Spotlight: Ohmar Land

Laura-Clare Thevenet

Contributing Author

A humanitarian is defined as a person promoting human welfare and social reform. Spartanburg Philharmonic Board Member, Dr. Ohmar Land, truly embodies these characteristics by championing those in the Spartanburg community and the surrounding areas every day.

Prior to moving to Spartanburg in 2018, Dr. Land’s career, spanning over 15 years in fundraising, consulting, and leadership for higher education institutions, non-profit organizations, national and regional healthcare organizations, and community foundations, took him all over the East Coast, from Charlotte, NC, to Washington D.C.

In 2001, he earned a BSBA in Healthcare Management from Appalachian State University. A few years later, in 2004, he decided to further his education at Pfeiffer University and earned a Master’s in Business Administration. Soon after, Dr. Land attended the University of Phoenix and obtained a Doctorate in Management in Organizational Leadership. He is also a graduate of the Leadership Spartanburg program. Among his several honors and achievements, Dr. Land most notably served as the first Executive Director for the Charlotte Housing Authority Scholarship Fund (CHASF) from 2006-2009.

The mission of the CHASF is “To make certain that every child living in our public housing community has both the opportunity for and an expectation of a college education.” Dr. Land fervently believed in this mission statement and was able to guide it to realization.

Under his direction and leadership, Dr. Land helped raise more than $3 million to ensure that 100 students could attend college in perpetuity. To honor his years of dedicated patronage, the CHASF awarded Dr. Land the prestigious Founder’s Award in 2019.

In addition to his work with CHASF, Dr. Land draws upon several years of work experience in teaching, scholarship management, partnership development, institutional advancement, public relations, and philanthropy for many higher education institutions

and non-profit organizations, including the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Prince George’s Community College, Bowie State University, and most recently, Sherman College of Chiropractic. He also served for 10 years as a Founding Member of the New Generation of African American Philanthropists.

Presently, Dr. Land works at Land Leadership Counseling, which he founded, and is the Senior Director at CCS Fundraising. When it comes to serving his community, Dr. Land’s benevolence extends past his career. It is his passion.

Unsurprisingly, he is an avid volunteer in Spartanburg in his spare time. He currently serves as a Member of the Advocacy Committee for the United Way of the Piedmont, an Executive Board Member on the Palmetto Council for the Boy Scouts of America, a Board Member for the Spartanburg Philharmonic, and a Board Member, Governance Committee Chair, and a Big Brother for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate Inc.

Dr. Land’s passion for mentoring and giving back to his community was inspired by his own experience as a “Little” in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America while living in Charlotte, NC. Now, he is actively involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate and is a Big Brother to Hollis Hones Jr. of Spartanburg County.

Since the start of the pandemic, many community centers, and public spaces have been closed, and programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have been heavily affected. Dr. Land has been a strong advocate for continuing virtual mentoring and creating a safe place for the children in the program.

In an article from the Post and Courier Spartanburg, he stated, “Just because a global pandemic is happening does not mean mentoring is not needed. It’s just the opposite. Children need more. There are a lot of mental health issues on the rise with everyone stuck in the house. This (program) is still an option for kids that want to be in mentoring.”

Since joining the Spartanburg Philharmonic Board last season, Dr. Land has positively impacted the organization with his humanitarian nature and many years of expertise. The mission of the Spartanburg Philharmonic is to enrich, inspire, and educate through live performances of high-quality music and efforts like the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Link Up strive to enhance and give back to the community. The Spartanburg Philharmonic is honored to work in partnership with Dr. Land to support the arts in Spartanburg. Keep us in mind for all your

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