Feb. 21, 2014 UBJ

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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UBJ

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Celebrating the Doers

By Mark Johnston | President and CEO, Community Journals Publishing Group mjohnston@communityjournals.com

Three years ago, Community Journals partnered with The Community Foundation to create the Charitable Giving Awards. In a special issue of TOWN Magazine, we highlighted the individuals and companies that have made an impact through their goodwill and dedicated service to this community. We also acknowledged them in front of their peers at a special awards ceremony.

The success of the Charitable Giving Awards was on our minds when we launched the Upstate Business Journal in 2012. We began looking for an opportunity to create a similar way to acknowledge the individuals contributing to the Upstate’s business community.

When we looked at the way these people have been highlighted in the past, we wanted to create a system that we thought was more inclusive and transparent. On page 6, we explain this process in detail.

From our very first conversations last year, we focused on the hopes that this process would uncover many of those in this community who do not already have walls full of awards and are always front and center in the headlines. But we learned an important lesson during the deliberation process: These folks win the awards for a reason. The consistent theme to our selection panel’s discussion was that they based their criteria on how each individual made an economic impact on the Upstate and what they did above and beyond their professional role or call of duty. At the end of the workday, do they go home, or are they out in the community making a difference?

Obviously, there were many individuals who we were not able to include. I’m sure many will jump to your mind, as well, and I hope you’ll let us know about them. Our plan is to continue to cover this ground going

At the end of the workday, do they go home, or are they out in the community making a difference? forward next year and continue to recognize those folks – the doers – who make our town special.

In addition to this year’s Who’s Who award winners, we have also created a “Ones to Watch” list of individuals who are also making a difference and that we want you all to know more about. We will be profiling some of these people monthly over the next year, giving you an inside look into their contributions and ideas on how this business community can continue to evolve.

But this week, please join me in congratulating our inaugural Who’s Who class. Once you read their stories, I think you’ll agree that these are indeed some of the spark starters, noise makers and game changers who have helped to build the Upstate business community that’s becoming the envy of the region, the country and the world at large.

As for the future of that community, and of Who’s Who – that has yet to be written. We can’t wait to discover it along with you.

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

SPONSOR’S NOTE

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

By Samuel L. Erwin | Chairman and CEO of The Palmetto Bank

The Palmetto Bank has the distinct pleasure of sponsoring the inaugural Who’s Who event hosted by the Upstate Business Journal.

As a 107-year-old institution, The Palmetto Bank has a long legacy of serving the Upstate and today stands as one of the largest community banks in South Carolina. The Palmetto Bank has grown as the Upstate has grown, and we take seriously our responsibility to provide leadership and invest in the ongoing progress of the Upstate. As a result, we have a great appreciation for the leaders who have made the Upstate the vibrant and healthy region that it is today. It is our honor as part of Who’s Who to recognize a group of leaders who have given so much to enrich our community and make it a better place to live, work and play.

So what can we learn from this year’s Who’s Who leaders, and what can we learn from their commitment and actions that will enable us to build upon what they have already done to continue the momentum of moving the Upstate forward?

These leaders come from different professions and backgrounds, and have accomplished uniquely different things.

They committed themselves to lifelong learning to distinguish themselves as experts in their chosen fields. They made personal and professional sacrifices and worked with perseverance through the ups and downs of economic cycles. They took risks along the way to articulate and then achieve their dreams, and their success has become our success.

Above all else, their personal success was achieved in the context of serving the rest of us through community dedication and involvement – with achievement of their personal goals significantly contributing to the Upstate becoming a better place to live, work and play. For the Upstate, the collective success of the Who’s Who class has created a rising tide that has lifted all our boats.

The magnitude of their collective achieve-

ments has had a transformative impact not only on our communities in the Upstate, but also on our state and our country. As the benefactors of their success, we should not only be inspired by what they have accomplished, but we should also join with them in their efforts to continue the progress of the Upstate. To continue building on their strong legacy, as those who claim this community as our home, we must remain committed to continuing to cultivate a collaborative environment so energetic, so engaging and so receptive to positive change that we are the fertile field upon which new businesses and individuals are seeded, cultivated and grown.

We must continue our investments in education, ensuring that the generation of today is equipped to flourish in the future, whether through a specialty twoyear associate’s degree, four-year college degree, or advanced professional degree.

We must continue to engender a positive business and living environment to entice young professionals and entrepreneurs to make the Upstate their home to start a business and a family.

We must continue to draw foreign investment by providing the right incentives, educated workforce, commitment to the arts, and quality of life to position the Upstate as a diverse and cultured region to do business.

And we must continue to provide support and guidance to those striving to make a better life for themselves and contribute to the Upstate through productive employment.

By excelling at these things, I have no doubt our Upstate tide will rise and we will collectively continue to thrive.

The inaugural Who’s Who class members have given of themselves to ensure their families and their communities are better today for their efforts; and that we have a bright future ahead of us. The challenge for each of us who call the Upstate home is to be similarly engaged, committed and passionate about our personal contributions to this wonderful region called the Upstate of South Carolina.

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What are the quality details of a good shoe? Certainly the first thing to look for is the type of leather from which the shoe is made. Quality calfskin without blemishes and imperfection is desired.

The calfskin should be hand rubbed and polished without a glossy, lacquered finish. Lacquer hides imperfections in the leather and gives the shoe an unnatural shine.

Another quality detail is welted construction. A genuine Goodyear welt is top quality leather welting which is securely stitched through the upper to the insole rib. A quality leather sole is sewn onto the welt; there is no glue involved. This will ensure long life and comfort and makes resoling a shoe easy.

However, the most important thing to remember is to maintain your shoes by brushing them daily, polishing them regularly, using cedar shoe trees between wearing, rotating wear between your shoes and replacing the soles and heels when worn.

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UBJ

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 5

UBJ

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WHO’S WHO 2014

The Who’s Who Selection Process Finding this year’s Who’s Who winners was up to nominators from the public and a panel of volunteer judges from the community. It was no easy task. They looked for people who make an economic impact on the Upstate and also go above and beyond their professional roles or calls of duty.

Not shying away from known names, the goal was for a strong class that met the criteria and would set an example for our future leaders.

1. Community Panel selection: An independent panel of five community leaders was chosen to review nominations and select this years Who’s Who class.

2. Nominations: Nominations were open to the public from Sept. 20 to Dec. 16 2013 via downloadable forms and online submissions to the UBJ website. A total of 127 nominations were received.

3. Selection: Each Community Panel member chose 10 nominees to discuss at a deliberation meeting, which yielded 36 names due to overlapping selections. Each of the 36 was discussed for two minutes before each judge rated the nominee on a scale of 1-5 by the following criteria: • What did they contribute in 2013?

• What have they done to date?

• What are they doing to move this business community forward?

The eight highest scores became the inaugural Who’s Who class.

4. Who’s Who event: On Thursday Feb. 20, winners were acknowledged at a private event in front of a who’s who audience of Greenville’s business executives.

5. Who’s Who special issue: The UBJ issue you are reading now was created to call attention to the activities and accomplishments of these eight individuals.

YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED Please join us for

AS AN INAUGURAL VIP “WH

O'S WHO” GUEST

A CELEBRATORY REVEAL

as we honor

Eight of the Upstate's Nois

emakers, Gamechanger

Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 5:30 pm Clemson MBA Programs's 5th Floor and Rooftop Terrac e ONE Building Complimentary tickets are reserved for you and a guest .

Kindly RSVP to Kate Madd en by February 7th 864-6 79-1254 or kmadden@communityj ournals.com.

Attire: Business Best

6 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 21, 2014

s, and Spark Starters

UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

National Engineers Week Gray Engineering would like to celebrate the 64th annual National Engineers Week, February 16–22, 2014 by thanking the Upstate for the nearly 30 years of service entrusted to us to help build, promote, preserve and improve our great counties, cities, towns and neighborhoods.

BEHIND THE SCENES with photographer Patrick Cox during his shoot with Bob Hughes, our inaugural Real Estate Development AND Lifetime Achievement Who’s Who honoree, sponsored by The Palmetto Bank, South Carolina.

For nearly three decades, Gray Engineering has been honored to provide services as a team member in the construction industry to our community, our state, and many other states across the country. We have provided civil engineering services for hundreds of clients on thousands of projects of every size and scope. We serve both public sector and private sector Clients, which include commercial, industrial and residential.

Gray Engineering has a dedicated team of professionals with over 150 years combined experience specializing in sitework design, land planning, utility and road construction.

We can deliver Value Engineering on Design/Build projects

Using the Upstate Business Journal’s Who’s Who logo, J.B. Lacher Jewelers in Greenville is creating custom cufflinks and bracelets for all of this year’s Who’s Who winners.

for Contractors and Design/Bid projects for Owners, Developers, and Architects.

As a local business, we have always strived to give back our time and assistance to our Community who has entrusted so much in us over the years. So at this time during National Engineers Week, Gray Engineering would like to celebrate and thank our great neighbors in our great hometown for all your valued and much appreciated support since 1984.

Gray Engineering Consultants 132 Pilgrim Road Greenville, SC 29607 (864) 297-3027 www.GrayEngineering.com February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

The Who’s Who Panel The 2014 Who’s Who panelists agreed to take on a difficult – yet exciting – task: Sift through dozens of worthy nominations from all around the Upstate, and help us find the first batch of winners for an award that didn’t exist yet.

This week we see the results of their hard work. The panelists each took a moment to sit down with UBJ and share a bit about themselves and their goals in helping us celebrate Who’s Who in the Upstate.

Jerry Dempsey is former CEO of BorgWarner Corp. and currently serves on the boards of the Clemson School of Engineering and Greenville Health System.

Dr. Phinnize “Penny” Fisher is a former Greenville County Schools superintendent and chairwoman of the Spartanburg Methodist College board of trustees.

Why did you agree to serve on the Who’s Who panel? I’m interested in learning more about the nominees and their backgrounds and so forth because I think that those are the people who are making significant contributions to the advancement of Greenville. I’m interested in learning what they are and what they’ve done.

I’m sure I will be surprised, since I’ve only lived in Greenville 16 years.

What are some parts of the Upstate outside Greenville where we can see what’s next?

With young entrepreneurs and those in the tech sector. The people in the background, the researchers, the people who are creating and designing. I don’t know how often we look at people who develop and design; it’s not always just the owner – it’s the people with the imagination and the creativity to make it happen.

We have to say, “We value what you do and we value what you bring to the table.”

How do you know who’s who when you see them? I think the first criterion is vision. Someone has to have a vision of where they’re trying to take an organization or company. So I always look at someone that’s been visionary, and then has been able to accomplish the vision. And someone that’s made a contribution to the well being of the community. A lot of the nonprofits have done a great job.

Why are you serving on the Who’s Who panel? I feel the way other people do about Greenville and supporting our community. I thought this was a way I could help and contribute. It’s a great idea and it always helps to honor people who push us forward in our community. This looked like something I could do to help out in a different kind of way.

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February 21, 2014

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WHO’S WHO 2014

Andy Cajka’s expertise is in the hospitality industry. He is the founder and president of Southern Hospitality Group and has been in Greenville since 1996.

Lillian Brock Flemming is vice mayor pro tem and District 2 representative for Greenville City Council. She is also an employment recruiter for Greenville County Schools.

Will Ragland teaches theater at Woodmont High School in Piedmont and was named Greenville County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2012–2013.

What talents and attitudes push the Upstate forward?

We have very diversified talents with a willingness to accept best practices from various places.

I reflect back on some of the Chamber visits that I have been able to go on, and I have noticed that there is a willingness to accept ideas and there is a very can-do attitude. I have also seen a very strong sense of philanthropy through people willing to share their time and resources.

What are the talents and attitudes you’ve seen that push the Upstate forward?

I have a love for Greenville.

There’s a spirit of collaboration here, a desire to achieve greatness and a willingness to talk and study issues.

There’s a community spirit of “Let’s get together and do something better than before.”

Things are definitely happening within the city of Greenville, and it seems to change from week to week. More people are sprucing up their homes, and there’s planning going on right now for the Westside. I think we should focus on the rest of Greenville County in areas such as I-385 and I-85. I’d like to see more parks and green spaces as I think people are becoming more conscious of that.

What parts of the Upstate should we be looking at to see what’s next? There have been noticeable grassroots efforts in terms of cultural development in the smaller communities surrounding Greenville.

Many of these organizations have taken advantage of existing historic structures and given them a second life while launching highly successful community programs. Prime examples include the Fountain Inn Civic Center (now the Younts Center for Performing Arts), the Greer Cultural Arts Council and the Greer Children’s Theatre, and the Mauldin Cultural Center. Other communities are also working toward creating their own cultural organizations and centers.

Two exciting places to keep our eyes on are Simpsonville and the Williamston, Pelzer, West Pelzer area.

What parts of the Upstate should we look at to see what’s next?

First, I really believe that the Upstate is gaining recognition of our beautiful natural resources. It’s a question of how we leverage those assets. We should watch Spartanburg’s downtown. There are over a half-dozen institutes of higher learning in the downtown area. Development of amenities to allow those attending schools to live closer to each college is something to look at going forward. Also, core areas where we have seen great residential growth, like Fountain Inn and Greer. They are really leveraging assets that make them desirable with expansion of arts and restaurants.

What’s the best advice you wish you’d listened to the first time?

Do not be afraid to take risks. My mom gave me that advice. She also said it’s important to never think that you don’t have the quality or skills. And to give as much as is truly required.

What’s the best advice you wish you’d listened to the first time? Worrying gets you nowhere.

How do you know Who’s Who when you see them? I always admire those who work the hardest, seek the least praise, and put their talents to use for the betterment of others.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

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Real Estate Development and Lifetime Achievement . . . BOB HUGHES AGE: 61 HOMETOWN: Greenville OCCUPATION: President, Hughes Development Corp.

EDUCATION: B.A. in economics and political science, Duke University; J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Liberty Fellowship senior advisor; chairman, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities; board of trustees, University Center; board, Greenville County Schools Foundation; member, South Carolina Bar Association FAMILY: Wife, Bunny; children Cary, 34; Helen, 31; Robert, 30.

D

eveloper Bob Hughes has been at the forefront of downtown Greenville’s renaissance for years. Projects like NEXT, RiverPlace and ONE, all developed

by Hughes Development, are synonymous with the ever-changing Greenville skyline.

Hughes started working “the Monday after I graduated from college” and launched Hughes Development in 1991.

He was 39 at the time with three children and no steady income, but was “strongly encouraged” to go into the family business.

“It was a big risk,” he says. He had no grand plan about the types of projects he wanted to do, just an idea that he wanted to make Greenville a place where “young, married people would want to live.”

“All the way through, I’ve been trying to figure out the magic,” Hughes said. “When I did shopping centers, I would put in more trees and put in more sidewalks. I was trying to build what’s called a place. A place is somewhere you go to – where you start to do something you want to do. I was always trying to make my projects into a place. So doing mixed-use, which is what we do now, that’s a place. A bridge between work and home. It’s all about quality of life.”

While Hughes is still committed to downtown Greenville projects, such as ONE and working on the expansion of RiverPlace, he’s also now expanding his vision to Columbia, taking on the $1.2 billion Bull Street project.

Somewhat reluctant to be in the spotlight, Hughes is a dedicated family man who thrives on the constant change and challenges the business brings to him. He says he loves real estate because “I don’t have to do the same thing I did yesterday.”

His current office is what you would expect for a successful executive – a wall of dark wood bookcases, a large, older desk and views of the city he has helped build. Awards that he has received are kept in the adjoining bathroom because he doesn’t want to “flaunt them.”

With all three of his children working in the business with him, Hughes is focused on the future. The company will be moving soon into new offices at the ONE building with one of his daughters overseeing the move. His son Robert oversees other projects, and another daughter telecommutes from Boston. “It’s really great to have them all here,” says Hughes.

12 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

What’s a typical day like for you? A quick early-morning meeting to set the day, and then usually appointments back-toback-to-back. One of the best things I can get is a canceled appointment to give me time to get some work done.

So what kind of people are you meeting with? Well, here’s an example – this morning I met with someone who is interested in how Greenville is growing and what’s going on here. This afternoon I meet with city staff in Columbia to talk about the Bull Street project.

Twice a week we have staff meetings with senior staff, and those last a couple of hours.

A lot of the meetings I have are with people who have ideas about ways to make Greenville better. This week alone I have five meetings with people who want talk about things they want to do for Greenville.

At this point in your career, do you see yourself as an ambassador for Greenville?

No [laughing], I don’t know what I’m doing. I think maybe if I knew what I was supposed to be, I would then have some context in what to put these meetings in.

What are you doing to help attract young people to Greenville? I think the NEXT building was a good example. People came to me and asked me to be an advisor and then asked me to develop it. It was really a unique project and I learned a lot. There’s a concept of reverse mentoring where older people come to younger people and ask advice and what they think. I got to learn what they were thinking.

One of the big things I learned is a lot of the new jobs in this world can be anywhere. We should be building the new economy and preparing for that.

What’s your favorite part of the job? Walking around the project where nobody knows you and seeing people enjoy it and the smiles on their faces. It’s all about quality of life, and my contribution to the quality of life is a development where you’re not wasting any time, can get

February 21, 2014

things done that you need to get done and get on with what you want to do.

What does Greenville need next? Having CertusBank put their headquarters here was a big deal. They were a startup company and we’re a great startup company town. We need someone big to relocate their headquarters here. We need the validation of a well-known company to be here.

We went through a period of time focusing on the office building development. Now we’re picking up on the low-hanging fruit that created.

We’re doing more retail, more restaurants, mixed-use and hotels. We still need to stay focused on that, but we need to refocus on office to get those big companies to relocate.

Your two daughters and son all work in the family business. How is that dynamic? Is that your legacy? I was forced to come back and work in the family business, so I made a rule that my children weren’t allowed to come directly into the family business.

They had to go work somewhere else for five years and then come back and talk about it.

Part of the challenge now is: How do I make this into the kind of company that I can hand off as opposed to the kind of company that I can just close when I don’t want to work anymore?

“Focus on what the other guy needs and what the other guy wants. That’s what your business should be.

If you produce something that someone wants, they’ll pay you for it.”

Your brother, Phil Hughes, is also in the real estate business. What are family gatherings like? We don’t work for the same company, so we don’t talk business. Family gatherings are about family.

Everyone in the family likes good wine, so we’ll trade bottles of good wine. We talk about our mom and dad and their travels, as they travel a lot more than we do. Where they’ve been and what they’ve done. We save the competition for when we are downtown.

How do you spend your free time? My wife would say I work. We travel. I also enjoy quail hunting and snow skiing. We love New York and the arts and we’ll catch a few plays and go through museums.

If you could have chosen another career, what would it have been? I think I was on the path to being a doctor. I enjoyed science and medicine and the research part of that. They hadn’t invented emergency room specialists when I was coming along, but if they would have, that might have tipped me in that direction. I could have seen something different each day. One of the things I really like about this business is that I can do something brand-new every day.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? Starting my own company in 1991. I was 39 years old with three children, and it was involuntary. It was also the biggest reward. The decisions are yours and the consequences are yours. You’ve got to learn to forgive yourself. It’s the mistakes you learn from.

Are you where you thought you would be? I never thought about where I was going. I never had a really big plan for me. I had an idea about what I wanted for Greenville and I wanted it to be a great place for young married people to live in, a demographic that no one else was targeting at the time.

If you could give one piece of advice to others, what would it be? Focus on what the other guy needs and what the other guy wants. That’s what

SPONSORED BY:

your business should be. If you produce something that someone wants, they’ll pay you for it.

What is your favorite word and why? Love. That’s my mushy side. It’s my favorite word because it conveys a completeness of connection and a completeness of emotion and is something you can also convey to what you do. It warms you and keeps you focused and gives you something to do.

I love what I do.

How would others describe you?

I’m fairly comfortable that people see me as direct, and that suits me fine. I would hope they would describe me as fair and honest, creative and caring.

What’s your proudest moment?

It’s coming up. I’ve had a lot of proud moments though, mostly revolving around family.

What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment?

My family. In the company, we have a rule that we don’t want to do a real estate deal that someone else can do; we want to do something that is unique. My family is something that I can guarantee you that no one else can do. It’s my pride and my joy, and it’s what keeps me going.

Is there any one project that’s your favorite? It’s always the one I’m working on now. I love the way the ONE project has come together and it’s been a catalyst for other development around it. I’m looking forward to finishing RiverPlace as well and Bull Street in Columbia, as it presents a challenge.

What do you still need to learn?

Where the next good project is.

BY SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com

SPONSORED BY:

AGE: 58 BORN: Miami OCCUPATION: Vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, Milliken EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in biology. Earned JD at University of Florida CAREER: Worked 16 years at Harris Corporation in Florid as attorney. Worked 14 years as VP at Milliken.

HIGHLIGHT: Coming to Milliken FAMILY: Husband, Doug Clements.

One daughter, Megan, 16.

Do you have any heroes or someone who inspired you? There have been a lot of people who have inspired me. If you listen and you are thoughtful, a lot of people will inspire you and mentor you.

What makes you excited about coming to work in the morning?

The challenge of the job excites me to come to work. Every day you know there will be something that needs your attention.

What about your job keeps you up at night? As a lawyer, I am the worry department. I worry about everything, I anticipate everything, and everything keeps me up at night. I live in a world where I worry about everything.

What is the worst piece of business advice you have ever been given?

There is no doubt you have to sift through all sorts of advice from people who don’t know what you know. You can get both good advice and bad advice, but it’s up to you to sort through it.

What would a co-worker say it’s like to work with you? They see me as a consensus builder and that I am very inclusive. I try to solve problems by

Legal Who’s Who . . . DEBRA CLEMENTS

A

s the daughter of a Navy man, Debra Clements, Milliken’s vice president and senior general counsel, spent the majority of her young life on the move. From Florida and Texas to Massachusetts and New York, Clements was no stranger to the road before making the Upstate of South Carolina home.

“I was born in Miami, in a naval hospital, but my family moved around a lot because of my father’s work in the Navy,” Clements says. “We moved to many different areas until my father started a company in New York and we lived on Long Island for a while.”

After graduating from high school in New York, Clements went south to attend college.

“I went to the University of Florida for my undergraduate and graduate degrees and ended up staying there,” she says. “After college, I worked for a company called Harris Corporation as an engineer in software programming.”

After working as an engineer for several years, Clements returned to the University of Florida and completed law school in 1984.

Clements began practicing corporate law for the Harris Corporation and managed a variety of legal matters

for the company, including transactions, litigation and strategy.

“For people who are engineers or in the sciences, the practice of law seems quite different, and it is,” she says.

“Although engineers solve problems, lawyers solve different kinds of problems, and I find it very intellectually challenging.”

Following 16 years of corporate law at the Harris Corporation in Florida, Clements was offered an opportunity to practice commercial litigation for Roger Milliken.

“He was a great industrialist,” she says. “You don’t get to meet people like that very often. For a man of such great stature, he could hear the quiet voices.

When I came to this company in 2000, it was Roger Milliken who sold the deal. It looked like a very exciting opportunity because the company had been operating primarily with patent lawyers and didn’t have commercial lawyers inside the company, so they wanted to broaden their practice group to include business law.”

Clements was brought in as vice president and general counsel and was later named senior general counsel after taking responsibility of the patent department.

involving a lot of people, so we can reach a solution that is good for everyone.

What has been your best business decision?

My best decision would be coming here to Milliken because it has given me a great opportunity to take my career as far as I am willing to go.

How do you motivate? If you help people to understand the purpose of what they are doing and the value it brings, they will become passionate about doing it.

What advice would you give a new boss?

Business is all about the people, because they are the greatest assets the company has. Learning how to lead them with integrity is the most important thing you can do, and it requires you to be honest and open with them. But if you do that, you can get the best they have to offer.

What was the most rewarding mistake you have ever made in business? Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s in rolling with the punches and knowing how to manage through the mistakes that can make the difference.

Who do you rely on as a mentor? I learn things from everyone. I get both inspiration and wisdom from the people I work for and the people who work for me.

“I started out on commercial work such as litigations, acquisitions and alliances,” she says. “Whenever the company would buy and sell goods, I would manage the transactions internally.”

Most recently, Clements was named corporate secretary and now works closely with Milliken’s board of directors.

“The commercial work I was doing in the beginning involved routine litigation,” she says. “Today it includes the company’s complete array of legal matters and the governance of the organization such as the board of directors and stockholders.”

Clements says she is now responsible for all of the company’s patents, trademarks and labor, and a legal department that includes a team of five lawyers, patent agents and paralegals.

“We cover a lot of ground,” she says.

“We cover not only commercial disputes, but the acquisition of companies, strategic alliances and transactions. All companies that buy and sell manufacturing goods have to manage a variety of legal issues.”

Educating the workforce about the governing laws of the company while understanding U.S. law and those in the other jurisdictions in which the company operates are also responsi-

What is the topic of concern or excitement in your industry, office or organization right now? The innovation of the textile industry is truly exciting. The industry has transformed into a problemsolving industry rather than just textile manufactures of the old days.

What do you still have to learn about your business? Learning is something you should always do; it is ongoing. You need to understand that nothing stays the same in business, it accelerates.

What are some common assumptions people make about you, your field and your company? I don’t think people understand how much this company has changed. We went from a basic textile manufacturer to an innovative and problemsolving material science.

“If you help people to understand the purpose of what they are doing and the value it brings, they will become passionate about doing it.”

bilities of the legal department, Clements said.

“I am there to help them when they have questions or need a sounding board, but I’ll roll up my sleeves and draft documents as well,” she says. “I really enjoy the challenge of the legal matters and helping the team work through them and formulate a strategy to solve the problem.”

In her 14 years with the company, Clements says she has developed a deeper interest in business ethics and social responsibility and has gained insight on how corporations behave in society.

“I have enjoyed getting involved in Milliken’s ethics and compliance because it has given me the opportunity to participate in the practice of corporate and social responsibility,” she says. “This company started from a position of integrity, and those items have to continue to move forward so the bar always rises.”

Clements says it is important to continue the discussion of a corporation’s responsibility in a capitalist system.

“If I were to give up practicing law, I could see myself in 10 years consulting corporations on ethical practices,” she says.

How have you celebrated success? You are never done and you never think you have arrived. I think successful people don’t stop to celebrate the way they should because they are just working harder. You notice, but you don’t stop.

What is your favorite app on your phone or tablet? Outside all of the essentials such as email, I enjoy the weather app, and my daughter is helping me understand iTunes and Pandora.

What is your worst habit? From a business perspective, I am very deliberate. I want to think everything through with great detail when other people just want to come to quick conclusions and move on.

As a lawyer, it takes time to consider all of the angles and variables.

What are you a snob about? I am a snob about environmental things such as recycling. I want people to think about the environment but I am not in their face about it.

Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am a morning person. I get up at 5 a.m. and I go to bed by 10 p.m. every night.

BY JOE TOPPE | STAFF jtoppe@communityjournals.com

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 15

Accounting Who’s Who . . . RICHARD “RICK” DAVIS

R

ick Davis wakes up looking for ways to be better. At what? Whatever he’s doing.

He says he’s driven by a passion to “make things happen,” finding the best course of action and then taking it. For 30 years, the action has been most visible in his work at Elliott Davis, the accounting firm where he’s spent his entire career. As he has moved up in the company, Davis says he calls on that passion when times change and call for tough decisions about direction or personnel so that goals keep getting met.

Being in his position isn’t easy. He says the biggest professional risk he’s ever taken was to accept his current position as managing shareholder for Elliott Davis.

“In so doing I had to walk away from a lot of things that I had proven that I could do in terms of taking care of clients and building a team to take care of those clients and developing new business. As I moved into a management role I walked away from all that to be more strategic and more visionary and help the entire firm move forward.”

He felt he was the right person for the position, but the early days were a whole new world.

“There were so many things that I thought I knew that I didn’t, and there were so many things that I thought would be easy that were not,” he says. That’s when some advice from his father decades earlier came rushing back to his mind: Surround yourself with people who can support you. He’s continued to take that approach in the role, relying on his team to inform his decisions as a leader.

Davis says his greatest achievement has come outside of the office, and it’s not even about his own success.

“In the world of accomplishments, being able to have children who’ve been able to move into what they want to do is at the top of that list,” he says.

When it comes to his own professional successes, Davis doesn’t linger over them for long. He admits that although his company recognizes people for their work, he doesn’t per-

sonally celebrate successes enough.

That internal feeling of satisfaction is usually sufficient. Besides, looking backward is contrary to his nature.

His coworkers probably see that.

“My guess is that others see me as someone who is driven, all about getting things done,” he says. At the same time, he hopes they would see a caring person who wants the best for others – “even if I’m kind of serious and not always the easiest to approach,” he says.

“I hope they really understand that deep down inside I am about helping everybody else do better and giving them the opportunity to do better, whatever that means in their world.”

If his compassionate side is not always obvious at work, it is apparent when his children are involved, says his wife, Katherine.

“He drops anything and everything when they need him,” she says. “He’s come home in the midst of a business trip when a child needed him.”

Stereotypes of accountants as antisocial number crunchers usually sitting alone at a desk don’t fit with the industry today. That might have been truer in the past, but now, “it’s a people business,” Davis says. People skills and understanding what makes others tick are a big part of the work he does.

But that outlook might have as much to do with his personality as with changing times.

“Rick is a marketing person trapped in a CPA body. He’s got a marketing mind,” Katherine says. A marketing professional herself, she says Davis is constantly thinking about how to market the company much more so than crunching numbers, and his thinking has even helped her with her own marketing business. She called him a “quick thinker” and a “visionary.”

Davis places a high value on sharing those talents with others, from family to young professionals to the many charitable boards on which he serves.

He’s much more comfortable thinking about the future than the past, but he’s invested in making sure others get to that future with him.

16 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 21, 2014

If you could have any different career, what would that be?

I would have been a farmer. I grew up in an agricultural community and I had a great deal of respect for farmers and appreciated what they did. It was something I always kind of felt close to and never really came close to being that, but when I look back I think I would have liked to have been a farmer.

What’s the biggest water cooler topic in your industry right now? Without a doubt the No. 1 concern is a significant battle for talent at all levels in the accounting industry. Training entry-level talent and retaining them, and giving them opportunities to be successful with careers. That is and will remain the most important issue.

How does your work impact the community? It’s definitely one of our values to give back to our communities. We derive our livelihoods from our communities, not just to give money but to provide our time through leadership in organizations. We’ve got a lot of people who are good at a lot of things and we can put those skills to work in the community.

What makes you proud? The one thing that makes me the most proud is when we have individuals go work at a food drive, or we have volunteers just show up for anything that helps Greenville get recognized, events like Fall for Greenville or a 5K run for charity. Those things that are broad based and really take a team to make things happen.

“I had to walk away from a lot of things that I had proven that I could do… to be more strategic and more visionary and help the entire firm move forward.”

SPONSORED BY:

AGE: 51 HOMETOWN: Bishopville, S.C. OCCUPATION: Managing shareholder, Elliott Davis EDUCATION: B.S., accounting, Clemson University CAREER: Entire career at Elliot Davis FAMILY: Wife Katherine Smoak Davis, owner of Smoak Public Relations. Son Ricky Davis, first-year law student at USC; son Scott Davis, junior at Brevard College; son Matthew Davis, freshman at Clemson; sons Beale and Harrison Wood and daughter Blair Wood, students at Christ Church Episcopal School.

What is your role in your family? I think my role is to be the person who stands back and sees the picture and knows where everybody is, because a family changes and evolves and grows up; every step of the way someone needs to be aware of what’s going on with all those parts. I try to make sure they’re all where they need to be and have what they need, that they’re heard and understood and can move forward with their best chance for success as well.

What is your favorite word? “Think,” because think leads you down a lot of paths, and if we all stop and think then we can accomplish so many things that, if we don’t stop and think, won’t happen.

To what one character trait can you attribute your success? That would be my passion, and my drive. I like to make things happen. When I’ve determined that something is the right thing to do, then I like to just go do it.

BY JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER joladipo@communityjournals.com

SPONSORED BY:

AGE: 49 HOMETOWN: Greenville OCCUPATION: Co-CEO, director and a founding member of CertusBank EDUCATION: B.A. psychology, University of South Carolina CAREER: Executive vice president of retail credit and direct lending for Wachovia Corporation; principal in the Real Estate Syndicated Capital Markets Group at Bank of America HIGHLIGHT: Early in his career while in his 20s, sat on commissions planning Greenville’s future especially downtown and in the West End, returning to see how it evolved.

FAMILY: Wife, Martina, stay-at-home mom; daughter, Harper, college sophomore; daughter, Margaux, high school sophomore.

What is something most people would be surprised to learn about you? I really am probably more driven than anybody really understands. I’m driven [to a level] off the charts to give back to society.

What’s your favorite thing? Having conversations with my daughters as they continue to develop. My wife and I come at things from different perspectives, so “daddy time” is something I look forward to.

If you could have a different career, what would it be? Real estate development.

I love seeing stuff come out of the ground, building things and watching things happen.

The other is some type of professional coach, whether that be NFL or NBA or whatever. I love motivating people and strategizing.

What is your leadership style? It varies depending on the situation. I prefer to be inspiring but can always change when situations dictate that the inspirational piece takes a back seat to being more demanding.

Financial Who’s Who . . . WALTER DAVIS

I

n the CertusBank executive suite at Riverplace, there’s a place for everything. The office is for hard numbers and hard conversations, says co-CEO Walter Davis, while the lounge is for deeper discussions without distractions. The spaces are divided by a kitchenette where Davis might grab a breakfast of granola and tea prepared in a traditional Japanese cast-iron teapot, fuel for whatever the day will bring.

In banking, there’s no telling what that might be.

Davis says every day brings something new to consider. It is a tough business that’s unlikely to get easier, but that’s part of what makes it worthwhile.

“Banking is fun for me because it’s a challenge every day. And for me, we have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives in a very tangible way. I can look up and down the street [and see] a bank made a difference.

Every building or business you see, somebody financed it.”

Davis began his career in Greenville

before working for Wachovia in Charlotte for several years. He has received much attention and praise as part of the team behind the three-year-old CertusBank, yet says the endeavor was the biggest professional and personal risk of his life. It has also been a tremendous opportunity to affect numerous communities, including his own hometown.

The J.L. Mann graduate had always planned to return to Greenville; he just didn’t think it would be in the middle of his career. He says doing his work around people he’s known his entire life is a lot more satisfying.

“People see you succeed and see your mistakes. Having a great base of support at home makes all the difference in the world.”

He doesn’t claim to be the smartest guy in the room and does not doubt that there are people out there who work just as hard as he does, but he credits his tenacity as the character trait that sets him apart.

“There are very few people willing to endure the pain I am willing to

endure when things don’t go exactly like you want them to go,” he says.

Davis believes everyone is put on Earth for a purpose, and his is to make Greenville a better place. Bullish about Greenville’s economy and society, he wants to make sure the growing opportunities are available to everyone. He feels the same things that will move Greenville forward are those things that have in the past, a group of committed people wanting to create a community where everyone has the opportunity to grow and succeed. At the same time, broadening the group is an essential part of Greenville’s continued development, he says.

“I think having a diverse business community is extremely important as Greenville continues to grow and get attention,” he said. “That’s something that we should pay attention to because I’m a firm believer that a rising tide should lift all boats. That’s often used, but I believe that.”

Banking conversations need to be broader, too. For instance, Davis says

Greenville Technical College’s part in creating a skilled workforce is an important part of that progress that he’d like to see discussed more often among banking colleagues whose industry benefits from that kind of economic development activity.

And he says there are countless individuals who’ve quietly contributed to Greenville’s evolution. They are people like his grandfather, a multifaceted entrepreneur whose businesses met community needs from food to final resting place.

“My grandfather was the greatest man I’ve ever known in my entire life – and I know a lot of people – but he’s never on the front page of the newspaper. But to the people around him who recognized who he was and what he did, it was extremely important.”

The less prestigious recognitions people like his grandfather might get at church or other organizations are important, Davis says, because it takes many, many people to move the community forward.

“People see you succeed and see your mistakes.

Having a great base of support at home makes all the difference in the world.”

How do you celebrate success? I don’t celebrate a lot. That’s one of the things I truly need to work on because the challenges are numerous and when successes are there you need to celebrate them. I’ve always just thought, “Okay, that’s what was supposed to happen, so let’s keep moving on.”

What would you have done differently in launching a bank if you could start over?

Probably thinking through a little bit more some of the advice I was given. Anytime you’re in a business like this you depend on people, so just making sure you have all the right key people giving you all the right advice.

What is your worst habit? Probably my Sunday afternoon nap. I just always believed sleeping was somewhat of a waste of time. I don’t nap during the day but that Sunday afternoon nap after church and brunch, it’s just been with me for as far back as I can remember.

What is your favorite word? “Determination,” because it sparks individuals who have a purpose in life

to continue. True determination motivates you more than anything else.

What do you still have yet to learn about your industry? Once you think you know it all, it’s time to do something else. I pray that I never get to that point.

In banking, the rules and nuances change every day. I don’t know what there is out there yet to learn, but I know that tomorrow I’ll learn something new.

BY JENNIFER OLADIPO | SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER joladipo@communityjournals.com

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 19

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AGE: 53 BORN: Burlington, N.C. OCCUPATION: President of the Community Foundation of Greenville EDUCATION: Undergraduate, graduate and law degrees from Wake Forest University CAREER: Worked for 10 years in the trust sections of Bank of America and BB&T. Became vice president for development of the Community Foundation of the Carolinas in Charlotte. Became president of CFG in late 1999.

HIGHLIGHT: Biggest project while at CFG was a $1 million gift to Kroc Center.

MENTOR: C. Dan Joyner FAMILY: Daughter, Wynne, senior at Clemson Univ., studying medicine like her grandparents. Morris’ parents both attended medical school; his father was a internal medicine physician and his mother a radiologist. Son, Holland, freshman at Clemson Univ., engineering. Son, Stephen, high school sophomore.

BUCKET LIST: To visit Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.

“It’s a lot easier to find people who care about their work and work hard. Find those people, get them on your staff and keep them on your staff.”

Charitable Who’s Who . . . ROBERT “BOB” MORRIS

H

e started out as a banker, but instead of making money for his clients, Robert Morris now gives it away for them. This year, Morris celebrates 15 years as the president of the Community Foundation of Greenville.

Known as Bob to his many friends and business connections, Morris has made a career out of getting to know people, developing relationships and facilitating change. The foundation is an organization that has had a hand in everything from the Kroc Center to arts initiatives in The Village.

A native of Burlington, N.C., Morris trained in politics, law and business at Wake Forest University.

“Both of my parents went to Wake Forest and that was just something I was going to do,” he says.

His grandparents were Baptist missionaries in China for decades. In fact, his mother and seven siblings were all born there. There were scholarships for missionary families, he says. He didn’t attend school too far from his

hometown of Burlington.

“I grew up in the 1960s and I remember integrating the public schools very well,” he says. “Those issues are very fresh to me.”

After college, Morris went into trust banking, selling investment services.

Little did he know it, but the experience helping wealthy people manage their money gave him a great background for working in philanthropy, he says.

Today, Morris says he feels like he is exactly where he needs to be, but it took a meeting in Charlotte to point him in the right direction. On that day in 1995, Morris dropped into the Community Foundation of Charlotte to see if he could land them as a client.

“And after that call, I told the president, ‘I would really like to do this for a living.’ After I found out what they did, I wanted to go work there,” he says.

And in about a year, he did, joining the Community Foundation of Charlotte as vice president for development.

In 1999, he came to Greenville. As

president, he has to know not only about who can give, but all about community issues, from the high school graduation rate to how a public park can affect economic development, he says.

The transition from banking to a foundation was not as drastic as it seems, Morris says. “The Community Foundation is very much like a bank.

We have $55 million in assets and we have 220 different accounts. Those accounts have to be invested… those elements of my professional background are very useful here.”

Cultivating relationships, working those relationships and focusing on the long term are essential in his business, Morris says. “I personally think that’s a huge part of anyone’s leadership. You don’t do anything on your own. By working with other people, we can address some pretty important issues.”

Morris has been cultivating those skills since he worked on the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign as a 20-year-old, not to mention the three

sometimes I’m closed minded when I ought to be more open minded in the early stages of a project because it may have legs that I don’t see.

What was your best business decision? To leave banking and go work in philanthropy. A lot of people who work in banking would love to work in philanthropy. They understand what fun work it is.

What was a low point in your career? How did you get out of it?

It was really scary when I came here – the foundation had about $30 million in assets and then after the Internet bubble and major distributions, we had gotten down to about $17 million in assets. I was a little worried that I had made the wrong decision to come here. That was difficult.

But things started to turn around and we came out of it.

Is there anything you miss about banking? No. If you had to make a career change tomorrow, where would you go?

College professor in constitutional law.

I understand about how all the things Socrates was talking about fit into our current Constitution, our current rights and freedoms and obligations. From an academic perspective, that’s a fun thing to talk about.

What are some common assumptions people make about your field? Some people assume that nonprofits are not well managed and I take issue with that. I think many businesspeople say that nonprofits should be run like a business and I say many of them are. I don’t think there are as many training opportunities for people who start in nonprofits. When I was in banking, there was lots of training in the nine years that I was there.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

At first a forest ranger, then an architect for a while and a journalist for a little while.

How do you motivate people? I think it’s a lot easier to find people who care about their work and work hard. If you can find those people, get them on

months he spent selling encyclopedias door-to-door in Cincinnati.

Morris admits that he’s not very patient; however, his work involves the “long sell” with intended philanthropists planning years in advance what they’re going to do with their estate. In the case of Margaret Southern, who left $8.4 million to the foundation in 2012, Morris had known about her wish since 2004.

Morris’ approach when he talks with people about giving is simply sitting around the table in his office. The process can involve a lot of thought and deliberation.

“We talk about what they’re interested in, what they’re involved with now and how they could support it and how much,” he says. “Sometimes people volunteer… but when they think about leaving $100,000 or $1 million, they have some strong preferences and a narrow list of things that they’re going to leave that much money to.

“I think people are just hardwired to give,” he says.

your staff and keep them on your staff, that’s what works for me. It’s not management by objective.

What is your favorite app on your phone or tablet? Facebook. I message my kids.

What’s your idea of work-life balance? Usually on Friday afternoons when I leave work, I’ll go to a movie.

That makes a pretty easy transition to the weekend. Also, I’m a sports nut and during college football or basketball season, I’ve got plenty to do. If I get tickets to Wake Forest games, I’m usually there. I have a twin brother, Frank, in Greensboro who usually has tickets.

What is your worst habit? Procrastination.

What was the most rewarding mistake you have ever made in business? I remember going to the campus of the Salvation Army and being interviewed about whether or not they could build the Kroc Center. I pretty much told them that they didn’t have the support to move forward with that. So I was absolutely off the mark. And two years later we ended up making a $1 million commitment. It tells me that

What are you a snob about? I get really arrogant when I read these books about charities and how they are supposed to be run. It really upsets me and I get really angry when I read them. I shouldn’t take it personally, but I feel like I have all this expertise and I from my experience what they’re saying isn’t right. In one, there’s part about “it’s such a waste to send high school students on mission trips with their church and you should just send the money and have the kids stay home.” But as someone who has sent three kids on mission trips, I feel differently about that.

BY APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF amorris@communityjournals.com

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

Medical Who’s Who . . . MICHAEL RIORDAN

A

s president and CEO of the largest health system in the state, Greenville Health System, Michael Riordan recalls his journey from a kid in Newark, N.J., to trained teacher, Marine and healthcare administrator.

The fifth of six children, Riordan was the baby for six years until he became a “confused middle child” when his sister was born. Raised by a single mother, he attended Catholic school and was passionate about sports – “anything with a ball.”

Riordan wanted to be a teacher and a coach. He played football at Columbia University where he also attended the teacher’s college. He also served three years as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps.

“After I got out of the Marine Corps, I wanted to see if I could fulfill a fantasy of mine, and that was to be a coach,” he says. “I sent letters to every division 1A coach in America.”

He got responses from two coaches.

Riordan went for an open spot at Georgia Tech. However, with a background in English and teaching, it took some searching to find a program at the tech-focused school where he could succeed. He finally landed on “something called industrial engineering for health systems.” As part of the program, he had additional course requirements, so he arrived well before football season began.

“I received an internship and got assigned to Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta,” he says. “When the coach called up at the beginning of football season, I told him, ‘I think I like this health care thing.’”

After graduation, he was offered a job as storeroom supervisor at Crawford Long. It had a familiar feel, he says. “We had uniforms, we had a platoon [our group] and we had a mission.” It wasn’t totally like the military, but very comfortable, he said. “I didn’t hold inspection and they didn’t have to polish their shoes.”

From there, he moved through jobs as director of materials management and purchasing, security, engineering and food service and into a post as an assistant administrator at Crawford Long.

Riordan worked there from 1995 to 2000 and says he enjoyed the integration process of Crawford Long and Emory University hospitals, calling it a “great experience” as chief operating officer.

He moved on to be the chief operating officer at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System. He became CEO in 2001, serving until 2006, when he moved to Greenville. In Chicago, Riordan worked with Michelle Obama. “We just knew Barack as Michelle’s husband,” he says.

At first, Riordan says, his wife, Susan, was skeptical about considering South Carolina. After several interview visits, “by the time of my last visit here, I was over at St. Mary’s church lighting a candle.”

After nearly a decade in the Upstate, Riordan says it would be difficult to get her to budge from the area now. “In this community, we’ve developed some of the deepest and closest friendships of any community we’ve lived in. This has really been a great place for us.”

Each successive position has given him valuable experience, Riordan said. His stint in the military taught him about mining longtime employees for information. “The people who make it run have been there 10, 20, 30 years.” The key is to ask what they think and gather information, he says.

“A lot of times a new manager, officer or lieutenant will come in and they’ll follow your directions, then watch you fall on your sword.”

This philosophy has translated to an enjoyment of “staying connected to staff,” including the leaders of the smaller units within the health system, he says. Riordan can often be seen holding a meeting in the Greenville Memorial Hospital cafeteria; presiding over town hall meetings at various locations, which give the staff an overview of how the system is doing; and playing a part in employee orientation.

From the community feel of Crawford Long and the academic tone of Emory to the combined academics and community in need at Chicago, each experience at the varied systems were preparatory for GHS, says Riordan.

24 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 21, 2014

Are you an early riser? Do you have time set aside for quiet time or reading? I’ve got a pretty good practice around a quiet, contemplative time in the morning, because there are kids to get to school, there are dogs to walk. If I want to have any quiet time, I have to get up an hour or 45 minutes earlier. In getting everyone ready, my role is to be the “supportive yell” in the background.

What are you a snob about? I actually do think Starbucks coffee is better. A great cup of coffee in the morning just makes a difference.

[Though Riordan confesses he had nothing to do with GHS serving the brew in its hospital.]

Where would we find you on a Saturday? Depends on what season it is, but a soccer field, basketball, karate – it seems like it’s rarely home, it’s family or sports. I support Furman University and have found the perfect middle ground.

What was your first job? I would cut, roll and deliver carpet for installation while I was in high school.

Who is an important mentor for you? Harry Davis, former dean at the University of Chicago business school.

I got to know him while I was in Chicago, and he taught me something that really served me well. He said, when leaders get into a new position, they forget about their predecessors and the legacy. In America, we’re so accustomed to differentiate and almost make who we took over for look bad so we can look good. I send a thankyou note to my predecessor, Frank Pinckney, every year. The foundation he laid for me was truly remarkable.

What is your favorite app? Ever since Jan. 1, it’s been My Fitness Pal.

“I try to create safety between myself and other leaders, give them the ability to say what they need to say. They know they can do that without retribution.”

What is your worst habit? I don’t like to sit still and I like things to be neat and orderly, so as a result, I torture my kids by making them clean the house on Sundays. I like to cut my waffles and pancakes in squares – that’s probably a borderline personality disorder, but there’s a proper way to eat waffles and pancakes.

How do you motivate others?

By showing up genuinely and by helping to connect to purpose. I want to connect with them on why something is important to me. I try to create safety between myself and other leaders, give them the ability to say what they need to say. They know they can do that without retribution.

What is your favorite spot in the hospital where you like to hang out? There are times when I disappear for 20 minutes and I go to the chapel three or four times a week.

I sit in silence. Sometimes I just sit present with someone who might be sobbing; it reminds me of some of the things that are going on upstairs.

What has been your best business decision? I bought a strip club when I was at Crawford Long Hospital. It was right on our block and it was like stealth: We had to find a third-party buyer so they wouldn’t jack up the price on us. How a neighborhood or block looks is very important for setting a tone of what’s going on in that area. I think that was a pretty good business decision.

Describe a time when you were sure you were about to fail. Did it happen? I was convinced I was going to get this job, but towards the end, the recruiter said I wasn’t

SPONSORED BY:

AGE: 55 HOMETOWN: Newark, N.J. OCCUPATION: President and CEO, Greenville Health System EDUCATION: B.A. in liberal arts and English, and master’s degree in education and psychology, from Columbia University.

Master’s degree in health systems from Georgia Tech CAREER: Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps. Assistant administrator, Crawford Long Hospital, Atlanta. Chief operating officer, Emory University Hospital System.

Chief operating officer, president and CEO, University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System. Joined GHS in 2006.

FAMILY: Wife, Susan; daughter Meghan just graduated from law school; son Christopher lives and works in New Jersey; daughter Clare is a senior at USC; sons Andrew and Ethan are students at St. Mary’s Catholic School.

going to get it. I remember being almost incredulous, but it worked out.

If you could change places with somebody, who would it be and why? A monk. I know I’ve glamourized it, but I know I could do it for a month.

What was the darkest hour in your career? I’m in Greenville because I’m not in Chicago, and I’m not in Chicago because when my contract came up, they didn’t renew it due to a structural change. That was a little cloudy. And personally, the other time was when we found out that Ethan had diabetes at 6. It was like trying to breathe underwater; it was just suffocating.

What is something that people don’t know about you? I love sitting around a bonfire with people. Something magical happens, especially with kids.

BY APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF amorris@communityjournals.com

SPONSORED BY:

AGE: 46 HOMETOWN: Durham, N.H. OCCUPATION: President of Table 301 Restaurant Group EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree from the College of Architecture at Clemson University CAREER: Worked four years at Keowee Key Country Club. Worked four years at The 858, and worked 16 years at Soby’s and as president of Table 301 Restaurant Group HIGHLIGHT: Being elected to the board of the National Restaurant Association FAMILY: Two daughters – Bella 8, and Lexie, 6.

BUCKET LIST: Travel to Greece

Why do want to work for yourself?

After starting my lawn care business in high school and working just two 12-hour days a week, I knew that was the way to do it.

What inspired you to start this company, take the position, or enter this field? My first job out on Lake Keowee at the country club inspired me. It was owned by the developer at the time, and while I went there thinking I was going to get a mere restaurant job and serve food and drinks, the developer was all about selling real estate. The country club included intense training programs that taught us how to take care of our guests. When a person walked in, it was more than what they want. We had to know everything about the area, the lake and the property, and I fell in love with meeting people and the entire art of hospitality.

What excites you about Greenville?

The continued opportunity in this city excites me because we have seen so much happen in the last 15 years. There is continued construction and development in the works as we speak and there are a ton of opportunities here.

Hospitality Who’s Who . . . CARL SOBOCINSKI

A

t a very young age, Table 301 President Carl Sobocinski knew he’d be going into business for himself, and with more than 20 years of service in downtown Greenville, he has seen that business mirror the city’s growth around him.

Born in the northeastern United States, Sobocinski began molding his work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit in the rural confines of Durham, N.H. “I worked on a dairy farm from the fifth grade until my final two years in high school when I started my own lawn care business,” he says.

Following high school, Sobocinski headed south in hopes of playing baseball in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

After visiting several colleges throughout the region, he found his home for the next four years at Clemson University.

“Once I drove onto the campus, I fell in love immediately,” he says.

After playing just two seasons for the Tigers, Sobocinski says it became clear that a life in baseball was not going to pan out. He began to focus on his studies.

“While finishing up my time at Clemson, I found my first restaurant job at Keowee Key Country Club and

began bartending and waiting tables while working my way up the ranks,” he says. “I learned all of the different positions until managing for about a year and a half.”

Following college in 1993, Sobocinski moved to Greenville and, along with two partners, opened a downtown restaurant, The 858.

Sobocinski says the idea for the business came after a friend purchased a four-story building with a cafeteria, dining room and kitchen on one of the floors.

“The partnership continued for several years, but we all began to venture in our own directions,” he says.

By November 1997, the former farmhand was moving south along Main Street as the tip of the spear in Greenville’s downtown revitalization efforts.

The restaurateur says he opened Soby’s at a time when the city’s center would not be recognizable as what it is today.

“We were down here by ourselves when we first got started,” he says.

“Back then, the Poinsett Hotel was boarded, shuttered and run-down.”

Over the last 16 years in downtown, Greenville has grown up around the

Describe the energy of working in downtown Greenville. The energy outside of downtown is only on the weekends. Monday through Sunday in downtown is packed and there are people walking up and down Main Street. There are businesspeople working in the buildings, and there are tourists staying in the hotels. There is always energy and traffic downtown.

What are the benefits of working downtown?

You don’t have to drive down Woodruff Road. You can also take a nice walk when you need to get out of the office. You can walk to a variety of restaurants or into Falls Park along the Reedy River. It is a real respite for the soul to get out of the office and take a walk downtown.

What makes you excited about coming to work in the morning? The people I work with excite me, along with the guests I know will be coming into the restaurant that night.

What about your work keeps you up at night?

It depends on what night it is. Sometimes it’s the guest satisfaction, and sometimes it is staffing or government regulations.

What is the worst piece of business advice you have ever been given? The 858 was in a dilapidated downtown, a half block off of Main Street, and on the second floor of a building with no parking.

A chef and a reputable restaurateur told me I was crazy to open that restaurant. I did not heed their advice, and we opened and hit a home run.

restaurant, Sobocinski says.

“We have seen this city fill in the gaps and go well south of us,” he says.

After Soby’s began to expand in 2001 with the Loft at Soby’s and Soby’s on the Side, the native of New Hampshire formed a restaurant group and branded it Table 301.

The restaurant group now includes such Greenville fixtures as The Lazy Goat, Nose Dive, Papi’s Tacos and Passerelle Bistro.

With Table 301’s expansion, Sobocinski has taken on a leadership role as president and enjoys mentoring some of the company’s chefs and managers.

“I’m not running any of the day-today operations of the restaurants,” he says. “But I still love being in there, and Soby’s is the place where I am most comfortable and where you could find me several nights each week.”

The hospitality business has evolved over the years with technology, marketing, and social media, and Table 301 has continued to grow with it. In the wake of nearly two decades of growth, there are no immediate plans for expansion, but the company remains open to the possibility, Sobocinski says.

“Don’t be afraid to change, because change is good.”

What would a coworker say it’s like to work with you? I would hope they would say I care about the staff and I am compassionate. They might say I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I can be hard to be around during that time.

What is your biggest strength? Weakness?

My biggest strength is determination, and my biggest weakness is that I can be emotional.

What is your best character trait? My best character trait is I am compassionate.

What is your best business decision? The Loft at Soby’s, because it serves as America’s smallest luxury hotel. We have had dignitaries up there, private dinners, and some of Greenville’s biggest deals closed at the Loft’s dining room table.

How do you motivate? Through communication and by conveying my passion for hospitality to the team.

“Many have recommended franchising Soby’s throughout the South, or putting a Papi’s Tacos or a Soby’s on the Side in airports, malls and food courts,” he says. “Right now, we are focused on what we are doing here, but as Greenville develops and spots open up in the market, we will look into those opportunities.”

While he has enjoyed more than two decades in the restaurant business, the New Englander has also spent time exploring other possibilities, including a two-week seminar in South Africa last year as part of the Liberty Fellowship program.

Sobocinski says the seminar included people from all over the globe and featured intense discussion and lectures on globalization.

“The seminar prompted me to question the future,” he says. “After working in the restaurant business for 20 years experiencing a lot of success and employing a lot of people, do I want to be here for the next 20 years?”

Although he didn’t have the answer today, Sobocinski says he was sure he would wake up every morning with it on his mind.

What advice would you give a new boss?

Don’t be afraid to change, because change is good.

What are some of Greenville’s biggest underutilized assets? The city doesn’t spend enough money to promote itself, because we have a fabulous product here in Greenville.

What is your favorite app on your phone or tablet? Texting.

What is your worst habit? Looking at my phone in the car.

What are you a snob about? I am a snob about wine.

What is the difference between the future you saw for yourself 10, 20, 30 or 40 years ago and the life you are living and work you are doing today? I saw myself years ago without children, but I see a life now with children, and that comes with a whole different perspective.

If you could change places with somebody, who would it be and why? Growing up it would have been Jim Rice, but since he is retired, it would be the general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

BY JOE TOPPE | STAFF jtoppe@communityjournals.com

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 27

Political Who’s Who . . . DAVID WILKINS

D

avid Wilkins calls himself a perfect example of not knowing where life’s road will lead.

Just eight years out of the Army and practicing law in the firm founded by his father, William Walter Wilkins, he read a newspaper headline saying that Rex Carter would not seek re-election to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Wilkins, who had never even worked on a political campaign before, decided he would run.

His wife, Susan, thought he was joking. His brother – former chief justice of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Billy Wilkins – thought he was crazy.

“Running for the House opened up a whole new world for me,” Wilkins says. “I had no idea where it would take me. I took one day, one step, one job at a time.”

That’s because nobody could have predicted his meteoric – and unlikely – rise to power.

When he won the seat in 1980, he was only one of 18 Republicans in the 124-seat House of Representatives.

Less than a decade and a half later, he was one of the most powerful politicians in South Carolina.

Wilkins rose through the ranks of the House, serving six years as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and two years as speaker pro tem. In 1994, he decided to challenge the incumbent Democratic speaker of the house even though Democrats outnumbered Republicans 64 to 60.

“By my math, 64 always beats 60,” he says. But relationships he had built over the years helped him win a vote even he doubted he could accomplish.

“I made the decision on a Wednesday morning to run.

On Thursday, I remember thinking, ‘You’re going to get kicked so bad.’ By Friday afternoon, I began to see positive signs and by Monday, I knew I’d win,” says Wilkins.

“It really came down to the relationships I had built over the years in the House, and Republicans had the momentum. South Carolina was becoming a Republican state.”

And Wilkins led the House during a time when there were some real powder-keg issues – video poker and the removal of the Confederate flag from atop the Statehouse. Wilkins started by asking himself what was best for the state and finished by trying to convince his colleagues to go along and to build a consensus.

“I had no desire to just be a player,” Wilkins says. “I wanted to have an impact.”

Wilkins has had an impact on the international level as well. When he became U.S. Ambassador to Canada in 2005, relations between the two countries were strained.

Wilkins helped resolve some of the most high-profile issues between the United States and Canada, including a decades-old softwood lumber trade dispute.

“That was the greatest position I’ve ever had,” Wilkins says. “It was such an honor to represent my country. I woke up every morning thinking, ‘O.K., big boy, you’re representing the United States.

Don’t screw it up.”

Now, Wilkins’ need for public service is fulfilled by his position as chairman of Clemson University’s board of trustees.

“I look at myself as a very ordinary person who has been blessed with the extraordinary opportunities presented to me,” Wilkins says.

28 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 21, 2014

What did you want to be when you grew up? An attorney. I grew up in a house of attorneys. My father was an attorney. My brother is an attorney. When I was growing up, I’d go to the office with my father. I’d run errands for him.

I always knew I’d be an attorney.

If you weren’t an attorney, what would have been your career choice? Probably a teacher or a coach. I taught at Greenville Tech in the paralegal department teaching classes on Mondays and Fridays. I started out as a young lawyer just trying to get my name out. I did it for more than 20 years. That’s a lot of Mondays and Fridays at 7:30 a.m. But I kept doing it because I liked it, even after I was elected to the House. I liked the interaction with students, seeing their eyes light up. I attended Clemson on a tennis scholarship, so I know a little bit about tennis.

What gets you up in the morning? I like waking up in the morning with a task and getting it done. I make lists. On Monday, I’ve got to get these eight things done. I’m goal-oriented.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

My wonderful family. I told my wife, Susan, that if she ever left me, I was going with her.

We’ve been married since 1971. She’s the most influential person in my life. She’s my moral compass. She keeps me grounded. The first week we were back from Canada, she told me to take out the trash. I hadn’t taken the trash out in four years. She said, “Surely, you haven’t forgotten how?” I took out the trash. I am very proud of my family.

What is your idea of work-life balance?

I think about that more now. Weekends are totally devoted to family. I try not to be gone on business more than one or two nights a week. You’ll find me playing with my grandchildren out in the backyard. We’ll play dodge ball, soccer, baseball or hike in the woods. If the weather’s bad, we’ll be reading books or playing games.

What is your biggest regret? I don’t have any regrets. I acknowledge that I’ve been clearly blessed in my life. There are always little things I could do better. My parents always said “do the very best you possibly can in whatever you’re doing.” I do the best I can and then don’t worry about it.

What advice do you find yourself giving most often?

Show up and get involved. Showing up matters, and what that means is be involved in your community.

Get out in the community. You can’t get new business by sitting behind your desk. Personal relationships are so important. They really make the difference in your personal life, in your church life and in your personal life. Personal relationships affect your

business relationships. You treat people like you want to be treated and it goes a long way.

What is Greenville’s most underutilized asset? I’ve tried to come up with one and can’t. There are always things you can do better, but there’s not one glaring thing. I think we’re always worried about transportation and about infrastructure, but those are also state problems. I think the sky’s the limit for Greenville. I think Greenville stands out in downtown development. Greenville has the best downtown of any city I’ve been to. I think Greenville is a shining star in how to develop downtown. We’ve got a lot to be proud of, but we can’t get complacent. We’ve got to keep moving forward.

Who is your mentor? There are a lot of people I looked up to. Carroll Campbell was a good advisor. Buck Mickel was a mentor. I’ve been with President George Bush, No. 41, a number of times and I saw how he treated people. He’d treat people with dignity and grace. He always had the time. When he was leaving a home, he’d go into the kitchen to thank those who prepared the meal and served the meal. He was never too busy to be nice to people. I’ve been exposed to a lot of good folks. My father was a good man. He was a man of character who worked hard. He’s probably why I’m a classic overachiever today.

My mother was a great encourager. She had great common sense.

SPONSORED BY:

AGE: 67 HOMETOWN: Greenville OCCUPATION: Attorney EDUCATION: Attended Clemson University on a tennis scholarship and graduated cum laude with an undergraduate degree; law degree from the University of South Carolina.

CAREER: Served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for 25 years. Served as United States Ambassador to Canada during the administration of President George W. Bush. Became partner and chair of the public policy and international law practice group at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in 2009.

FAMILY: Wife, Susan. Son, James, works in the university planning and design office at Clemson University. Son, Robert, an attorney. Daughters-in-law, Marnie and Stephanie. Two grandchildren.

FIRST JOB: “Pulling the chain” for a surveyor FAVORITE APP: Tiger Illustrated MORNING OR NIGHT PERSON: Morning

“I had no desire to just be a player. I wanted to make an impact.”

What are your strengths? I’m reliable.

I’m faithful. I’m a hard worker. I do what I say I will do.

What is your worst trait? I tend to be impatient. I want to get things done and move, move, move.

What did you miss most about Greenville while you were in Canada? Susan and I missed our friends the most. A whole bunch of them visited us up there. Our house overlooked the Ottawa River and it had a lot of bedrooms.

What did you learn in Canada that could help Greenville? It reinforced to me that Canada is South Carolina’s largest trading partner and the largest trading partner of 37 other states.

There’s a Canadian engineering firm operating here in Greenville. I learned that the United States and Canada are more like each other than any two countries in the world, and that Canada is a wonderful partner to the United States and to South Carolina.

What do you see yourself doing in five years? I see myself right here doing what I’m doing now. I think I’d fail at retirement.

BY CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF clandrum@communityjournals.com

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The Who’s Who Bookshelf

DAVID WILKINS

MIKE RIORDAN

WALTER DAVIS

BOB HUGHES

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary,” by Dr. Frank I. Luntz.

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “Focus: The Hidden Driver of Intelligence,”

by Daniel Goleman

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “Atlas Shrugged,” by Ayn Rand.

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants,”

by Malcolm Gladwell.

“It’s about communication skills needed to succeed in business. It’s about ‘words that work.’”

OTHER FAVORITES: “Unbroken,” by Laura Hillenbrand.

“It’s about the American spirit, resilience, perseverance and overcoming adversity.”

“It really talks about the neuroscience and the behavioral science backing up great leaders.”

“It gives a great view of the world around incompetence, what motivates different people, and hits every aspect of business motivation and capitalism.”

OTHER FAVORITES: “St. Benedict’s Toolbox,” by Jane Tomaine

OTHER FAVORITES: The Bible

“I’m Catholic and I’m going through my ‘I like St. Benedict’ phase right now, so I’m reading this now as part of the Oblate program at Belmont Abbey. I don’t read a lot of fiction. I also like Father [Thomas] Keating; he does a lot of conversation about centering prayer, and he’s terrific.”

“It hits every aspect of life. It has everything that you ever wanted in it, from intrigue to espionage to anything you can imagine. It’s one of those guides to life that I think is just extremely important.”

32 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 21, 2014

“Our role is to be nimble and quick. In our company we compete with big real estate developers and we view ourselves as David competing against Goliath.

We also get to play on both sides, and I think everyone needs to practice being nimble.”

OTHER FAVORITES: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,”

by Ken Kesey

“The Count of Monte Cristo,”

by Alexandre Dumas “Today, it’s those.

Ask me again tomorrow and they’ll probably be different.”

We asked this year’s Who’s Who winners: What’s your favorite business book? And what are you reading when you’re not reading about business?

BOB MORRIS

DEBRA CLEMENTS

RICK DAVIS

CARL SOBOCINSKI

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “Toxic Charity,” by Robert D. Lupton

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “Corporate Responsibility: The American Experience,” by Archie B. Carroll, Kenneth J. Lipartito, James E. Post and Patricia H. Werhane

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “True Professionalism,” by David Maister

FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: “Setting the Table,” by Danny Meyer

“The book provides keen insight into the unique cultural issues and challenges encountered in leading a professional services firm.”

“Meyer is a New York restaurateur and my mentor.”

“I don’t like the title, but I think its premise is very good. It talks about the unintended consequences sometimes of the work we’re doing.”

OTHER FAVORITES: “The Weight of Mercy,”

by Deb Richardson-Moore “I know Deb Richardson-Moore, and the Community Foundation has supported her work with homeless, addicted and mentally ill persons. The book illustrates the humanity of her clients and is a testament to her persistence with an often-frustrating population. Triune is very successful in its mission with committed board members and volunteers.”

“Business ethics is of great interest to me.”

OTHER FAVORITES: “The Social Animal,” by David Brooks “It is fascinating, and it shows how the mind works and how people make decisions.”

OTHER FAVORITES: “A Walk in the Woods,” by Bill Bryson “It’s a great adventure – the author’s quest to accomplish his audacious goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail. The only book I have ever read that made me laugh out loud!”

OTHER FAVORITES: “The True Measure of a Man,”

by Richard E. Simmons “When you are feeling confused or lost, it is a great book to refer back to”

ESPN The Magazine “I am a sports enthusiast (nut) and enjoy the in-depth reporting, including the human side of athletics.”

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 33

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3690-UpstateBusinessJournal-RD1.pdf

UBJ

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1/10/14

12:32 PM

WHO’S WHO 2014

Keeping Informed

Home Equity Lines No Closing Costs

How do the Upstate’s business leaders get their news?

The 2014 Who’s Who winners share their favorite information sources, online and off.

BOB MORRIS “It’s from my tablet. I read our local news and the New York Times, and I still read the Charlotte paper online.”

DEBRA CLEMENTS “There are so many ways to get the news. I get the Wall Street Journal and I watch CNN, FOX News and NBC. I get my local news from the local stations, the Spartanburg Herald Journal and the Upstate Business Journal.”

RICK DAVIS “Daily and weekly publications from various Web sources, usually via my iPad.”

BOB HUGHES “Print, TV, tablet, phone – all of them. I get three newspapers daily that I subscribe to electronically. I also DVR the nightly news and watch it when I get home.”

DAVID WILKINS “Greenville News, WYFF, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fox News, Embassy Canadian news clip – any way I can get it.”

WALTER DAVIS

I N T R O D U C T O R Y R AT E F O R 1 8 M O N T H S

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“The Greenville News, the Upstate Business Journal, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.”

MIKE RIORDAN “I have a real discipline and practice around not watching the news or reading newspapers. If there’s anything locally or regionally that I need to hear about, I’ll read it in one of my journals or Howell Clyborne will tell me about it. Since [daughter] Meghan is home, though, I end up getting some of my news from Stephen Colbert and ‘The Daily Show.’ There are times when it’s quite funny and reminds me of why I don’t like to watch the news.”

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CARL SOBOCINSKI “I get my news by talking to the guests at the restaurant.”

February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 35

Who’s Who Power Places

CARL SOBOCINSKI

RICK DAVIS

DEBRA CLEMENTS

BOB MORRIS

One of my dining room tables in the restaurant [Soby’s]. It is my favorite place to be.

Anywhere from Main Street to our kitchen island; wherever the opportunity arises.

In the Customer Center at Milliken – it is comfortable and the environment is inspiring.

I do a lot at the Poinsett Club.

If you want a private room, you can do that. I usually get the grilled chicken Caesar salad because it’s easy to eat that and talk at the same time.

At a business lunch, I do a lot of talking – I don’t end up usually eating it.

Work efficiently, close

deals and conduct meetings in the sophisticated, iPad-ready e-lounge and private offices

Connect in the upscale bar with great city

and mountain views; network with Greenville’s top business professionals

Host productive

meetings in our dynamic boardroom with hightech business amenities and signature service

One characteristic that unites the 2014 Who’s Who winners is that they refuse to stay chained to their desks. Here’s where you might find them making connections and having conversations around town.

MICHAEL RIORDAN

WALTER DAVIS

DAVID WILKINS

BOB HUGHES

I like to go out to our cafeteria [at GHS]. For meetings with leaders here, I like to go to their space. It shows respect to them.

I kind of bounce around.

Sometimes it’s Starbucks, or I go to lunch, or in my office.

Anywhere the opportunity presents itself, whether it is a board meeting, a football game or over lunch.

High Cotton. Because if you a need a lawyer there’s always one there. You also see lots of businesspeople who can add meat to or spice up your conservation.

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The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum “21 Points for Success” Featuring Leighton Cubbage Friday, February 28 | 8:00 to 9:30 am Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center

Register at www.GreenvilleChamber.org

Leighton M. Cubbage is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board for Serrus Capital Partners, a real estate investment company headquartered in Greenville. Leighton’s entrepreneurial background is steeped in the telecom industry, where he also cofounded Serrus Telecom Investments. Leighton has served on boards in the automotive, banking, and healthcare industries, including two terms as Chairman for the Greenville Health System, the largest healthcare organization in SC. The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum Series, held the fourth Friday of each month, is designed to help business professionals connect, learn and grow with networking opportunities and educational presentations.

For more information, visit GreenvilleChamber.org or contact tjames@greenvillechamber.org.

38 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 21, 2014

UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

Words to the Wise

We asked our Who’s Who winners: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Surround yourself with people who can help you.

“Work every day to be a constant learner, so try to have a line open to be able to listen and learn. My grandfather told me that.”

BOB HUGHES

“My dad told me that long before college.”

Quantity of life is fixed.

“An architect once told me, ‘Quantity of life is fixed. We’ve been given what we’ve got. Quality of life, however – that is what we can work on.’”

DAVID WILKINS CARL SOBOCINSKI

]

Do the very best you can possibly do in whatever you’re doing.

Never sweat the small stuff.

BOB MORRIS

“A former employee and business advisor once told me that, and I haven’t.”

Do the next right thing.

MICHAEL RIORDAN

“For me, that just helps me focus on the task at hand. I tend to get distracted and hyper-focused on the bigger picture. There are intermediate steps that have to be taken to get to that goal, so ‘do the next right thing’ applies to a lot in business and in personal life. “

RICK DAVIS

Always do your best.

If you have everything under control, you are not moving fast enough.

“Mario Andretti said that. I have always considered this great advice because if you feel things are moving too fast, it is probably a good thing. This is situational advice, and there are times that it is applicable.”

WALTER DAVIS

{ }

[ DEBRA CLEMENTS

Follow your bliss.

“An author named Joseph Campbell counseled his students to seek their bliss.

What that meant to me was to make sure you do something that resonates with the core.

When I was a storeroom supervisor, I had gone to really great schools, I had been in the Marine Corps and had two master’s degrees, and classmates and colleagues were asking me, ‘What are you doing?’ I replied, ‘This is what I like.’ My gut told me ‘This is what you do’ and stuff just happened from that.”

“The best advice I’ve ever received [from parents William Walter Wilkins and Evelyn Horton Wilkins] is not original.

It’s something everybody can live by. I really believe that if you do the best you can at what you’re doing, the rest will fall into place.”

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 39

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UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

Moving Greenville Forward Our inaugural Who’s Who winners share their thoughts on the future of Greenville and the Upstate – and what they’re doing to help get us there.

RICK DAVIS

we don’t just hope it happens, but that we have a strategy to make it happen.

I’m helping by providing leadership to community organizations, always looking for innovative ways to get others involved, and developing future leaders who will have a major impact on Greenville’s future.

Greenville’s clearly been the beneficiary of great leadership from years ago. As we look ahead and say what it will take for Greenville to move forward and stay in this position, it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that the next generation of leaders is prepared to step into roles we need in numbers like we’ve never needed them to step in before, so that Greenville can have that broad base of leaders to take us where we’re going to go. We need to make sure

BOB MORRIS The leadership we can provide [will help move Greenville forward].

We can invest early in some initiatives and make a difference. We are lucky in that there are two substantial partners we work with: the United Way and Hollingsworth Funds.

There are also a lot of outside forces: When I first got here there was the Internet crash, then 9/11, the financial crisis. That all impacted our ability to financially support projects, so we had to come up with innovative ways to get us through difficult financial circumstances.

For example, Heritage Green needed funds to upgrade, build the

library, for the Bob Jones Gallery; we agreed to borrow money from Carolina First and let the county repay us from the accommodations tax on that loan. You can’t find anyone in the country that’s done that. It was unusual and complex, but not a risky thing to do.

CARL SOBOCINSKI It is my responsibility as a restaurant owner to bring new and innovative ideas to the city’s hospitality business.

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UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

DEBRA CLEMENTS I am very impressed with the Upstate in recent years. When you are in downtown Greenville, you can see the results. The entire region is vibrant and alive with development.

While growing aggressively, the Upstate has maintained its character, and we are on the right track.

WALTER DAVIS I hope that the jobs we’re creating, the projects and businesses we finance and customers we loan to also have an economic impact on Greenville, along with teammates’ involvement in other organizations.

BOB HUGHES I think Greenville is well on its way to being the place where people who get to choose where to live will live.

The corridor we’re in is going to continue to grow, and this is where the creative leaders in that corridor will choose to be.

You can’t ever rest on where you are. One of my biggest fears for Greenville is that we say we’re happy with what we’ve done and where we are and stop trying. We have to keep moving forward. Keep trying and keep calibrating.

We [Hughes Development] really do try to respond to what the future of Greenville wants. This is a town for the young people. We’re all here building the future; we can’t build the past. If you aren’t aimed correctly, the further off course you get. We try to aim correctly and do a course correction at every chance we get.

DAVID WILKINS We believe Greenville should be an anchor city for Clemson Univer-

sity. ICAR is huge. We’re the research engine for the new medical school.

The graduate school has a huge presence downtown. Those aren’t the only things. Clemson’s presence in Greenville should grow. We want it to grow.

I can tell you we’re solid in our commitment to Greenville. Greenville is the economic engine for the Upstate. It makes sense for Clemson University to be an integral part of Greenville and Greenville to be an integral part of Clemson. That connect is there and it is getting stronger.

MICHAEL RIORDAN Regardless of where I am, I have a real connection to our vision and mission. We’re not just here to deliver health care, but to transform it. We need to be part of the local, regional, national debate on a system that there’s universal consensus needs to be improved.

For the future, what we’re doing now with the partnerships with the universities is terrific. I think the sky’s the limit for the resources we’re going to bring here.

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UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

Who’s Who 2014 Nominees You only need to look at the names nominated for the inaugural Who’s Who awards to understand that the Upstate has an impressive breadth of talented people. Thanks to all of the names below – and to all who put the names forward for consideration.

James Akers

Robin Bylenga

Katherine Davis

Larry Feniger

David Anna

Bob Caldwell Jr.

Rick Davis

Jason Fletcher

Tom Bates

Stephanie Calloway

Walter Davis

Monroe Free

Laura Bauknight

Elizabeth Chandler

J. Russ Davis, Jr.

J. Earle Furman, Jr.

Dr. John Beckford

Valerie Chatman

Herb Dew

Meric Gambel

Patty Bock

Debra Clements

Dorothy Dowe

Paula Gantt

Michael Bolick

Howell Clyborne Jr

Roseanne Dufala

Trevor Gordon

Peter Brett

Lauren Cooley

Marie Dunn-Blough

Neil Grayson

Brook Bristow

Mark Cothran

Robert Ellis

Shannon Hansen

Julie Brown

Linda Craig

Sam Erwin

Lynn Harton

Bernard Bullock

Marion Crawford

Sloan Evans

Zeno Hawkins

Jeff Bullock

Tom Croft

Chris Fay

William Haynes

Jim Burns

Leighton Cubbage

Kylie Felker

Jim Hendrix

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Lora High

Dr. Sara Mansbach

Jason Premo

Garry Smith

Dr. Gary Holtzclaw

Seabrook Marchant

Angela Pride

Carl Sobocinski

Ty Houck

Jack McBride

Dr. Larry Puls

Dana Souza

Bob Howard

Steve McClure

Dr. Tom Quantrille

Zach Sprunger

Bob Hughes

Chad McGaha

Ron Rallis

Russell Stall

Phil Hughes

Meghan Meier

Tim Reed

Toby Stansell

Larry Jackson

Dr. Keith Miller

Matt Reeves

Jennifer Stilwell

Curtis Johnson

Ned Miller

Barbara Repik

Chris Stone

Tammy Johnson

Tami Miller

Deb Richardson-Moore

Dr. Spence Taylor

Michael Kerski

Bob Morris

Michael Riordan

Jim Terry

Charlie Kilby

Steve Mudge

Laurie Rovin

Anne Tromsness

Doug Kim

Edward Niles

Charles Scales

Larry Webb

Mike Kiriakides

Carlton Owen

Meg Scoopmire

Knox White

Jenna Kochenauer

Krish Patel

Anne Shafer

Nika White

Reid Lehman

Andrea Payment

Ruth Sherlock

Paul Wickensimer

Anna Locke

Fred Payne

Susan Shugart

David Wilkins

Marie Majarais Smith

Mike Pennington

Chuck Simmons

David Wyatt

Chris Manley

Trey Pennington

Heather Simmons Jones

Gillian Zettler

Marion Mann

Scott Powell

Allen Smith

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 43

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.

UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

Ones to Watch Because the judges’ panel was able to choose only a handful of winners from the dozens of accomplished and talented professionals who were nominated (see the complete list on pages 42 and 43), the UBJ staff added its own input based on our day-to-day work.

MARK COTHRAN

Political/ government Vice president of public policy, Greenville Chamber/Upstate Chamber Coalition Cothran represents 12 Upstate Chambers at the State Capital, and keeps the business community in the know about how legislative issues affect them. His work has impacted significant legislation, including the coming of Southwest Airlines to the GSP Airport and the recent Angel Investor Bill.

TOM CROFT

Real estate President, The Croft Company Croft and his firm have put their fingerprints on the residential revitalization of downtown Greenville.

The company developed Greenville’s first mid-rise residential building and will change the skyline again with another to be completed this year. Continue to look for Croft to play a key role in the transformation of infill development in downtown Greenville.

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February 21, 2014

With no previous experience in the industry, Fletcher opened four restaurants in four years. These include The Green Room, The Loft at Falls Park, Ford’s Oyster House and Sip. The restaurants in his group regularly make charitable donations. We are watching to see what, when and where Fletcher’s next concept will go.

TREVOR GORDON Finance CEO, Sandlapper Companies

Gordon’s company has won numerous recognitions for its fast growth, and he has been a significant player in the success of the national professional organization for alternative investments. He runs the largest brokerdealer in Greenville, and the largest retail branch office in the state.

NEIL GRAYSON

Legal Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough Grayson has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2006.

He’s handled more than 50 public offerings and hundreds of private placements of securities while with Nelson Mullins, and more than 30 new bank formations and more than 50 mergers and acquisitions. He has worked to promote entrepreneurship by founding organizations that work with successful companies, and he serves on multiple boards.

TY HOUCK

Nonprofit Director of greenways, natural and historic resources, Greenville County Recreation District Houck has helped to transform and promote the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail, pushed for increased trail use in Greenville, and helped bring the B-Cycle bike-sharing service to Greenville. He is a champion for a healthier Greenville and a familiar face at policy meetings.

SCOTT POWELL

Design Vice president, Craig Gaulden Davis An award-winning architect who has served as president of the Greenville chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Powell volunteers his professional expertise to help meet children’s educational needs and his personal time leading efforts to serve Greenville’s homeless residents.

JASON PREMO

Manufacturing CEO, Adex Machining Technologies Premo started his career as a manufacturing engineer for Fortune 500 printing and packing supplier Avery Denison, where he eventually moved into leadership positions.

Adex has been growing rapidly and is working with the school system to teach them about the future of applied manufacturing.

MATT REEVES

Nonprofit Director, Frazee Dream Center Reeves and his wife, Jenny, started the Frazee Center to provide mentorship, educational and other activities for underserved youth in the downtown area.

He is also director of Mentor Greenville, which recruits mentors to work with youth throughout Greenville County. The program has taken off and we look forward to continuing to watch it grow.

DEB RICHARDSON-MOORE Nonprofit Pastor/director, Triune Mercy Center

Under RichardsonMoore’s leadership, Triune Mercy Center has been transformed into a vibrant community where people

worship together across socioeconomic boundaries. Her innovative work with the homeless has impacted the conversation about homeless people’s experiences and how to tackle the problem of homelessness.

NBSC makes everything so easy for us; it just doesn’t make sense to bank anywhere else.

Daniel Bunnell, Principal

JENNIFER STILWELL

Hospitality Chief marketing officer, VisitGreenvilleSC Stillwell has ramped up the marketing and visibility for Grenville’s tourism marketing group, finding a way to get people talking about what can be a staid organization in most communities.

Her efforts to find a new way to tell Greenville’s story have won awards for her organization and recognition for the community.

DR. SPENCE TAYLOR

Health care President and chief academic officer, GHS Clinical University Taylor has helped to build a nationally renowned academic vascular surgery service. He was a significant force in the arrival of the University of South Carolina School of MedicineGreenville, where he serves on the faculty.

His known rapport with students is attracting some of the best young minds to Greenville.

NIKA WHITE

Diversity Vice president, diversity and inclusion, Greenville Chamber Most recently making headway with several Chamber programs to strengthen minority participation and access in the Upstate’s business community, White is also a hands-on leader in community organizations that target social issues from youth mentorship to racism to community cohesion. We’re keeping an eye on the fruits of all those efforts.

Daniel Bunnell, Principal, and Thomas Lammons, Principal, Bunnell-Lammons Engineering, Inc. — Greenville, SC

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Building their business required working capital, but BLE had yet to prove themselves. NBSC did more than partner with them, they believed in them. Over the years, NBSC banker Ronnie Colson has offered expert advice, showed them how to make cost-effective decisions and taught BLE good money management techniques.

NBSC also suggested refi nancing their loans in order to get a lower rate … before BLE even asked. Being able to anticipate a company’s needs, looking out for their best interests; that’s a sound foundation for success.

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February 21, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 45

UBJ

WHO’S WHO 2014

Who’s Who? Are You?

By Susan Clary Simmons | Executive Editor | ssimmons@communityjournals.com

If you’ve spent the time we hope you have with this week’s special issue of UBJ, you’ve learned something new about the eight charter winners of our annual Who’s Who awards – and been reminded again of what an impact they have had on the Greenville community.

We won’t shy away from the obvious: You’ve probably seen most of these names before. Most of this inaugural class are people whose shelves are cluttered with awards and hardly need the PR associated with yet one more. We anticipate that will be less the case next year. But as others have noted in these pages, these winners are winners because they take service above and beyond their professional roles.

When our panel, whom you met on pages 8 and 9, sat down to select this year’s winners, they had a very specific set of criteria. Each Who’s Who winner had to have made an economic impact on the Upstate, and had to go beyond the strict confines of their job descriptions – traveling the extra mile to make a difference. Who’s Who winners would never be off the clock.

?

When they’re not in the office, we look for them to be out in the community, making connections and doing whatever they can to make the

SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo STAFF WRITERS Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com UBJ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner WHO’S WHO PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Cox, coxphotography.net MARKETING & ADVERTISING

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Lori Burney, Kristin Hill, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Pam Putman

MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price

Upstate a better place to live, work and play. They’re willing to invest in their city.

Greenville is an entrepreneurial

ART & PRODUCTION

city, with an unparalleled gift for pairing government and private enterprise in progressive ways that have made downtown a showcase and won the city national acclaim. And this spirit has spread throughout the Upstate.

Who’s Who winners are also not afraid to get out of their comfort zones, to walk out of the well-worn paths that others in their industry or life position have worn down before them. They know that to make positive change, we’ve got to get a conversation started between people who wouldn’t ordinarily be in the same room. How do we get the Poinsett Club crowd to talk with the millennial professionals in PULSE, for instance? That’s where we learn. That’s where we grow.

So who will be in the Who’s Who class of 2015? That’s up to you. Keep your eyes and ears open for those who are out in the community outside of office hours, putting their resources and time behind making their town greater – walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Better yet, get out and do it yourself. We’ll see you here next year.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair PRODUCTION MANAGER Holly Hardin

STORY IDEAS:

ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals. com to submit an article for consideration.

Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602. Printed in the USA.

February 21, 2014

ideas@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

EVENTS: events@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AWARDS: onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 47