University Center Announces New Community-Based Board of Trustees
Additional Leadership Changes Accompany Organization Refocus
The University Center of Greenville, Inc. is a coalition of university and community leaders dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunities for the Greater Greenville area. The center offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate degrees through eight institution partners: Clemson, Furman, Lander, Greenville Tech, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina State, University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina Upstate. It offers state-of-the-art technologies and diverse delivery systems, including day, evening, weekend, and distance classes, for both traditional and adult students.
Bringing together public and private sector leaders and higher education institutions positions UCG to meet the education and talent needs of its citizens, and help drive Greenville's competitiveness. Since the Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s 2009 Community Report Card placed Greenville 15% behind other competitor cities in terms of the adult population with bachelor degrees, the University Center of Greenville has been working with area leaders and industry partners to increase the community educational level by more than 40,000 new degrees.
Having an educated population greatly impacts both quality of life and available talent for area businesses. There exists a significant attainment gap between where Greenville is educationally and where it needs to be to match similar-sized communities like Richmond, Knoxville and Jacksonville. Based on analyses by the national CEOs for Cities, an increase of 40,000 degrees in Greenville will generate approximately $1.4 billion in the Upstate’s annual economy.
Director of Economic Development for the City of Greenville Nancy Whitworth adds, “For Greenville to remain competitive in the global economic market, we must focus on closing the educational degree attainment gap. The University Center’s strategic approach will provide us with the focus and roadmap to make that happen.”
To bring the voice of Greenville’s business leaders to the forefront of closing that gap, the University Center announces its new governing Board of Trustees:
Dr. James Barker, President, Clemson University
Ms. Julie Godshall Brown, President, Godshall Professional Recruiting & Staffing Firm
Honorable Merl Code, former Municipal Court Judge & Attorney, Ogletree Deakins Law Firm
Mr. Robert Hughes, President, Hughes Development Corporation
Mr. Erwin Maddrey, President, Maddrey & Associates
Dr. Keith Miller, President, Greenville Technical College
Dr. Thomas Moore, Chancellor, University of South Carolina Upstate
Mr. Tim Reed, President, Principal, Margin Holdings
Ms. Minor Mickel Shaw, President, Micco Corporation
Mr. J. Coleman Shouse, Owner, Lazarus-Shouse Communities
Mr. Rodney Smolla, President, Furman University
Representative Tommy Stringer, District 18, SC House of Representatives
Representative David Sudduth, Administrative Director, Finance & Government Affairs, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System & Mayor Pro Tem, Greenville City Council, District 4
Honorable Nick Theodore, Former Lt. Governor of South Carolina
Dr. Garrison Walters, Director of Academic Affairs, SC Commission on Higher Education
Mr. John Warner, Founder & CEO, InnoVenture
Ms. Nancy Whitworth, Director of Economic Development, City of Greenville
Mr. Paul Wickensimer, Clerk of Court, Greenville County Government
Board of Trustees Chair Minor Mickel Shaw says, “Having an adequately educated population is truly a workforce talent issue, so that is why it is so important for Greenville’s business leaders to be leading the way.”
Under the new Board of Trustees’ guidance, the University Center will continue to work closely with member Universities, and is connecting with other organizations, like MDC I North Carolina, an educational nonprofit organization, as well as the Southern Regional Education Board based in Atlanta. These types of organizations work to shed light on factors impacting the attainment gap. Dr. David Dodson, MDC Executive Director, recently spoke at the University Center’s community Board of Visitors meeting, noting that many communities are becoming aware of the economic and quality of life dividends of increasing citizen education. Key to a community’s success is the engagement of leadership in understanding and advancing educational access and success. The UCG Board of Trustees is a clear example of engaged community leadership.
“The Board of Trustees, working with Fred [Baus] and David [Taylor], provide a proper mix of local folks who understand the need to educate people for the jobs that need to be filled and those that will need to be filled in the new ‘knowledge economy.’ The Board composition has a great mix of public and private members who represent the educational, business, and social needs of our community,” says Erwin Maddrey, president of Maddrey & Associates.
In addition to the Board of Trustees, the University Center also depends on the continued academic program guidance and leadership provided by the Academic Council, consisting of:
Dr. Joyce Blackwell, Vice President for Academic Affairs, South Carolina State University
Dr. John Beckford, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean, Furman University
Dr. Marsha Dowell, Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of South Carolina Upstate
Dr. Dori Helms, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost, Clemson University
Dr. Danny McKenzie, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty, Lander University
Dr. Chris Plyler, Vice Provost for System Affairs & Executive Dean for Regional Campuses and Continuing Education, University of South Carolina
Dr. T. Michael Raley, Acting Director, SC Commission on Higher Education
Mr. Steve Valand, Vice President for Education, Greenville Technical College
Capitalizing on the new community support, the University Center also adopted a new strategic plan that includes initiatives to address some of the attainment gap factors, including outreach to typically-underserved populations, as well as identifying ‘near-completers,’ or individuals that have some higher educated, but did not finish a degree.
Accompanying the new strategic plan is a shift in the University Center internal leadership. Dr. Fred Baus will step down as President, and remain in his role as Chief Executive Officer, managing special projects. David A. Taylor, who joined the University Center in May 2011 as Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of President with responsibility for all University Center Operations.
“David Taylor brings a collaborative management style and deep business experience to the leadership role at the Center. In his brief tenure at UCG, David has already made a significant contribution to the Center’s focus and direction serving Upstate citizens. I am excited to work closely with David and the new UCG Board of Trustees,” says Baus.
Taylor, a Tennessee-native, has extensive senior leadership experience in finance, accounting, operations, information systems & services, and supply chain management. He will lead the new strategic plan at the University Center to bring the organization to a more sustainable long-term financial state, as well as position the center for growth in regards to present and future initiatives.
"The University Center of Greenville, Inc. is uniquely positioned to facilitate and support the citizens of our community with access to, and attainment of, Higher Education Degree Programs from a broad array of Universities at a central location. The outstanding combination of the University Center's Board of Trustees, Academic Council, and Board of Visitors provides us with the leadership, direction, and support to ensure we are focused on the correct strategies and programs most beneficial to our citizens and economic community," Taylor adds.
These leadership adjustments are a proactive response to addressing the educational state of the Greenville community. Future plans also include repurposing the University Center’s Board of Visitors, a community-based advisory group, into more active, initiative-based roles.
For more information about the University Center, visit www.UCGreenville.org. David Taylor can be reached at 864-250-1111 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .