SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND EMPLOYERS
YEAR: 2003 – 2004

PROGRAMS/ACTIVITIES:

The Association year began on July 31, 2003 with a Summer Board Retreat and Board Meeting at the Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa, GA. Strategic planning for the coming year was led by Brent Stewart along with a review of the SCACE Mission Statement and a SWOT Analysis of SCACE. The Board voted to raise dues per person from $25 to $35. Ten officer and board members attended.

A Fall Drive-In Workshop was held on September 25, 2003 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Following opening remarks, a panel of university and community leaders explored creative ways to bring Colleges, Businesses, and Communities closer together. Attendees were given a tour of the new Life Sciences Building and the main campus. Lunch was provided followed by a brief SCACE Board meeting and a Conference Committee meeting.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Columbia, SC hosted the Winter Drive-In Workshop on January 29, 2004 in Columbia, SC. Participants heard presentations from Senior and Branch Managers about the career paths Enterprise employees can take and about the management and training and internship opportunities provided at Enterprise. Different work sites were visited and the interview process for new hires was discussed. Lunch was provided followed by a short SCACE Board meeting.

The annual conference was held at the Westin Poinsett in Greenville, SC on May 12-14, 2004. The theme for the conference was “Focus on the Future: Leading for South Carolina”. The conference opened with a keynote address by William D. Workman, III, Vice President, South Carolina District Operations, Piedmont Natural Gas Company, entitled “The Future of South Carolina Commerce”. Following a break, General Sessions were presented by Jon Wilken, Past President and CEO of Bi-Lo Corporation, entitled “Using Effective Leadership Skills”, and Leslie Moreland, Student-Athlete Career Services Coordinator, Clemson University, entitled “Teambuilding and Trust (Exercise)”. Deborah Herman, Asst. Director of Experiential Education at Clemson University, presented a third general session entitled “Mastering Media Relations” with panelists Micah Johnson, News Director, Fox News, Angela Nixon, Public Information Coordinator, Clemson Divisions of Student Affairs & Advancement, and Rich Noonan, News Anchor, Fox News. Dr. Joseph James, Chief Operating Officer for the South Carolina Department of Commerce, gave an overview of Governor Mark Sanford’s vision for the future of the state entitled “Governor’s Competitive Initiative for South Carolina”. Breakout sessions covered the following topics: federal employment recruiting and hiring processes; serving the millenniums; making the transition from college (books) to work (business); and how to travel well. Other sessions included a discussion of Leadership South Carolina by a graduate of the program and “Transitioning South Carolina to a Knowledge-Based Economy” by Christian Przirembel, Vice President for Research, Clemson University, and Karl Kelley, CEO of the SC-BIO Program. A panel of SCACE members discussed current and future recruiting practices for the closing keynote session.

The year concluded with the Annual Business Meeting held at the close of the conference on May 14, 2004. A new slate of officers and board members were presented and elected and the past officers and board and conference leaders were thanked and recognized for their service to the association. Conference evaluations were completed and the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC was announced as the site for next year’s conference on April 27-29, 2005.