State Museum Foundation

The South Carolina State Museum is proud to announce the appointment of Mary Kathryne Wadford as the new executive director of the South Carolina State Museum Foundation. She assumes this leadership role during a transformative time for the museum as it advances its $75 million Reimagine the Experience campaign, a bold initiative to renew exhibitions, enhance educational programming and expand engagement across South Carolina.

As executive director of the Foundation, Wadford will lead strategic fundraising efforts for the campaign, working closely with donors, stakeholders and museum leadership to bring this ambitious vision to life.

Prior to joining the State Museum Foundation, Wadford served as assistant vice president for Institutional Advancement at Newberry College, where she focused on donor engagement and alumni relations. She previously held fundraising leadership roles at Columbia College, the District Five Foundation and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics. In these roles, she led capital campaigns, cultivated major gifts and built strong community partnerships.

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Bio

Hunter holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.  He previously served as the Donor Relations Coordinator at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). He managed all aspects of stewardship surrounding the NWTF’s development programs of over 5,000 major donors.    

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Amberley has a background in sales and customer service and oversees the museum's direct membership sales, member event planning, and membership renewals.

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Clayton holds a M.A. in Organization Communication from West Virginia University. He previously worked as the Director of Communication for the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Association where he managed public relations, web design, political communication, and membership development.

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Geoffrey Hardee serves as chairman and has held a position on the Foundation's board for 8 years. Hardee is a seasoned media, fundraising and public relations professional, with a passion for preservation, history and authentic country music. He is president of Kinardee Media Consulting. Hardee began his media career at age 16, working as a producer, editor and on-air talent for a local TV and radio station group in his native state of North Carolina. Hardee attended Wingate University majoring in communications, and holds a B.S. in history from Chowan University, in Murfreesboro, NC. He lives on Lake Murray, in Chapin, with his wife, Meg, and three children - Alex, Hannah and Adair.

Blake joined Performance Matters in 2020 after ten years in commercial banking where he worked exclusively with independent and family-owned businesses. He focuses on value-add advice and making sustainable changes to improve small businesses and help them compete.

Blake has his MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina as well.

Blake serves on the executive boards of Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina and the South Carolina State Museum.

He and his wife, Anna, have four children, Louise, Anne Fulton, Jay and Betsy, and they live in Columbia, SC.

Rita works with clients and financial advisors in developing and implementing estate plans and related tax planning that address individual needs as well as family and business interests. Her extensive experience includes advising clients on tax and planning issues, including strategies to manage assets, minimize taxes, and provide for an effective plan of distribution utilizing wills, trusts and other appropriate documents. Her clients include high net worth individuals, business owners, land owners and professionals.

Rita helps families implement multi-generational asset transfers using generation-skipping trusts. She assists those planning for family business succession. In addition to counseling clients on premarital agreements and asset protection strategies, Rita can recommend strategies to achieve charitable giving goals. She further assists clients with representation in the context of estate and trust litigation. As a result of her experience as both a trust officer and as an attorney specializing in this area of the law, Rita is a sought after consulting and expert witness in trusts, estates and fiduciary litigation matters.

As a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Rita serves on its Fiduciary Litigation and Professional Responsibility Committees and is the Immediate Past South Carolina State Chair of the College. She has previously served as a Commissioner on the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, Past Chair and Member of the Estate Planning and Probate Specialization Advisory Board of the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, Past Chair and Council Member of the South Carolina Bar Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Section and Past President and Board Member of the South Carolina Planned Giving Council.

Rita currently serves on the boards of the University of South Carolina Educational Foundation, New Morning Foundation and the South Carolina State Museum Foundation. She is a Sustaining member of The Junior League of Columbia as well as a Founding Member of Women in Philanthropy. She previously served on the University of South Carolina Alumni Association Board of Governors, the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association Board, and for many years served as Chair of the University of South Carolina Guardian Society.

Philip Simoneaux, CPA, CFP® Director of Planning, Family Office Services Southeastern Freight Lines

Philip has almost two decades of experience in accounting & finance serving in both public accounting and private industry. His career has focused on providing financial and tax advisory services to closely held businesses and family wealth (trust, estate, and high net worth individuals). Philip is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and holds both Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”) and Certified Financial Planner™ (“CFP®”) accreditations. He calls Columbia, South Carolina home along with his wife Ashley, daughter Isla, and son Jackson. He believes in staying connected and giving back to the community through service and resources. In his free time, Philip enjoys spending time with his family and staying physically active.

Education, Credentials and Special Training

·      Certified Public Accountant, licensed in South Carolina

·      Certified Financial Planner™

·      B.S., Accounting, University of South Carolina

Professional Affiliations

·      American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

·      South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants

Civic and Community Activities

·      Board Member, South Carolina State Museum Foundation

·      Former Chair, American Heart Association of the Midlands Heart Ball Executive Leadership Team

·      Former Chair, Richland County Transportation Penny Advisory Committee

·      Graduate, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Leadership Columbia Program (2009 class)

Margaret Wallace has served as the Executive Director for the South Carolina Broadcasters Association (SCBA) since 2015. In her role, Margaret is responsible for lobbying at both the state and federal levels, event planning, board meetings, training and all fiscal matters of the association and SCBA Foundation.

Margaret has an extensive history in the South Carolina broadcast industry and a deep connection to the Association, having served as a Board member and Past President of SCBA. Her broadcast career began in radio sales in Georgetown followed by moves to Greenville, Columbia, and Charlotte. After two years in Charlotte radio, Margaret returned to Columbia in 1990 to join WNOK FM/WOIC AM. Her radio career culminated with the unique opportunity to put 2 new country radio stations on the air in Columbia.

After leaving radio, Margaret worked in Development at both EdVenture Children’s Museum and the South Carolina State Museum Foundation. Prior to joining SCBA, she was a Senior Account Executive with WACH FOX TV in Columbia. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Margaret joined the South Carolina State Museum Foundation in 2023.

Roger was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, with a B.S. in mathematics. He continued his graduate studies obtaining an M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematical statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. During the summers, while he was a graduate student, Roger worked for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics developing computer programs which were used by the agency’s employees.

Roger has been an academic, a consultant and a business owner. He was a faculty member of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and later at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. During his time as a faculty member, he has done consulting work for private industry, non-profits and state government.

At the dawn of the microcomputer revolution, Roger developed computer systems for numerous businesses around the state of South Carolina.

Since 1998, Roger has been the Vice President of DP Professionals, Inc. which is based in Columbia, SC. DPP provides information technology staffing services for corporate, non-profit, as well as for state and federal governments.

Roger previously was on the board of the American Heart Association, Columbia chapter and co-chaired the Tocqueville Society of the United Way of the Midlands. He has been deeply involved with the South Carolina Foundation Board since 2006, holding various positions such as Treasurer, Board Chair and now holds the title of Emeritus.

Roger is very happily married and has two children and six grandchildren.

Bio

Amy developed a love for history, art, and the natural world at an early age through annual family trips to museums, historic sites, and national parks. Inspired by a family full of educators, she began her career as a classroom teacher in the US and abroad. Before joining the South Carolina State Museum, Amy spent over twenty years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in a variety of leadership roles advancing education, public programs, digital engagement, exhibition interpretive planning, visitor services, and strategic initiatives, including co-leading the Museum’s 2020-2030 strategic planning process. Amy is a member of the Board of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and was the former chair of AAM’s Accreditation Commission. She has also held leadership roles in AAM’s Education Professional Committee (EdCom), the Museum Education Roundtable, and the National Council for History Education. Amy was the founding director of two arts nonprofits - The London International Gallery of Children’s Art and Children’s’ International Art Outreach (CIAO). She holds a B.A., cum laude, in Anthropology and Education from the College of William and Mary, a MAT in Museum Education from the George Washington University, and is a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute and the Smithsonian Leadership Development Program.  

Amy grew to love South Carolina through childhood visits to her Great Aunt Naomi and Uncle Joe’s shrimping business in St. Helena, SC. She currently lives in Columbia, SC with her husband, two daughters, and rescue dogs and cat. 

A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, John F. McCabe has lived in Columbia, South Carolina for over 30 years and is Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services.  When not managing portfolios, John spends his time serving on many and various historical and civic organizations, as well as spending time with his wife, Mandy Waites McCabe and their three sons’ (John Jr, Mitchell, and Charles) various sports teams and school groups. 

John has served as President of the AC Flora High School Athletic Booster Club, on The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Alumni Commission, and Chair of the Francis Marion Memorial Project in Washington, D.C, and is the South Carolina Representative of The River Alliance Board of Directors, and is a former Deacon at Eastminster Presbyterian Church.

He is past chairman of the board of the South Carolina State Museum Foundation, past president of the Palmetto Baseball League, the past president of the Colonel Thomas Taylor Chapter of the South Carolina Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, is Secretary of The Board of Governors of The Palmetto Club, the Chair of The South Carolina State Museum Commission, on the Board of the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion Foundation, Chair of The Partisan Society of The Congaree, the Saint Andrew’s Society of Columbia, and The South Carolina Historical Society Board of Managers.

John is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

Bio coming soon

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Maryanne Warner Belser graduated from Davidson College with a B.A. in Political Science in 2003.  Maryanne began her communications career in state government with the Office of the First Lady of South Carolina, followed by the advertising agency, Chernoff Newman and Keenan Suggs / HUB Insurance.  She has enjoyed in-house and consultancy opportunities in business, real estate development, legal, banking, technology, hospitality and non-profit sectors throughout her twenty years in Marketing and Advertising.

Maryanne is an active community volunteer and has served as a board member of Prisma Health, the Columbia Museum of Art, South Carolina ETV, Leadership Columbia, The Davidson College Alumni Association and a member of the Vestry at Trinity Cathedral.  She currently serves on the board of the South Carolina State Museum, the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion Foundation, the Columbia Garden Club and Heathwood Hall Episcopal School.

Maryanne’s greatest joy is her family.  Her husband, Freeman, is a Columbia native and attorney.  They are the proud parents of three sons: Hill (16), Heyward (14) and John (11).  Time together is spent on football, lacrosse and baseball fields across the country cheering and supporting her boys.  She also enjoys spending time pursuing her hobbies of cooking and photography.  

For more than three decades, Regina Brown has worked tirelessly in the community building relationships through a variety of outreach programs. At Prisma Health she is the Accountable Communities Market Liaison.

Serving her community is much more than just a job, Brown has dedicated her life to serving others. She believes that if she can make a difference in one person’s life, she has made a difference. In addition to being an advocate for volunteerism on-the-job, Brown practices what she preaches, spending countless hours of her free time helping others as an Elder and founder of Women Empowering Women Ministries which ministers to women of all backgrounds and ages. Brown has ministered at Women’s conferences in South Carolina and Alabama.

Setting the example, she has volunteered with many organizations. Before Prisma Health, Brown managed Palmetto Health’s school business partnership with Richland County School District One which boasts three school business partnerships: Crayton Middle School, Edward E. Taylor Elementary and Carver Lyon Elementary schools. She directs over one hundred volunteers who participate at Carver Lyon and E. E. Taylor through the Lunch Buddy program and has served on the School Improvement Council at Carver-Lyon and Crayton. As a result of this partnership, Palmetto Health received the National School and Business Partnerships Award along with Richland School District One, presented by The Council for Corporate & School Partnerships its first national award. In 2016, she took on another school district Lexington/Richland School District 5 and started a lunch buddies’ program at Harbison West Elementary School. She served as board chair for Richland One Middle College Foundation Beltline campus until 2010. Her leadership has led Palmetto Health to receive numerous Partnership Awards in 2000, 2004, 2013 and 2016.

Charles Duke, III is the Managing Principal for Moss Waters, LLC., a consulting firm focused on succession and market growth. He specializes in evaluating leadership behaviors and aligning resources with strategic goals to enhance succession planning and drive organizational success. With over 30 years of experience, Charles adeptly navigates the complexities of business transitions, ensuring partner cohesion and aligning owners’ visions with business objectives. A results-driven leader, he guides owners through diverse economic cycles, from external sales to family transitions and management buyouts. Charles is passionate about collaborating with leadership to assess Operations, including strategic plans, roles and responsibilities, and performance management; Equity, including capital strategy, transition options, and value drivers; and Governance, including decision-making and conflict resolution, accountability and oversight, and business continuity. He serves professional services firms, such as wealth management firms and law firms, and family-owned businesses.

Prior to founding Moss Waters, Charles spent over 25 years at Elliott Davis, LLC where he was a management team member and board member and served as Consulting Practice Leader. He helped the organization scale and grow rapidly from a local accounting firm to big regional tax, audit, and consulting firm. He has significant experience in collaborating with others to identify opportunities for growth and resolutions to economic and industry challenges. As Consulting Practice Leader his efforts were focused on developing the consulting practice by identifying new services and solutions that met the ever-growing economic and operational challenges of customers to execute smart, efficient, and profit-generating solutions. Charles also provided interim C-suite leadership to clients as a management consultant, guiding them through strategic initiatives, enterprise transformation, and change management to drive long-term growth. Charles was also a vice president of a venture capital firm where he participated in all areas of the deal process, including thesis ideation, sourcing, execution, and portfolio management. He also served as a commercial banker at one of the nation’s largest banks.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors in Political Science and a graduate from the University of South Carolina School of Law, cum laude. As a partner for Nelson Mullins, Debbie’s vast experience in employment law includes defending employers against various employment-based legal claims, advising companies in matters involving ADA public accommodations standards, counseling employers in efforts to avoid litigation, drafting employment policies and handbooks, and more. She focuses her practice on employment and labor issues, commercial litigation, and trade secrets, and noncompete advice and litigation.

Colonel Claude J. Eichelberger was born in Columbia, South Carolina and currently resides in Camden, SC.

Colonel Eichelberger has Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Business Administration from The University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in Computer Resources and Information Management from Webster University. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Executive Leadership from Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary and is currently working toward a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biblical Studies at Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary.
He began his military career in November 1967, as an enlistee in the United States Army. He served one tour in Vietnam and in 1973, joined the 240th Combat Communications Squadron of the South Carolina Air National Guard.

His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Air Force Longevity Service Award and the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, the Air Force Training Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

In addition to the South Carolina State Museum Foundation, Colonel Eichelberger currently serves as a member of the Arts Center of Kershaw County Board, and the MUSC Health Kershaw Medical Center Board of Trustees, the Kershaw County Council on Aging Board, Kershaw County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, the Wateree Community Actions, Inc. Board, and a member of the Camden Rotary club.

He formerly served as a member of the Governor’s Higher Education Study Committee, a member of Governor’s Higher Education Task Force, the Kershaw County United Way Board, the Girl Scout Council of the Congaree Area Board, the South Carolina State Museum Commission, the Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County Board, a Technology Specialist for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program, the Kershaw County Planning and Zoning Commission, and a Kershaw County Voter Registration and Elections Polling Location Technician.

Victoria Eslinger is Senior Counsel at Maynard Nexsen and practices in the area of general and business litigation, labor and employment, complex domestic relations matters, as well as in the Firm's international practice.

The South Carolina Women Lawyer's Association honored her with the 2012 Bissell Award, she was also named as the 2009 Advocate of the Year by the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center and the University of South Carolina School of Law honored her with a Compleat Lawyer Platinum Award in 2004.

Tara Godbolt is VP & Director of Product Strategy for Digital Sales & Marketing at AgFirst Farm Credit Bank. Throughout her 21-year career at AgFirst, Tara has demonstrated a strong understanding of the sales and marketing industry (particularly in Farm Credit), with a customer-centric approach and a deep understanding of the processes and tools she manages/supports. She has worked in several areas of the bank including Customer Support, Information Technology, and Product Management. Tara is a Certified Scrum Product Owner and a Certified Help Desk Professional. Before joining AgFirst, Tara worked for SC ETV, HealthCompass/CareCompass, and FreemanWhite.

Tara is a native of Orangeburg County and attended the University of South Carolina where she received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.  For many years, Tara was active in the Alumni community at the University and was a former Chairperson of the Black Alumni Association

Tara is married to Curtis Godbolt Jr and lives in Columbia, SC. They have two children and one grandchild.

Jack B. Hoey of Charleston brings significant experience in finance, operations and strategic planning. He has held leadership roles in both global corporations and startup ventures and is known for building high-performing teams and driving organizational success. 

A native of South Carolina, Elizabeth grew up in Allendale.  After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English (with a minor in Business Administration) from the University of South Carolina Honors College, she earned her law degree at the Georgetown Law Center.  Prior to joining SCANA in 2013, she practiced law at Eversheds Sutherland law firm in Atlanta and at Nelson Mullins law firm in its Charleston and D.C. offices.  She joined Dominion Energy with the SCANA merger and has worked on the M&A team, the Commercial Transactions group and is currently practicing in the State Regulatory group.

Elizabeth lives in Columbia with her husband, George Hutton, and their three children.  She is following in the footsteps of her father, Henry Laffitte, who was an active board member with the Musuem.

Emilie Lewis is the Director of Community Engagement at Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union, where she has proudly served for over 18 years. A South Carolina native with deep roots in the community, Emilie leads initiatives in outreach, charitable giving, business development, fundraising, and financial education. Through her work with the Palmetto Citizens Foundation, she’s passionate about helping individuals and communities thrive across the state she loves. Emilie believes deeply in the power of connection, storytelling, and preserving the culture that makes South Carolina so special.

Lenora (Nonie) Price, retired from the USC School of Library and Information in 2016 after a career in library services.

Nonie began her career in 1969 as a media specialist in the Greenville county schools and later served as an Army librarian in Bad Kreuznach Germany in the early '70s. Upon her return to the states, Price worked as a public services librarian for the Richland County Public Library for seven years. She joined her alma mater in 1993 as the SLIS continuing education/alumni coordinator.

She served on numerous boards and societies throughout her career, including:

• President, Friends of the Library, Richland County Public Library
• Delegate, White House Conference on Libraries
• Chair, Board of Trustees, Richland County Public Library
• Chair, Trustee Section, South Carolina Library Association
• Trustee of the Year Award, Friends of South Carolina Libraries
• Secretary, South Carolina Library Association
• President, Friends of South Carolina Libraries
• Member, Richland County Public Library Foundation Board

Based in Greenville, Jane Robelot is a nationally recognized broadcast journalist and co-anchor for WYFF News 4’s 4 p.m. newscast. She also hosts the station’s quarterly prime-time special, Chronicle. Robelot previously worked with CBS News in New York, where she co-hosted CBS This Morning, following earlier roles at WSPA in South Carolina and WCAU-TV in Philadelphia. 

Angela D. Rowe (“Dedee”) has been employed with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina for approximately 25 years. She joined the company in 2000 as Associate General Counsel, and was promoted in 2006 to her current position, Assistant Vice President and Senior Deputy General Counsel. She provides advice and counsel on key issues impacting the company and the industry with a focus on regulatory and governance issues, acquisitions, government programs, intellectual property, litigation management, employment and benefits, contracts and general corporate legal work. She manages several attorneys and law department staff.

Prior to joining BlueCross, Dedee was a litigation attorney specializing in employment law and benefits at the Ogletree law firm, and previously with Haynsworth, Sinkler Boyd.

In addition to her service on the South Carolina State Museum Foundation board and executive committee, Dedee is involved with the South Carolina Legal Services Board of Directors and currently serves as Treasurer and Chair of its Finance Committee.

Dedee was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated from Emory University in 1991 with a BA in Political Science and Psychology. She received her JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1994, where she served as Articles Editor of the SC Law Review, and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1994.

Dedee lives in Long Creek Plantation in Blythewood, and is married to Steele Pendleton. Dedee and Steele have two children, twins Eva and Steele, who are sophomores at the University of Florida and Furman University.

Dedee enjoys running, watching the Gamecocks (particularly Lady Gamecocks basketball), and spending time with her family at the beach and lake. She is a member of New Kirk Presbyterian Church in Blythewood.

Born and raised in Anderson SC, Alexandria went to Hollins University in Virginia for college majoring in Economics and totally engaged in Student Government . Involved in politics from youth she was a recipient of the Randolph Hearst Scholarship and was a page at the 1976 Democratic Convention. Upon graduation from Hollins, she received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Alexandria returned to South Carolina to attend the USC Law School and worked at the SC Department of Labor during Law School.  Upon graduation in 1981 she went to work for Westinghouse Electric Company in Pittsburgh in their Labor Relations Leadership Program.  While in Pittsburgh she volunteered at the Pittsburgh Art Museum Gift Shop . She transferred to Subcontracting at the Westinghouse  Elevator Division working in Randolph, NJ and Gettysburg, PA. In 1990 ,after taking a four-month solo trip around the world, she returned to Anderson SC and spent the next couple of years working in family businesses , starting her own construction company, and teaching at Tri-County Technical College. Eventually she decided one job was enough and went to work for Robert Bosch LLC in their Purchasing Department and has been there the last 29 years. Continuing her family legacy of  civic responsibility, she was a member of the Tri-County Tec Foundation Board, the An-Med Foundation Board,  Hollins University Alumnae Board( and Reunion Chair/Gift Chair for each reunion since graduation) , USC Law School Reunion Teams, Junior League of Anderson (President),  Board member and Capital Campaign Chairman for Anderson Art Center, and of course volunteer for church Greek Festivals. Serving on the SC Museum foundation board is an honor. Her hobbies are collecting art, traveling, hiking, fine dining , cooking , going to Clemson games, and if there is music playing, she is dancing. Her favorite people are her niece and nephew, her family, and the friends she has collected over the years. For the record, she has many nicknames: A, Kag, Koukla, Stat, Zorba, and Little Pete.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri Dr. Stroup grew up and attended public schools in Charlotte, North Carolina. After graduating from Wofford College in 1968 he served two years in the United States Army including 12 months in South Korea as the Division Communication Officer for the 122nd Signal Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He attended graduate school at the University of South Carolina receiving a Master of Arts degree in history in 1974 and a Ph. D. in 1980. Dr. Stroup’s areas of concentration included cultural and social history of the South. From 1974 to 1979 he served as the first professional director of the Historic Columbia Foundation. In 1979 he joined a small staff that was planning to develop a State Museum for South Carolina. During his eighteen years at the State Museum he served as curator of history, chief curator and deputy director for collections and interpretation. In 1997 he because the director of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, a position that also included serving as the state historic preservation officer. He retired in 2009 and since that time continues to volunteer at local historic organizations including serving as the superintendent of the Rockton, Rion & Western Railroad the operating tourist railroad of the South Carolina Railroad Museum. When he retired in 2009 he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in the state of South Carolina. In 2019 he published Meet me at the Rocket, a history of the South Carolina State Fair.

During his career Dr. Stroup served on numerous community and professional organizations. He served as president of the Historic Columbia Foundation, the Shandon Neighborhood Council and the Richland County Historic Preservation Commission. His professional involvement included serving on the Council of the American Association for State and Local History, as a member of the National Historic Public Records Commission, president of the South Carolina Federation of Museums and Chairman of the South Carolina Hall of Fame

Adam is the owner of Sound & Images, a company providing AV equipment and event support to the Columbia Area. Adam and S&I support the museum closely, donating time and equipment to the museum's events.

Born and raised in the Chattanooga area and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Deb has spent over 20 years in the voluntary benefits industry leading underwriting, new business and file processing teams. From strategy and execution to spearheading retention, growth and leadership development initiatives, Deb has earned a reputation for meeting and exceeding the sales and operational goals she commits to.

In 2023, Deb joined the Aflac Group team as the Vice President of Group Underwriting. With her team standing as the first point of operational contact on the customer journey, Deb focuses on bringing a positive, end-to-end sales and enrollment experience to market that offers clients the flexible benefits solutions and streamlined support they deserve. But her work doesn’t stop there. Deb is currently in discussions with Aflac’s technology divisions, looking for ways to transform the customer experience and offer a more rapid and efficient onboarding experience. With strong partnerships already built across organizational lines, she’s keeping her teams on track to deliver the big picture changes Aflac’s clients, partners and our industry need.

With a belief that a leader should have a muscle memory for growing and developing employees, Deb also involves herself directly in the community giving activities championed by her team. In Tennessee, that volunteers for the Bethel Bible Village to help children facing adversity, while here in Columbia, she’s moved on to support programs sponsoring research for children’s cancer, the Harvest Hope Food Bank and leading Habitat for Humanity builds.

Leaving Tennessee was a big step, but Deb has truly found a second home here in Columbia. When asked if she missed her hometown, she simply said, “Of course, but I don’t believe in standing still. If you aren’t growing, if you aren’t moving forward and looking for ways to make a difference, you might as well be walking backward.”

As Director of Collaboration, Beth enhances cross-selling and cooperation within the divisions of Parker Poe Consulting, and between Parker Poe Consulting and Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein. Beth also serves clients with her unique relationship-building and problem-solving skills as well as her background in state & federal government.  

Prior to joining Parker Poe Consulting, Beth served as Commerce Liaison under South Carolina Governors Nikki Haley and Henry McMaster, and as Legislative Counsel for Congressman Trey Gowdy. During Beth’s time in the Governor’s Office, she was responsible for facilitating the Governor’s involvement in major economic development projects, including the recruitment of Volvo Cars, Mercedes Benz Vans, and Samsung, to South Carolina.

Beth worked on U.S. House Judiciary Committee matters with Congressman Gowdy and managed a portfolio of policy issues including immigration, healthcare, education, and agriculture. Prior to her government work, Beth served as Director of Student Affairs for the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Beth grew up in Spartanburg and graduated cum laude from Clemson University. She also earned her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is a non-practicing member of the South Carolina Bar. Beth is married to Richard, and they have two daughters, Anne Caroline and Elizabeth. She is also an active member of the Junior League of Columbia.