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The Sixth Annual Wilkins Awards Dinner

Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center

January 25, 2011

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. Senator Wes Hayes and Minor Mickel Shaw were honored as recipients of the 2010 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 Midlands Biz

 

Senator Wes Hayes

2010 Wilkins Award for Legislative Leadership

Highly regarded for his long-standing statesmanship and leadership, Senator Hayes was chosen unanimously by the Wilkins Award Selection Committee to receive the Excellence in Legislative Leadership Award. Having served in the Statehouse since 1985, Hayes is current chair of the Senate Ethics Committee. Hayes serves on the following Senate Committees: Banking and Insurance, Education, Finance, Medical Affairs, and General. He currently chairs the subcommittees dealing with public education in both the Finance and Education Committees, and in such capacity has been an advocate for fair and equitable funding for public schools and has worked to increase availability of early childhood education.

Minor Mickel Shaw

2010 Wilkins Award for Civic Leadership

Minor Mickel Shaw is widely known for her selfless, energetic, and thoughtful civic leadership. President of Micco Corporation, Shaw also currently serves as chair of The Daniel – Mickel Foundation, and she is a trustee of the Duke Endowment, the Hollingsworth Funds and the Belle Baruch Foundation. She is on the boards of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Piedmont Natural Gas and Columbia Nations Funds, and she is chair of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport Commission.

 

The keynote address was given by Governor Nikki Haley, who expressed her desire to work together with Senate and House members and keep alive the “honeymoon period” between her office and the South Carolina legislature.