afri-ca to save elephants from poachers.

While interviewing me for a schoolaward, the principal told me that wasa silly dream. I did eventually choosea career with a lower mortality rate,but Ill never forget how little support

I got.

What is the most critical environ-mental issue facing the Midlands?The Midlands should be defined bythe Three Rivers, yet we often forgetthey are there. We blithely water ourlawns, wash our cars and run the

spigot just a little too long becausethe rivers are full. One day soon,however, we will regret these actions.

We will fight over water. Our years ofneglect will haunt us as we realize

what a great resource we had.

You serve on the Bull Street adviso-ry committee. What needs to hap-pen there? The Bull Street develop-ment offers us an opportunity to startfresh. We have a canvas of historicbuildings, majestic trees, and a ne-glected watershed to make into whatan urban center should be. I cant

wait to see Columbia Common withits bustling mixed use area and wal-

kability. I cant wait to see SmithBranch restored to a free-flowing,daylighted creek with a park alongits banks. I cant wait for the enter-tainment possibilities. I cant wait toincrease our tax base and utilize suchan interesting historic village.

Rebecca Haynes

Age: 25

Occupation: Owner ofDigitize Marketing

Family: Single

Education: B.A. in English,specialty in journalism,Communication minor,Columbia College; Masterof Mass Communication,University of South Caroli-na. Certified Inbound Mar-keting Specialist.

Community/professionalhighlights: Named Influ-ential Woman in Businessand Rising Star, ColumbiaRegional Business Report;Small Business AdvisoryBoard, Greater ColumbiaChamber of Commerce;Membership Committee

Chair, Capital City Club;Leadership Columbia,2014; Marketing AdvisoryBoard, City Center Part-nership; Marketing Com-

mittee, SC Mission Mid-lands; Gala Committee,Columbia Museum of Art.

What saying do you liveby? Do not go where thepath may lead, go instead

where there is no path andleave a trail. Ralph Wal-do Emerson

My life changed when:Days after Christmas, dur-ing my freshman year atColumbia College, my fam-ily experienced a housefire. In minutes, we

watched all of our materialpossessions vanish beforeour eyes. For over a month,

we were without perma-nent residence and lived ina hotel. Through the over-

whelming support from

family, friends and thecommunity at large, we

were able to move into anew fully furnished home

with our down payment

funded by donations. Forme, this experience reaf-firmed the generosity stillpresent in humanity. Thisexperience keeps megrounded in what is mostsignificant and valuable.

What do you aspire to? Inlife, I aspire to live in peace,

walk in my purpose andoperate at my maximumpotential. This is how Imeasure happiness andsuccess.

You became an entrepre-neur at a very young age.

Why did you decide toopen your own business? Ialways wanted to own abusiness, but I never imag-ined I would have startedmy first company at 23. Af-ter receiving my masters, I

was presented with two in-triguing job offers. After

reviewing both options, Iwas not content with eitheropportunity. Both positionsoffered competitive sala-ries, however, neither pro-

vided the adventure, chal-lenge and personal fulfill-ment I needed to obtain inthe next chapter of my life.Through a multitude ofcounsel and prayer, I real-ized the best option for me

was to pursue my passionin new media. From there, Iself-financed and foundedan online marketing agen-cy. I would absolutely, posi-tively, without questionmake the same decision topursue entrepreneurship.

You have a commitment tomentoring young peopleand getting them involvedin the business communi-ty. Why? I am 100 percentcertain that without mymentors, I would not be

where I am today. My men-tors opened my eyes to op-portunities available to me

and provided me with thewisdom and encourage-ment to accomplish them.It is my responsibility topass this forward to others.

Kiosha Gregg


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Age: 36

Occupation: Attorney with NelsonMullins Riley & Scarborough

Family:Wife, Emily Brady

Education: B.S. business adminis-tration, University of South CarolinaHonors College; J.D., USC School ofLaw

Community involvement/profes-sional highlights: United Way of theMidlands, served on the initial Steer-ing Committee of the Young LeadersSociety; graduate of Leadership Co-lumbia and Leadership South Caroli-na; executive committee, RichlandCounty Bar Association

Who is your inspiration? I am fortu-nate to have several mentors at Nel-son Mullins, but my parents are thefoundation for any success that Ive

had. Two things stand out. First, theprimary rule in our house was that if

we did something, we were to givemaximum effort. Certainly, academ-

ics were stressed, but sports were themain outlet for my brother and megrowing up in Prosperity. I learnedthe relationship between hard workand success and developed a workethic. Second, I remember my momfrequently taking me to the old New-berry County public library duringthe summers, where they had thisgreat kids section in the basement. I

was often the only one there andspent a lot of time researching

whatever was on my mind and stillremember the empowering feelingof having access to all of those books.

My life changed when: I can thinkof a couple of turning points. First,May 24, 2002, the day I met my future

wife, Emily. We had no friends incommon, she was in college at Dukeand I was in law school here, but we

happened to be at the same restau-rant on that day and struck up a con-versation.Meeting her changed thetrajectory of my life. Professionally,

with my areas of practice represent-ing banks and other creditors in statecourt and bankruptcy court theGreat Recession was certainly a chal-lenging time. I remember being inNew York for a conference in 2008 asLehman Brothers was collapsing,reading the coverage and seeing thefear of economic collapse become areality. Having the privilege to help anumber of clients through this time

was certainly an irreplaceable learn-ing experience for me as a younglawyer.

What did you want to be when yougrew up? I always wanted to be a law-

yer, though my only notion as a kid ofwhat a lawyer actually did came frombooks, TV shows and movies. My

work now is nothing like those TVshows, but I made a good choice.

Why is your volunteer work impor-tant to you? I served as a co-chair last

year for the Richlands County BarsBuildable Hours project, where weraised money and built a Habitat

house for a very deserving youngfamily. It is incredibly rewarding tohelp someone in need, and it is a partof the culture of Nelson Mullins.

Jody A. Bedenbaugh


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Age: 34

Occupation: Architect atLambert Architecture +Construction Services

Family:Wife, Liz McCary

Education: Bachelor of ar-chitecture, Virginia Tech

Community /professionalhighlights: AIA Columbiaboard member, formerpresident; AIA S.C. Chap-ter, president; partnered

with Columbia Museum ofArt on several programs;developed Legacy Cha-rette to give back to com-munity; organized Colum-bia Gingerbread Competi-tion; Saluda River TroutUnlimited Chapter, former

presidentIn my own words: The pro-cess of architecture, devel-oping an idea from a visioninto reality, is an engagingpractice that is ever chang-ing and evolving. As an ar-chitect, I have the opportu-

nity to improve the lives ofothers through creativeand thoughtful design. I

volunteer my time in hopesthat I can have the samepositive impact on mycommunity.

My life changed when:Professionally and person-ally Id have to say my life-changing moment was thesemester I spent travellingEurope and studying archi-tecture through the Virgin-ia Tech Study Abroad pro-gram. Experiencing suchpowerful architecture real-ly made me see the profes-sion in a different way andrealize what an impactgood design can have on

you both physically andemotionally.

What did you want to bewhen you grew up?For thelongest time, I thought I

would follow in my grand-fathers footsteps and be-come a doctor. I excelled in

science and math, but thecombination of an infor-mative anatomy class and acreative drafting teacher inhigh school altered mypath towards architecture.

As the youngest presidentto lead the S.C. AIA chap-

ter, you developed the Di-saster Response Commit-tee. Why was that impor-tant? I was fortunate to bein a position to help devel-op the committee after sev-eral of our members, in-cluding me, were trainedas certified safety asses-sors for emergency man-agement services. Archi-tects would be part of thesecond wave of respondersafter a disaster. Our goal

would be to inspect facili-ties and determine quickly

if it is safe for residents toreturn. When a disasterstrikes an area, it is the vol-unteers from the otherparts of the state that willbe called upon. Thats whyit is so important that wetrain our members all over

South Carolina and devel-op an organized networkof volunteers. We have theability to help people getback to their homes fasterand start rebuilding theircommunities. I cant thinkof a more important use ofour resources.

You developed the firstTrout in the Classroomprogram in Columbia.

Why is it important forkids to learn in such ahands-on way? Unfortu-nately many kids todaydont get to experience theoutdoors like past genera-tions. If we dont exposethem to the importance ofnature now, there wont beanything left to conserve inthe future. Trout in theClassroom teaches kids

about ecosystems, life cy-cles and how all parts of lifeare interconnected. A childmay not remember everylesson in school, but they

will remember raisingtrout from tiny eggs and re-leasing them into the river.

Luke E. McCary

Age: 34

Occupation: Chief Operating Of-ficer, Ed Robinson Laundry andDry Cleaners and affiliatedCompanies

Family: Wife, Ainsley Johnston;sons, John Johnston, 4, and Oli-

ver Johnston, 2

Education:Wofford College

Community/professional high-lights: Deacon, Shandon BaptistChurch; president-elect, Colum-bia Rotary Club; F3 (Fitness, Fel-lowship and Faith) Leader; andgraduate, Leadership Legacy

Why do you do what you do pro-fessionally and for the commu-nity? Lead others to reach theirfull potential

What saying do you live by?Du-ty is the sublimest word in the En-glish language. You should do

your duty in all things. You cannever do more, you should never

wish to do less. Robert E. Lee

My life changed when: Themajor turning point in my life

came in November 2003 when Idedicated my life to serve theLord. I was 23 years old, servingas an Infantry Platoon Leader inthe Army and was six weeks fromdeploying to Iraq. There was a lotabout the situation that felt over-

whelming, but on that particularnight, I felt the presence of theLord and felt a calming and pur-pose to the life I was called to live.

What did you want to be whenyou grew up?A Leader of anytype. As boys, we all dream of be-ing the sports star or the war herobut those callings are reservedfor a few. Bottom line: When aboy grows into a man, he wants tobe the one that can be counted on

when the stakes are high in anysituation and in any environ-ment. Presently, that means be-ing the best father I can be andleading a business or organiza-tion through uncertain economictimes.

You have headed up a companyduring one of the worst reces-sions in a lifetime and increased

sales. How did you accomplishthat? What were the challenges?Teamwork. Ed Robinson Compa-nies has a talented group of lead-ers and dedicated employees. Weare goal-focused and team-ori-ented. In the thick of the reces-sion, as a leadership group we de-cided to focus on our employees.Recruiting, trusting and empow-ering them became our focus,and the employees exceeded allexpectations.

What lessons did you learn dur-ing your service in Iraq? Howhave they helped you succeed?

Always have a plan and includecontingencies. Prepare for the

worst and hope for the best.

John Johnston


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Age: 30

Occupation: Public rela-tions/government affairsmanager for ColumbiaMetropolitan Airport

Family: Parents, Odist andCharita Harmon; brother,Odist Harmon III

Education: Ridge ViewHigh School; Washington& Lee University, B.A.

Journalism & MassCommunications

Community/professionalhighlights: Formerly, ad-

vancement coordinator forS.C. Confederate RelicRoom; volunteer, United

Ways Midlands ReadingConsortium; Leadership

Columbia 2013; boardmember, AMIkids, a non-profit working with DJJ toprovide a jail alternative

In my own words: I chosethe communications fieldin order to equip people

with information thatwould allow them to makethe best decisions. My job

allows me to do just that bysharing how CAE supportsthe economy, connectsbusinesses, brings familiestogether and allows peopleto explore the world.

What saying do you liveby? This simple phrasesummarizes how I try tolive my life: Say some-thing that matters, besomeone who inspires, dosomething that lasts.

My life changed when:Im at a real turning point

right now. You hear a lot oftalk these days about theThird Metric of Successand Leaning In and all of

that really resonates withme. I am blessed enough tobe in a career that affordsme the intrinsic satisfac-tion of doing what I loveand Im excited about be-ing able to grow in my pro-fession and as a leader.

You lead a program to rec-ognize military families

during USC footballgames. Why? Our MilitaryFamily of the Game pro-gram recognizes the sacri-fice of the families who areat home while their lovedones are away serving ourcountry and once we real-ized we could reunite fami-lies, it was a no-brainer. Itsa lot of work, but it is so re-

warding. I cant begin todescribe the feeling ofstanding on the sidelineright before the reunionknowing that I and thou-

sands of others are gettingready to witness some-thing special. As the videorolls and the crowd begins

to realize whats happen-ing, you can feel the excite-ment grow. And then thefamily sees their soldierand their reactions arepriceless; itll bring tears to

your eyes every time.

You work with a variety oforganizations helpingkids. Why is it important

to touch young lives? Ihave been volunteeringwith the Midlands ReadingConsortium for several

years. One of the thingsthey taught us in training isthat children learn to readuntil third grade; after that,they read to learn. Unfortu-nately, there are too manychildren in our community

who are not getting thefoundation they need togrow into their full poten-tial. The little bit of time wespend with these kids as

volunteers helps preparethem for their future edu-cation and helps build theirself-esteem.

Kaela Harmon


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Age: 28

Occupation: Attorney with NexsenPruet and public policy adviser withNexsen Pruet Strategies

Family:Wife, Felicia

Education: University of South Car-olina, BA in political science and his-tory; University of South CarolinaSchool of Law, juris doctor

Community/professional high-lights: Midtown Fellowship, mem-ber; chair, USC Board of Visitors; MyCarolina Alumni Association, Boardof Governors member and ExecutiveCommittee; USC Presidents Com-munity Advisory Committee; Na-tional Center for State Courts, younglawyer committee member; founder,Cockys Reading Express; Sister-care, board member; Bill and Melin-

da Gates Millennium Scholars Alum-ni Association, national president;National Conference of Chief Justic-es Civil Justice Improvements Com-

mittee, member

What saying do you live by? Mat-thew 5:16: In the same way, let yourlight shine before others, so that theymay see your good works and give

glory to your Father who is in heav-en. My faith is most important to meand defines who I am. I hope thatpeople see what I do in my life as areflection of my love for God.

What did you want to be when yougrew up? I cant believe Im admit-ting this, but I used to think I was go-ing to grow up to become the firstblack president of the United States.However, 2008 ended that aspiration.

With all honesty though, as I havegotten older and wiser, I realize that apolitical office is not the only way oreven the best way to serve.

You created Cockys Reading Ex-

press eight years ago. Did youdream it would be so successful? IN-ever in a million years did I think

Cockys Reading Express would bethe success it is today. When I con-ceived the idea, I simply thought theprogram would be a nice way to ex-pose Cocky to the community andmore importantly get college stu-dents in the public talking about thesignificant problems with illiteracyin our state. Now the program is oneof the most popular literacy pro-grams in South Carolina. We have

visited every county in the state andgiven over 70,000 books to children.

You are president of the GatesScholars Alumni Association. Whydo you serve?The Gates Scholarship

was a game changer for me. It pro-vided me with the opportunity to goto any college in the country for free.Instead of having to get a job, I spentmy time in college studying, gettinginvolved in student government,serving as a page for Senator LarryMartin at the State House and intern-ing on Capitol Hill. So, when the op-portunity presented itself for me to

take on the role as president , it was ano-brainer. This experience gives methe chance to give back to a programthat has given so much to me.

Tommy Preston Jr.

Age: 36

Occupation: Chef andowner of 116 Espresso and

Wine Bar

Family:Wife, Cheryl; par-ents, Barbara and Mark

Education: Irmo HighSchool, two years HonorsCollege at University ofSouth Carolina; AmericanCulinary Federation Ap-prenticeship Program

Community/professionalhighlights: Three-year

winner of ACFMidlandsJunior Chef of the Year;support, SC Philharmonic,

YLS, SlowFood Columbia,Sustainable Midlands,

March of Dimes, PalmettoPlace Childrens Shelter

In my own words: Im of-ten asked why I got into therestaurant business. Thereare not many professions

where you can receive theinstant gratification a chef

does from creating a dish,presenting it to a customerand seeing a completelyclean plate come back.That sort of feedback or asimple thank you from acustomer in the diningroom can instantly makeall the hard work worth-

while.

Who is your inspiration? Ican remember my grand-father telling me quite of-ten that anything worthdoing is worth doing well.Its a simple idea, but one Itry to latch on to every day.

My life changed: Duringmy second year at USC. I

was in some fairly intense

classes in the Honors Col-lege and Science Depart-ment that year and some ofthem were those make orbreak ones where theyreally try to separate out

who was going to survive. Ididnt want to or wasnt

able to succeed at myfriends expense. Its justnot how Im built. That was

when I decided to take a se-mester off and think about

what I really enjoyed.Lucky for me, executivechef Richard Snidar at theEmbassy Suites here intown gave me a shot tocook and learn when I hadzero experience outsidemy home kitchen.

Why is it important to youto use locally sourcedproducts? There are so ma-ny benefits to local food.First is a sense of terrior

which is technically a wineterm but I think it works. Itrefers to a sense of placebeing part of the taste ofsomething. For example,

sitting on the coast watch-ing a shrimp boat come in,smelling the salt ai r, feelingthe warmth of the sun, thentasting all of that or tryingto reflect all of those as-pects later in a dish. Tied in

with all of this is also the

ability to get to know yourfarmer, to know where

your food comes from andbe connected to it.

Why is it important foryou to be involved in ev-ery aspect of food service

from cooking to greetingguests to cleaning up? Imamicro manager and reallybad at delegating! In allhonesty, when we started Ididnt have a choice. To sur-

vive I had to cook, washdishes, put away groceries,make drinks, screw up myaccounting, clean toilets...

whatever needed to getdone. My wife and I put ev-ery dollar we had into a bigrisk and we were luckyenough to have an incred-ible staff that saw our vi-

sion and ran with it, greatneighbors who believed inus and came in week after

week, and family that werescared to death we weremaking a huge mistake butsupported us. Thats why Igive back.

Ryan Whittaker


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Age: 36

Occupation: Lawyer and partner atthe Bryan Law Firm of SC, Sumter;state senator, District 35

Family: Wife, Bronwyn; daughter,

Adelaide, 4 months; two dogs, Way-lon and Wilson

Education: Davidson College, B.A.;University of South Carolina Schoolof Law, J.D.

Community/professional high-lights: Leadership Sumter; Leader-ship South Carolina 2014; SumterSertoma Club; deacon, youth counciladviser and lifelong member at FirstPresbyterian Church, Sumter;Shaw-Sumter Community Council;Greater Sumter Chamber of Com-merce board of directors; SC Cham-ber of Commerce Business Advo-

cate award recipient for 2013; cho-sen as one of approximately 60 statelegislators from across America to at-tend the 2013 State Legislative Lead-

ers Foundations Emerging LeadersProgram at the University of Virgin-ias Darden School of Business

Who is your inspiration? My dad,Joe McElveen, has been a positive

role model in my life for as long as Ican remember, and I am proud tohave followed a path similar to his.He is a selfless and dedicated publicservant who loves his hometown,and I am blessed to have a father whocontinues to inspire me by setting agood example.

My life changed when: I began cam-paigning across four counties in a re-drawn Senate district starting in Feb-ruary 2012. I had so much help fromso many good people, which con-stantly fueled me to work as hard as Icould when we were campaigning. Itseemed like it was 247 for the better

part of a year, but it was worth everysecond. I always said that win or lose,my life was enriched by all of thefriendships I made along the way.

What did you want to be when yougrew up? I began college on the pre-med track, but that only lasted untilright about the time I took cellularand molecular biology during myfirst semester!

You are the youngest S.C. senatorcurrently serving. What drives yourinterest in public service? I live andpractice law in my hometown of

Sumter, and my interest in publicservice stems from my desire tomake this area as great as it can be.Id like to see more people my ageand younger begin to more activelyengage in public service.

Whats the biggest challenge orchallenges facing our state and

what are our legislators doing toovercome them? Our Legislatureneeds to get better at setting our pri-orities in order so that they reflect theneeds and desires of the people werepresent. Regardless of our party af-filiations or the different areas from

which we hail, we need to be better at

looking for ways we can work togeth-er rather than focusing singularly onthe red herring political issues that

will continue to polarize us.

Thomas McElveen


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