The Seventh Annual Wilkins Awards Luncheon
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
January 24, 2012 at 1:15 p.m.
Held on the first night of the legislative session each year and attended by political, community, and business leaders, the Wilkins Awards Dinner promotes citizenship, public service, and bipartisan governing. Rep. James Smith and Edward Sellers were honored as recipients of the 2011 David H. Wilkins Leadership Awards. The Wilkins Awards are named for former Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives and Ambassador to Canada, David H. Wilkins, and honor the leadership, courage, vision, and integrity of one South Carolina legislator and one South Carolina civic leader. View this year’s program | Read an article by UpstateBizSC | Read an article about James Smith | Read an article by MidlandsBiz
Rep. James Smith (District 72)
2011 Wilkins Award for Legislative Leadership
Smith is a champion of education, environmental conservation and government accountability. The Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership honors a member of the South Carolina House or Senate who best exemplifies the highest principles of leadership, integrity, compassion, vision, and courage. Recipients have demonstrated the ability to collaborate with fellow legislators, regardless of party affiliation, to effect positive change in South Carolina.
Edward Sellers
2011 Wilkins Award for Civic Leadership
Sellers is the board chair of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and driver of numerous charitable and community-focused initiatives. The recipient of this award is a civic leader whose selfless involvement in community is marked by vision, skill, and integrity, and whose efforts to improve the quality of life in the state has required a remarkable investment of personal time, energy, and responsibility.
CIA Director David Petraeus was the keynote speaker, and during his remarks, Director Petraeus congratulated the award winners for their accomplishments and contributions to the community. He also reminded the highly engaged audience of the importance of working together as South Carolinians in order to achieve our goals.
Many thanks to our generous sponsors of the seventh annual Wilkins Awards Luncheon:
- Duke Energy
- BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
- SCETV
- AT&T
- The Ballentine Group of Wells Fargo Advisors
- BMW
- Childs &Â Halligan, P.A.
- Clemson University
- Elliott Davis
- Municipal Association of S.C.
- Piedmont Natural Gas
- Santee Cooper
- SCBIZÂ News
- Charleston Regional Business Journal
- Columbia Regional Business Report
- GSA Business
- SCBIZ Magazine
- South Carolina Cable Television Association
- South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA)
- Statehouse Report
- Verizon Foundation