2015 SPEAKERS / PRESENTERS Vanessa Cills-Harper
Rosalyn W. Frierson, Esq.
Loving Me Inc.
S.C. State Court Administrator Vanessa Cills-Harper is a veteran stylist, instructor, and business owner in the Columbia area. A 1988 graduate of WJ Keenan High School, Mrs. Harper continued her education at South Carolina State University. Identifying a need for college students and local residents to stay abreast of the latest hair trends and styles, Mrs. Harper opened her first salon in the Orangeburg area in the early 1990s.
A licensed cosmetologist for 25 years, Mrs. Harper has served on the board at Virginia College and Heyward Career Center. She understands and appreciates that continuing education and life-long learning are essential to the success of any business, including cosmetology. During her career, Mrs. Harper has been an instructor for Affirm Products, an examiner for the South Carolina Labor and Licensing Board and has owned 4 successful beauty salons in the Orangeburg and Columbia areas. Mrs. Harper is founder and CEO of Loving Me Inc., a non-profit organization that lends aid to those dealing with life alternating events such as medical diagnoses, traumatic events and housing displacements. As a cosmetologist and personal stylist, Mrs. Harper also mentors young women dealing with self-esteem issues teaching them to love who they are while providing them with the inspiration and encouragement needed to achieve their goals. She is also a member of Millennium Toastmasters in Blythewood, SC. For the past 10 years, Mrs. Harper has owned and operated Studio V, a full service salon in the Forest Acres area. Mrs. Harper is a devoted wife, dedicated mother and adoring grandmother. Mrs. Harper’s life and actions are guided by her favorite scripture Philippians 4:13-“For I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”
Rosalyn W. Frierson was appointed Director of South Carolina Court Administration by the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1998. Mrs. Frierson is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. She previously served as a S.C. Supreme Court Staff Attorney, Law Clerk to former Chief Justice Ernest Finney, Jr. and Research/Budget Analyst for the Ways and Means Committee of the S.C. House of Representatives. She currently serves as a substitute Municipal Court Judge for the City of Columbia. Ms. Frierson participated in the three year Executive Session for State Court Leaders in the 21st Century at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a graduate of the Furman Diversity Leadership Institute and the S.C. Executive Institute. Ms. Frierson is a member of the S.C. Bar Association, S.C. Bar House of Delegates, American Bar Association and Richland County Bar Association. She served as President of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) and Vice-Chair of the National Center for State Courts in 2011. She is Past President of the S.C. Women Lawyer’s Association (2007). She is also a member of the S. C. Access to Justice Commission, Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Editor of the S.C. Lawyer Magazine. She currently serves on the Palmetto Health Board of Directors and Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees. She received the Richland County Bar Association Civic Star Award in 2002. In 2014 she was inducted into the National Center for State Courts Warren E. Burger Society and received a 2015 South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Leadership in Law award.
Lasenta Lewis-Ellis
CEO/President, LLE Construction Group, LLC Lasenta Lewis-Ellis, an experienced entrepreneur and licensed General Contractor and Construction Manager, who has been building and scaling businesses for more than 10 years. She is the President/ CEO of LLE Construction Group, LLC, which she started in 2011, and a member of the prestigious Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), a highly selective international organization for women presidents of privately held multi-million dollar companies. In 2003, she started her first company, Quality Facility Services, a janitorial and facilities maintenance firm. She started a second company in 2007, Need-A-Lift Transportation Services, LLC, a transportation service for children-on-the-go. Her next venture is a family entertainment center, Metro Rollerway Skating Rink, LLC, scheduled to open in 2014. As a mentor to entrepreneurs, it is her passion to assist women business owners and start-ups with developing strategies that move them from concept to market in powerful ways. She has degrees from Midlands Technical College, the University of South Carolina, and a Masters degree from Webster University.