Contents

06 Welcome

07 Chamber Leadership

14 Schedule some fun

22 Velux

26 Sunshine Soda Shack

30 Self Regional Healthcare

34 Carolina Health Centers

40 Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital

44 Greenwood School District 50

48 Greenwood Promise

50 Greenwood Area Schools

54 Important Numbers

62 Online Membership Directory

On The Cover:

•  Lake Greenwood

•  Stanley, the Stork (SC Festival of Flowers)

•  Greenwood Railroad Historical Center

•  Mural at Uptown Market

Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce

110 Phoenix Street | Greenwood, SC 29646

(864) 223-8431 | www.greenwoodscchamber.org

Schedule some fun

Greenwood offers a full program of sports, history and the arts

If you’re looking for something to do in and around Greenwood, have we got a list for you! Below is an alpha list of 10 top area attractions sure to appeal to history buffs, movie lovers, those craving culture, crafters and even people looking for a place to savor a glass of wine or to throw back a mug of locally brewed beer.

The Arts Center of Greenwood

After a community-driven major capital campaign and renovation of the historic Federal Building in Uptown, The Arts Center of Greenwood opened to the public in February 2006.

Since that time, the organization has inspired more than 250,000 visitors with engaging exhibitions, educational programs and events.

The center features gallery space, a courtyard garden, ceramics studio, resident artist studios, classroom spaces, reception hall, conference room, catering kitchen, a visitor center and workspace for other local organizations.

It presents a rotation of art exhibitions, seasonal studio art classes, camps, workshops, lectures and tours for people of all ages. The center also provides outreach programs that offer interventions and meaningful modes of self-expression to disadvantaged areas of the community.

120 Main St.
Greenwood, SC
864-388-7800
artscentergreenwood@gmail.com
https://www.artscentergreenwood.com/

Benjamin E. Mays Historic Preservation Site and Museum

The Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site is dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the legendary president of Morehouse College for 27 years, a trusted advisor to three U.S. presidents and mentor/eulogist of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The site holds Mays’ birth home, which was restored and moved to the GLEAMNS campus in 2004. A treasure trove of Black history, the campus also features the former Brewer High School, Brewer Hospital, Brewer Lab and Burns Spring School.

237 N. Hospital St.
Greenwood, SC
864-229-8833
mayssite@gleamnshrc.org
https://www.mayssite.org/

Greenwood Community Theatre (GCT)

GCT reopened in January 2007 after an extensive $1.2 million renovation project.

Located in Uptown Greenwood’s Emerald Triangle Cultural Arts District, GCT stages musicals, comedies, screens classic and indie films and hosts music concerts and many rentals to local and touring organizations and businesses.

Its primary focus is to create theater for and by the community. And the GCT’s Penguin Project productions provide young artists that are differently-abled the opportunity to star in roles in musicals.

110 Main St.
Greenwood, SC
864-229-5704
gctgwd@gmail.com
https://www.greenwoodcommunitytheatre.com

Greenwood Railroad Historical Center

Established in 1970, the Railroad Historical Center preserves the Greenwood area’s and nation’s rail history, covering the time from 1900 to 1950.

The center began with a private collection in the rear of an Adams family property. The land and equipment was donated to The Museum [of Greenwood] in 2005. Since then the site has grown to hold one of the largest collections of its kind in South Carolina.

The former Palmetto Bank building serves as a visitor’s center. In 2018 the Railroad Historical Center unveiled a new deck and accessibility lift to enable those who have difficulty climbing stairs to view trains.

908 South Main St.
Greenwood, SC
864-229-7093
GreenwoodMuseumDirector@gmail.com
https://www.greenwoodrrmuseum.com/

Main & Maxwell

Main & Maxwell is a woman-owned-and-operated business that’s been open in Uptown since spring 2016.

The unique retail gallery space supports the work of more than 60 artists and craftspeople from throughout South Carolina. The store is available to rent for receptions and events. It also offers exclusive shopping, decorating services, a variety of classes and puts out an electronic newsletter for keeping up on its sales and in-store happenings.

210 Main St.
Greenwood, SC
864-223-6229
mainandmaxwell@gmail.com
https://www.mainandmaxwell.com/

The Mill House Brick Oven Pizza and Good Times Brewing

Gianpaolo Bonaca and Paul Bartolomeo opened their brick oven pizzeria and sandwich shop in 2010. They found themselves broadening their menu and cultivating a fine craft beer selection. That led to opening the adjacent Good Times Brewing where brewmaster John Michael McCranie (cq) has been making beer since the early brewery days in 2015.

237 Maxwell Ave.
Greenwood, SC
864-323-0321
millhousegwd@gmail.com
https://www.millhousepizza.com/goodtimes/home

Ninety Six National Historic Site

According to the National Parks Service, this area was believed to be 96 miles from the lower Cherokee Indian town of Keowee, near where Clemson, SC is today.

The land was the site of two Revolutionary War battles that took more than 100 lives. These days, its trails and pond are popular with birdwatchers. The Ninety Six visitor center features a bookstore, museum and theater. The land holds a star fort from Revolutionary War times.

1103 Hwy 248
Ninety Six, SC 29666
864 543-4068
https://www.nps.gov/nisi/index.htm

Sled Dawg Brewery

Sidney Huskey opened his craft brewery in Greenwood’s Uptown district in August 2022. There he makes a variety of his own beers served on tap and in growlers to take home. There’s a tap room, serving area, food available from Smash Mel’s Brewery Kitchen and live music frequently being played.

The custom wooden bar is the heart of Sled Dawg Brewery. Its blue epoxy center mirrors flowing water and the creativity behind every pint poured.

220 Phoenix St.
Greenwood, SC
864- 202-4946
shuskey17@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/sleddawgbrewery/

South Bend Winery

Larry and Mandy Cozine opened their family-run business in November 2020 on six acres of 100-year-old farmland. They feel there is something special about wineries and the environment they create.

Their winery, the only one in Greenwood, produces a variety of red, white and fruit wines, which took awards at the 2022 Palmetto Wine Competition and a First Place in the 2021 Index-Journal Readers Choice Awards.

South Bend Winery features tastings as well as a menu with a variety of sandwiches. It frequently offers live music, trivia nights and karaoke.

122 Old Mount Moriah Road
Greenwood, SC
864-377-8591
info@southbendwinery.com
https://southbendwinery.com/

The 25 Drive In Movie Theater

One of only three drive-in theaters still open in South Carolina, 25 Drive In has a history that dates back to 1955.

The outdoor movie spot operated until the mid-1980s, then again for just a few weeks in 1999. It reopened in 2009, added a second screen in 2011, converted to digital projection and sound in 2015 and added a third screen in 2017.

The seasonal business opens in February, serves food and always offers a double feature.

3109 Highway 25 South
Greenwood, SC
864-942-9871
https://25drivein.com/

For more things to see and do in and around Greenwood, visit https://discovergreenwood.com/

VELUX

Shining a positive light on the Greenwood community

VELUX, the market leader in manufacturing skylights and roof windows, has its main USA group office in Greenwood due, in part, to a haircut.

The story begins in 1941, when engineer Villum Kann Rasmussen established his company, V. Kann Rasmussen & Co in Copenhagen.

One of his first commissions was to supply roof windows to a number of school buildings in which loft space was being converted into classrooms. The shortage of materials during World War II led Rasmussen to come up with an idea that would transform those dark empty attics into bright living spaces – full of daylight and fresh air.

Rasmuseen’s vision was to make a skylight – a roof window – just as good as the best vertical window. His first roof window was patented in 1942. He called it VELUX – “VE,” from the word “ventilation” and “LUX,” from the Latin word for “light.”

VELUX roof windows proved to be an effective way of putting many square feet of wasted roof space to good use. After expanding all over Europe, VELUX set up shop in the United States in 1975.

After a comprehensive business review, Rasmussen chose Greenwood following a haircut from a local barber. He received excellent service and an excellent haircut while hearing everything he wanted to know about Greenwood as he waited in line.

Today, VELUX has manufacturing and sales operations in more than 40 countries. VELUX Group USA manufactures and sells products such as roof windows, skylights, tubular daylighting devices and commercial skylights, as well as a range of decorative blinds and installation solutions.

Stateside, the company also operates manufacturing facilities in Maine and Nevada. VELUX invests significantly in its business, which in most cases means business for local vendors of many types.

In Greenwood, Velux employs more than 500 people across its seven production plants, distribution center and more than 700,000 square feet of space.

The new, advanced distribution center opened in December 2023. The building replaced a 30-year-old facility and is part of VELUX’s $26 million investment in Greenwood County.

Built on a former Fujifilm site, VELUX now houses logistics, freight, customer support, digital systems, operations support, global IT support and skylight blind assembly in one location.

Renovation included the addition of more than 150 VELUX Dynamic Dome commercial skylights, which allow electric lights to remain off for nearly an extra hour each day. VELUX Modular Skylights and VELUX Sun Tunnel skylights are being installed in office space.

VELUX also now uses two new Freightliner® eCascadia® electric semi trucks for daily operations at its Greenwood facilities to reduce operational emissions by 100% as part of its broader sustainability strategy, offsetting 50,000-60,000 miles of gas consumption annually.

On the commercial side, VELUX is seeing increased focus on sustainable buildings and the value of bringing more daylight into warehouses, retail spaces, airports and other large buildings. As such, the company is working to expand its product offerings for businesses that want to use their roof spaces more efficiently and thoughtfully to keep energy costs down and offer an aesthetically pleasing environment for employees and customers.

On the residential side, VELUX’s functional technology has increased with solar battery operated fresh air skylights that customers can control with their smartphones. And the energy efficiency of glass is significantly higher than it was 25 years ago.

VELUX also shines light on the work of local non-profits. It supports a variety of local organizations that range from schools to civic organizations to organizations that help others.

VELUX employees participate directly in many community service organizations, community leadership organizations and has employees serving on local nonprofit boards of directors.

Members of the public are welcome to visit the Experience Center showroom from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at VELUX America LLC, 104 Ben Casey Drive, Fort Mill. For information, call 803-396-5700.

To learn more about VELUX USA Group, go to https://www.veluxusa.com/.

Sunshine Soda Shack

Serving up tasty treats in Greenwood

A local business is making it easy for residents of Greenwood to find quality refreshments.

“Sunshine Soda is bringing the western soda craze to the sunny south!” said Britney Jensen, who owns the business along with her friend Nicole Brown.

Sunshine Soda Shack, 115 Hampton Ave. in Greenwood, opened January 2023 when stay-at-home moms Jensen, with four kids, and Brown, with three, got the business started. Two years earlier Jensen had moved to South Carolina from Ephraim, Utah and met Brown, a transplant from Rochester, N.Y.

“We became fast friends,” Jensen said.

Jensen had told Brown about the number of soda shacks through Utah while she offered a taste of her Dr Pepper flavored with vanilla creamer. They thought it would be a good idea to bring the business to Greenwood.

“From there we hit the ground running, thus bringing Sunshine Soda into reality,” Jensen said.

Sunshine Soda, which has nine employees, offers flavorful sodas, sparkling water, regular water refreshers and caffeinated energizers.

“We use an assortment of Torani syrups, creamers, candies and more in various recipes,” Jensen said. “Customers can choose to customize or are able to choose from our curated menu. There is something for everyone.”

Sunshine Soda caters to several regular customers who make a stop at the trailer nearly every day, while others make sure to visit the group when they travel to vendor fairs. The best-selling item is the Cherry Bomb, made up of Coke, cherry and vanilla, topped with a maraschino cherry.

As for the owners, Jensen’s favorite soda is the Good Vibes, which consists of Dr Pepper, raspberry and vanilla Cream, while Brown prefers the Hawaii Five-0, made with Sprite, pineapple, mango, coconut and cream.

For Jensen, the best thing about the soda shack is watching the reaction from first-time customers.

“Definitely,” she said, “Seeing people take their first sip and fall in love with their flavorful beverage.”

Sunshine Soda Shack is open Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. The hours vary when the soda trailer is traveling to vendor events or involved with catering.

Healthcare

Self Regional Healthcare

2023 saw Self Regional Healthcare increasing its reach to patients in the Lakelands with the addition of Abbeville Area Medical Center and Lakelands Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (formerly Abbeville Nursing Home,) to the SRH family. By bringing on these two healthcare facilities (in addition to Edgefield County Healthcare, which joined the organization in 2018,) SRH has established a very robust network capable of bringing specialty care close to home for many more Lakelands patients.

Also in 2023, Self Regional was nationally recognized with a Leapfrog A rating for hospital safety. The grade is based on up to 27 measures, including rates of preventable errors, injuries, and infections. This year SRH also aggressively expanded the range of primary and specialty services available in the Lakelands to now include: Podiatry, Urology, OBGYN, Plastic Surgery, Telemedicine, and Robotic Surgery with the addition of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System.

Over the years, the network of care has dramatically expanded to include the Cancer Center, Heart and Vascular Center, Neurosurgery and Spine Center, Orthopedics, Urology, Joint Center, Women and Childrens Center, Optimum Life Center, Montgomery Center, Family Medicine Residency Program, Health Express Mobile Services, Mobile Mammography, Occupational Medicine, Sleep Disorders Center, Pain Management Center, Home Health Services, Outpatient Surgery Center, Imaging Center, Wound Healing Institute and Behavioral Health and Counseling. In fact, just in the last few years, Self Regional has significantly increased the network of primary care, specialists and hospital-based physicians working together to provide convenient and comprehensive care to the Lakelands. In 2020 Edgefield Medical Center, a Department of Self Regional Healthcare Partners was added to the growing list of practices in the Lakelands, serving patients in Edgefield County with primary care services as well as specialty services like Pediatric care, Cardiovascular care, and Orthopedic care. Self Regional has 358 licensed beds, over 2,900 team members and 250-plus physicians on active medical staff in over 40 specialties.

At one time or another, Self Regional has had an impact on everyone in the Lakelands. From a broken arm to the birth of a child or chemotherapy, Self Regional is there. Community is highly valued at Self Regional Healthcare, and aptly expressed in the organizations mission statement: “Our hearts, hands, and minds are leading our communities to better health.”

Always growing

Carolina Health Centers serving the Greenwood community for nearly 50 years

Carolina Health Centers, Inc. (CHC) has been serving the Lakelands for nearly 50 years, providing affordable, accessible healthcare to Greenwood and surrounding communities.

With its 10 family medicine sites, three pediatric sites and three pharmacies, CHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

“This means we qualify to receive grant funding that simply helps us offset the costs of serving everyone in our communities, including people who are underinsured and uninsured,” said CHC Communications & Development Manager Rachel Manner.

At the same time, this does not make CHC a clinic for the underserved. It simply means that CHC aims to deliver the same high-quality, comprehensive healthcare to everyone, regardless of insurance-status.

“We believe healthcare is a right and not a privilege,” Manner said.

With an ever-growing patient-base of more than 30,000 people, CHC strives to be a driving force in creating health equity for the communities it serves.

Aligning with its mission of providing accessible healthcare, its pharmacies offer financially accessible prescriptions to its patients. Those pharmacies also offer site delivery within our entire service area, mail order services and home delivery to those within a radius of its pharmacy locations.

Since CHC houses its own pharmacies, its patients have an unrivaled healthcare team, with their provider and their pharmacist having direct lines of communication with one another. And the two Carolina Community Pharmacies also participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

“In a nutshell, this means we purchase medications at extremely discounted rates, so we are able to pass savings along to our patients,” Manner said. “We will always find the best financial option to keep medications accessible to our patients. Many of our patients’ qualities-of-life have been drastically improved because of the medication prices we can offer.”

The CHC pharmacies are also community distributors of free naloxone. By preventing a death by overdose, CHC can offer a life through recovery services, Manner said.

In recent years, CHC Behavioral Health services have grown exponentially to meet adult and pediatric needs. This includes on-site counselors at select locations, so providers know CHC counselors and can provide a warm hand-off and patients don’t get lost in a pool of referrals.

The Behavioral Health Department partners with the CHC pharmacies to offer Medication-Assisted Treatment Services to those dealing with substance abuse disorders, which, in conjunction with counseling, means patients are never alone during recovery.

Other CHC programs and services include:

•  Early Childhood Services (serving the entire CHC service area)

•  Migrant/Agricultural Worker Health Clinics (in the Ridge Spring Family Practice)

•  Infectious Disease Care Coordination

•  Outreach & Enrollment Counselors

•  Navigators for health insurance

•  Care Coordinators and Community Health Workers to help link patients to any services they need

In 2023, CHC’s largest pediatric site, The Children’s Center, underwent remodeling to expand capacity to add more providers, which means more capacity for patients.

Lakelands Family Practice and Pediatrics Center has also been remodeled to better serve the Coronaca/Waterloo/Ninety Six communities.

Looking ahead, Village Family Practice (Greenwood) is currently under construction to increase capacity. CHC has also purchased land in Laurens to build a larger pediatric site and another pharmacy in one convenient location.

Manner noted that in the recent years of COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a struggle for many individuals and industries.

COVID was and is CHC’s opportunity to show-up and be present for its communities. To the end, employees from all departments in the organization rallied together to offer testing and vaccine pop-up clinics for people who needed them, she said.

“We were able to consistently partner with SC DHEC and the National Guard to be where people had needs,” Manner said. “And that’s what we’re really here for – to meet people where they are and provide them with or connect them to the services they need.”

Manner said CHC is consistently growing in staff, patient load and physical sites. The organization consistently strives to meet the healthcare needs of everyone in its communities and to create programs that go beyond its foundation of high-quality, primary healthcare.

“We want to be the medical home for our communities,” Manner said. “We care about our patients far beyond their appointment times. This is why we’re your medical home, right here at home.”

Community Health Centers facilities:

•  Bethany Center (Greenwood)

•  Calhoun Falls Family Practice

•  HomeTown Pediatrics (Clinton)

•  Lakelands Family Practice & Pediatrics Center (Waterloo)

•  Laurens County Community Care Center (LC 4 )

•  McCormick Family Practice

•  Pendergrass Family Health Center (Ware Shoals)

•  Ridge Spring Family Practice

•  Saluda Family Practice

•  The Children’s Center (Greenwood)

•  Uptown Family Practice (Greenwood)

•  Village Family Practice (Greenwood)

•  Carolina Community Pharmacies (two Greenwood locations)

Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital

Providing care for recovering patients

Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, serving South Carolina and Georgia, provides specialized inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative services to patients who often are recovering from disabilities caused by injuries, illnesses or chronic medical conditions.

The hospital, located in Greenwood, is a member of Ernest Health, a network of rehabilitation and long-term acute care hospitals, and managed locally to best meet the needs of the community. Ernest Health hospitals share information, knowledge and resources so they can continually evaluate and improve the delivery of care to its patients.

National research shows that inpatient rehabilitative care is significant to a patient’s healing process, often helping patients regain or improve productivity and independence.

Patients treated in inpatient rehabilitation facilities have better long-term results than those treated in skilled nursing facilities, according to a study commissioned by the ARA Research Institute, an affiliate of the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association.

The study compared more than 100,000 medically and demographically similar patients in inpatient rehabilitation facilities to patients in skilled nursing facilities during a two-year period.

The study showed that patients who receive rehabilitation services in inpatient facilities have improved quality of life. Improved quality of life is defined as patients living longer, reduced use of facility-based care such as hospital and ER visits, and the ability for patients to remain in their homes without additional outpatient services.

Patients treated at inpatient rehabilitation facilities:

•  Returned home from their initial stay two weeks earlier

•  Remained home nearly two months longer

•  Stayed alive nearly two months longer

In addition, these patients experienced an 8% lower mortality rate and 5% few emergency room visits per year.

SUCCESS STORY

John Brown

Following a stroke, John Brown was admitted to Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (GRRH) for inpatient stroke rehab. John knew he needed inpatient rehab before he could safely return home.

The 68-year-old from Abbeville, SC, arrived at GRRH experiencing significant deficits.

“With my left side being so weak, I couldn’t walk or get dressed on my own,” John recalled. “And the worst part of my stroke was how it affected my ability to speak and swallow. I knew going home wasn’t my best option.”

After two weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, John’s capabilities improved by leaps and bounds. He can now walk up to 150 feet with a rolling walker, dress with minimal assistance, and eat independently with thickened liquids.

John especially wants to thank the speech therapists at GRRH.

“I’m most thankful for the improvement in my speech. Before, my words would get all jumbled up, and now, I can speak much more clearly and engage in conversation,” he said. “Therapy did a great job on me, and the doctors were wonderful. They let me know they cared and that I mattered, and that meant a lot to me.”

Having been discharged from GRRH, John returned home with the help of home health services. He’s most looking forward to getting back to playing with his grandchildren.

Wesley Commons

Wesley Commons offers continuing care in a beautiful setting.

Wesley Commons is a master-planned, full-service continuing care retirement community spread across more than 150 beautiful wooded acres in Greenwood.

Nestled in this charming Southern city, Wesley Commons offers the warm appeal of small-town living with easy access to major metropolitan areas. With a distinguished 50-year legacy, residents indulge in an active lifestyle within neighborhoods showcasing delightful homes enhanced by outstanding services, exquisite culinary offerings and breathtaking amenities. All of these elements are seamlessly orchestrated by a dedicated and well-trained staff genuinely committed to resident well-being.

As a Continuing Care Retirement Community, Wesley Commons stands out for its provision of exceptional health services. These encompass a spectrum of care, including assisted living, intermediate and skilled nursing care, specialized services for Alzheimer’s and dementia-related illnesses, licensed home health and crucial therapy programs.

Programs of choice

Greenwood School District 50 offers specialized studies for students

Choices abound for students who apply for and are accepted into Greenwood School District 50’s choice and magnet programs.

The choice programs for elementary school students are a Montessori program (which will move to Rice Elementary for 24-25 school year) and the Greenwood School of Inquiry at Hodges Elementary.

Magnet programs in middle school include ACTS (arts, communication and theater) at Brewer Middle School, STEMS (science, technology, engineering and math) at Westview Middle School and Medical Magnet at Northside Middle School.

High-school magnet programs include the Fine Arts Academy at Greenwood High School and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which is available at all middle and high schools.

“The choices are broad,” said Erin Watts, director of gifted and talented and choice and magnet programs for the district. “We do a lot of recruiting and a lot of outreach so people understand what their choices are. We send a letter home with students and use videos and flyers, and we have a representative go and speak to our students.”

The process begins each year when applications are open in December and January. In the elementary schools, participants are chosen at random by lottery. In the middle- and high-school programs, the application process includes an audition, interview or challenge, then students are placed on a rubric.

“Students with the highest scores are accepted into the programs,” Watts said.

Once accepted into the program, the make-up of the classes for each choice and magnet program varies.

“Most all of ours are the school-within-a-school model,” Watts says. “Not all of the students at those schools participate in that choice program.”

The Montessori School is only Montessori students, but at Hodges, GSI students are incorporated into classes with other students. At the middle schools, magnet classes are separate from the other students, but classes at the Fine Arts Academy incorporate both magnet students and others.

“Middle and high school are about figuring out as much what you don’t like as much as what you do like,” Watts said. “If these choices don’t fit for your child, that’s OK, too. They’re going to have a rich experience, too.”

Debbie Leonard, executive director of instructional technology and communication for the district, had children who took two different paths.

“My boys grew up in District 50 schools, and it’s a wonderful opportunity if your student has that inclination,” she said of the choice and magnet programs. “My oldest son, he wasn’t interested in the magnets, and he flourished just going through our regular middle-school program. My younger son is a math-minded child, and he went through the STEMS program, and it was perfect for him.

“It’s such a great opportunity and benefit to have these programs available,” Leonard adds.

The choice and magnet programs are funded like other school offerings.

“They don’t receive any additional funding outside of state funding that comes to our district and funds that our schools allocate for the programs,” Watts said.

Quite often, students who are not part of the choice and magnet programs benefit from what those programs are doing, Watts said. For example, the district’s 600 fifth graders recently attended a performance of “The Addams Family” presented by students in ACTS.

“There are a lot of performances, expos, showcases and things like that that come from the programs,” Watts said. “Our fine arts program is more likely to have performances, but even our medical magnet program hosted a medical magnet expo in October. All of the students at Northside Middle School got to attend.”

It’s a goal of the choice and magnet students to share what they learn with other students.

“Each program has something to show, ‘This is what we do, and this is what you might expect,’” Watts says. “They look for ways to share with other students.”

Right now, Watts is happy with the choice and magnet options available in district 50.

“We are right where we want to be right now,” she says. “There will be some things we can tweak along the way, but no major changes that we foresee.”

Greenwood Promise

Greenwood Promise makes sure high-school students can continue their education

“You can go to college.”

That’s the promise made to each kindergartner in Greenwood County at their graduation. They receive a medallion and a pledge that they’ll be helped with their post-secondary education when they graduate from Greenwood County schools (public, private, or homeschool).

That, in a nutshell, is the work of the Greenwood Promise, a nonprofit aimed at bolstering the workforce and preparing Greenwood County students for life after high school.

“The foundation of a Promise program is creating a workforce in perpetuity,” said Cathy Miller, Interim Executive Director of Greenwood Promise. “Without the education and the awareness of the job opportunities that exist in our Greenwood County, a lot of our students go elsewhere or are unable to climb within the jobs they do have, because they lack post-secondary education.”

Phase 1 of the Greenwood Promise is already fully endowed. What that means is that students from Greenwood County can have their associate degree or certification from Piedmont Technical College (or another state-supported technical college, if Piedmont doesn’t offer the major) paid for. Award levels range from 100% of tuition paid for students who have attended K-12 in Greenwood County to 65% of tuition if they’ve attended Greenwood County schools since their freshman year of high school.

Phase 2 launched last year, allowing a select number of scholarships (20 students last year, 40 this year) to pay for the last two years of a bachelor’s degree at Lander University, or, if the preferred major isn’t offered there, another state-funded school.

Phase 3 is “just a dream right now,” according to Ron Millender, Chair of the Greenwood Promise Board of Directors, but it will include Phase 1 and all four years of a bachelor’s degree.

Students who participate in the Greenwood Promise are not required to stay in Greenwood, but that is a hope and strategy.

“Not only do we fund the post-secondary piece of it, but we also help find positions in Greenwood for the kids in their respective majors,” said Trae Cary, the Greenwood Promise’s Career Coordinator. “There’s no requirement to stay. We just want to let them see the full picture and maybe eventually get back to Greenwood.”

While acknowledging that fundraising is a piece of the job, the biggest part is working with students, school districts and families throughout the year to educate them about the Greenwood Promise and help them through the post-secondary planning process.

“We work a lot in our schools, meeting one-on-one with our seniors and having career exploration conversations with them, helping them fill out applications for college and financial assistance,” said Nicole Herbert, Director of Marketing and Student Engagement. “We’re kind of being a sounding board for any concerns they may have stepping into post-secondary education.”

That differentiates the Greenwood Promise from some other similar programs across the country.

“Some other Promise programs only provide funding,” Miller said. “We try to be a resource and provide supportive services as well.”

The Greenwood Promise staff, as well as the board of directors, are tireless in their efforts to increase awareness of the Greenwood Promise, especially to the students and parents who might benefit from it.

“Those that know about it are extremely excited and passionate about it,” Herbert said. “I think one of the biggest opportunities we have is to really educate students further that this is out there and an opportunity for them. That’s why we are so determined to get into our high schools and meet with our seniors one on one.”

Recent numbers show that the Greenwood Promise is making a difference.

“Post-secondary enrollment in South Carolina has been on the decline, and it’s increasing in Greenwood County, which is truly phenomenal,” Millender said. “We have also nearly double the percent of high school graduate students enrolling in technical college compared to SC average for the class of 2022.”

The Greenwood Promise is providing a springboard for future success in Greenwood County.

“We’re helping our students find their future, trying to build a sustainable future for them in Greenwood,” Millender said. “That’s really what it is. We’re trying to be more than an access program. We want to be a success program.”

The Greenwood Promise on the web: https://greenwoodpromise.com/

Greenwood Area Schools

GREENWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 50

District Office Phone: 864.941.5400

Greenwood Early Childhood & Montessori School

1125 E. Cambridge Ave.

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone:864.941.5520

Fax: 864.670.5329

Molly Smith, Director

Hodges Elementary School – GSI

4717 Main St.

Hodges, SC 29653

Phone: 864.374.5000

Fax: 864.374.5028

Christine Rogers, Principal

Lakeview Elementary School

660 Center St.

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5760

Fax: 864.941.5023

Kristen Hopkins, Principal

Mathews Elementary School

725 Marshall Road

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 864.941.5680

Fax: 864.670.8054

Tabatha Brewer, Principal

Merrywood Elementary School

329 Deadfall Road West

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5700

Fax: 864.670.5781

Brian Perrin, Principal

Eleanor S. Rice Elementary School

71802 E. Durst Ave.

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5660

Fax: 864.670.2708

Anna Haynes, Principal

Pinecrest Elementary School

220 E. Northside Drive

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5580

Fax: 864.229.5284

Barry Jacks, Principal

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary School

1608 Florida Ave.

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 864.941.5535

Fax: 864.388.2402

Tiara Watson, Principal

Woodfields Elementary School

1032 Emerald Road

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 864.941.5540

Fax: 864.388.7887

Janette Miller, Principal

Brewer Middle School

1000 Emerald Road

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 864.941.5500

Fax: 864.670.5562

Rico Salliewhite, Principal

Northside Middle School

431 Deadfall Road West

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5780

Fax: 864.941.3434

Gary Stone, Principal

Westview Middle School

1410 W. Alexander Road

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 864.229.4301

Fax: 864.229.4827

Eric Syswerda, Principal

Emerald High School

150 Bypass 225

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 864.941.5730

Fax: 864.941.3487

Jamie Blount, Principal

Greenwood High School

1816 Cokesbury Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5600

Fax: 864.941.5498

Kathryn Benjamin, Principal

G. Frank Russell Technology Center

601 E. Northside Drive

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5750

Fax: 864.941.5375

James Still, Director

Genesis Education Center

400 Glenwood St.

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.941.5460

Lori Corley, Director

GREENWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 51

District Office Phone: 864.456.7496

Ware Shoals Primary School

15269 Indian Mound Road

Ware Shoals, SC 29692

Phone: 864.861.2261

Fax: 864.861.4338

Jason Dickerson, Principal

Ware Shoals Middle School

45 W. Main St.

Ware Shoals, SC 29692

Phone: 864.456.2711

Fax: 864.626.4429

Jeneen Webb, Principal

Ware Shoals High School

56 S. Greenwood Ave.

Ware Shoals, SC 29692

Phone: 864.456.7496

Fax: 864.626.4565

Maria Tyre, Principal

GREENWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT 52

District Office Phone: 864.543.3100

Ninety Six Primary School

121 Cambridge St.

Ninety Six, SC 29666

Phone: 864.543.3112

Fax: 864.543.4427

Kelly Graham Weeks, Principal

Ninety Six Elementary School

810 Johnston Road

Ninety Six, SC 29666

Phone: 864.543.4995

Fax: 864.543.4962

Charlene Louden, Principal

Edgewood Middle School

120 Edgewood Circle

Ninety Six, SC 29666

Phone: 864.543.3511

Fax: 864.543.4994

David Schoolfield, Principal

Ninety Six High School

610 Johnston Road

Ninety Six, SC 29666

Public district 9-12

Phone: 864.543.2911

Fax: 864.543.3132

Darin Rice, Principal

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Erskine College

2 Washington Street

Due West, SC

Phone: 864.379.2131

www.erskine.edu

Dr. Steven C. Adamson, President

Lander University

320 Stanley Ave.

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.495.3165

www.lander.edu

Dr. Richard Cosentino, President

Limestone University

1115 College Drive

Gaffney, SC 29340

Phone: 864.489.7151

www.limestone.edu

Jeremy Whitaker, Acting President

Piedmont Technical College

620 N. Emerald Road

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: 800.868.5528

www.ptc.edu

Dr. Hope E. Rivers, President

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Cambridge Academy, Inc.

103 Eastman St.

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.229.2875

Fax: 864.229.6712

www.cambridgecougars.org

Dr. Brad Griggs, Head of School

Greenwood Christian School

2026 Woodlawn Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.229.2427

www.greenwoodchristianschool.org

Dr. Chris Johns, Head of School

Palmetto Christian Academy of Greenwood

1615 Woodlawn Road

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.223.0391

www.pcagreenwood.org

Dawn Dobbs Smith, Head of School

PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

Greenwood Charter Academy

412 Bypass 72 NW

Greenwood, SC 29649

Phone: 864.854.8450

Fax: 864.731.0050

www.gcharter.education

Rhonda Powell, Principal

EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS

readySC

864.941.6488

RenegadeLearning

513.207.2566

Western Piedmont Education Consortium

864.223.9127

Important Numbers

AREA CONTACTS

State Legislators

SC Senator: Michael W. Gambrell

SC Senator: Billy J. Garrett, Jr.

SC Representative: Stewart O. Jones

SC Representative: John R. McCravy, III

SC Representative: Daniel Gibson

Government Offices / Agencies

City of Greenwood 864.942.8400

Greenwood County 864.942.8500

Greenwood Metropolitan District 864.943.8000

Town of Ninety Six 864.543.2200

Upper Savannah Council of Governments 864.941.8050

Housing Services

Housing Authority of the City of Greenwood  864.227.3670

Utilities

Commissioners of Public Works 864.942.8100

Duke Energy 800.777.9898

Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission 864.682.3250

CITY OF GREENWOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS

Ronnie Ables Ward Six

Matthew Miller Ward Five

Jonathan Bass Ward Four

Brandon Smith Mayor

Betty Boles Ward Three

Robert Dean Ward Two

Niki Hutto Ward One

City of Greenwood Council Operations

The City of Greenwood operates under the Council/Manager form of government. With that structure, citizens are represented by an elected City Council, which is comprised of six (6) council members elected from districts. The Mayor is elected at-large or by the entire city. The City Manager, Julie Wilkie, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City.

City of Greenwood Contacts

City Offices

520 Monument Street

Greenwood, SC 29646 864.942.8400

Mayor: Brandon Smith 864.227.9248

Mayor Pro Tem: Betty Boles 864.992.0026

City Manager: Julie Wilkie 864.942.8410

Assistant City Manager: Ryan Thomas 864.942.8411

Assistant City Manager: Draper Carlile 864.942.8417

Fire Chief: Tanner Hall 864.942.8451

Police Chief: TJ Chaudoin  864.942.8401

Public Works Director: Erek Leary 864.942.8435

Finance Director: Sara Odell 864.942.8416

Greenwood County Council

County Offices

600 Monument Street

Greenwood, SC 29646 864.942.8500

Greenwood County Contacts

County Manager: Toby Chappell 864.942.8501

County Administrative Assistant/Clerk to Council:
 Susan McIntyre 864.942.8507

Assessor: V. Lynn Hammett 864.942.8533

Attorney: Carson Penney 864.942.8593

Auditor: Ashley Henderson 864.942.8543

Clerk of Court: Chastity Copeland 864.942.8575

Coroner: Sonny Cox 864.942.8552

Parks & Recreation: Brad Cuttill 864.942.8515

Planning & Development:
Carol Coleman 864.942.8516

Probate Judge: Travis Moore 864.942.8625

Public Works: Robert Russian 864.942.8754

Sherriff: Dennis Kelly 864.943.8600

Treasurer: Stephanie Dorn 864.942.8762

Voter Registration: Connie Moody 864.942.8521

GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Toby Chappell County Manager

Teresa Griffin District One

Mark Allison District Two

Johanna Bishop District Three

Dayne Pruitt District Five

Chuck Moates Chairman and District Four

Robbie Templeton District Six

Theo Lane District Seven

Greenwood County Township

Town of Hodges

The Town of Hodges is a town in Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. Hodges was named after Major Gen. George Washington Hodges who was commander of all of South Carolina’s Militia. George Washington Hodges was born Sept. 9, 1792, and died March 24, 1876. He fought in the War of 1812. His grave is north east of town in a hidden pre-Civil War cemetery. The Town of Hodges had a population of 148 as of July 1, 2018.

4513 Main Street • PO Box 175

Hodges, SC 29653

864.374.3111

Population: 162

Form of Government: Mayor-Council

Council Meeting Date/Time: First Monday of each month at 7 p.m.

Elected Officials

Mayor: Michael GeorgeCouncil Members: Kathy Detwiler, Johnny Reeves, Travis Reeves, Renee M. Tinsley

Key Municipal Personnel

Clerk/Treasurer: Tami Baber

Fire Chief: Jim Baber

Lead Attorney: Kenny Poston

Departments

Fire: 864.374.3311

Police: 864.374.3111

Town of Troy

The Long Cane Massacre Site and Lower Long Cane Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Town of Troy has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all land. As of the 2010 census, there were 108 people, 43 households and 32 families residing in the town.

1518 Neel Street • PO Box 218

Troy, SC 29848

864.746.7993

Website: www.facebook.com/townoftroysc

Population: 83

Form of Government: Mayor-Council Election

Council Meeting Date/Time: 1st Thursday after 1st Monday at 6:00pm

Elected Officials

Mayor: Brian Steven Dixon

Council Members: Joshua Kenneth Bearden, Chris Cox, Tonya Young Dixon, Nate B. van Landingham

Key Municipal Personnel

Fire Chief: Aaron Walker

Parks/Recreation Director: Lesa K. Cotton

Public Works Director: Billy Wade Peacock

Lead Attorney: Paul L. Agnew

Town of Ware Shoals

The Town of Ware Shoals, which straddles the counties of Greenwood, Abbeville and Laurens, was little more than a picnic site on the Saluda River in the late 1800s. As America began developing hydroelectric plants to produce electricity, the Saluda River and its shoals would become an attractive site for industrialists of the day. Founded in 1902 by Benjamin D. Riegel, Ware Shoals became a bustling textile community with Riegel Textile Corp. employing as many as 5,000 workers. In 1931 the federal New Deal Program helped create Riegel Stadium. Through the decades the stadium has hosted many historic events including both the textile and Negro baseball leagues. Today, Ware Shoals is best known for its annual Catfish Festival. The event began in 1981 to harvest more than a ton of catfish from the shallows during the annual draining of the Riegel Textile Company pool and dam site.

8 Mill Street • PO Box 510

Ware Shoals, SC 29692

864.456.7478

Fax: 864.456.7528

Population: 1,701

Form of Government: Council Election

Council Meeting Date/Time: 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm

Elected Officials

Mayor: Bryan Ross

Council Members At Large: Kent Boles, Valerie Jackson, George Leagans, Micheal Powell, Patty Walters, Brandon White

Key Municipal Personnel

Chief Judge: Lisa Phillips

Clerk/Treasurer: Randee Beasley

Fire Chief: Greg Lindley

Police Chief: Bryan Louis

Lead Attorney: James Graham Padgett III

Town of Ninety Six

Ninety Six was established in 1730 as a trading post between settlers and local Indians. The name, legend has it, was given for being 96 miles from the Keowee Indian village, with whom the settlers traded with. By 1769 Ninety Six was home to the Ninety Six District Court, housing one of only two British courthouses statewide, the other being in Charleston SC. The small village consisted of a jail, a courthouse and eventually the home of Cambridge College. Ninety Six became the site of the first land battle of the American Revolution south of New England and saw the first bloodshed in 1775. In 1781, a second battle took place lasting 28 days, the longest siege of the American Revolution. It is now the home of the National Park Service Ninety Six Star Fort Battle Site and houses the only American Revolutionary Military tunnels in existence today. By the late 1800s the town moved closer to the railroad and is located two miles from the still remaining British earthen star fort. Today that area is part of the National Park Service. Ninety Six is rich in history, is still present at the National Registry Historic Train Depot and the stately older homes that grace Main Street. Residents from this uniquely named town include Bill Voiselle, two-time World Series pitcher and the only National League Baseball player to ever grace the number “96”; The Swinging Medallions; Rosel “Bobby” Williams of baseball’s National Negro League; Dr. Benjamin Mays, educator, civil rights leader and mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King; Notorious bad-boy U.S. Sen. Preston Brooks and several others. Ninety Six is also home of the SC Festival of Stars. Enjoy a day at the lake, go horseback riding, visit the quaint shops or play a round of golf. Ninety Six houses two golf courses, Star Fort Golf Course and The Patriot, a stunning course designed by Pro Golfer Davis Love III. The population in Ninety Six as of 2018 was 2,018. Population since 2000 has increased 5.6%. www.townofninetysixsc.com

120 W Main Street

Ninety Six, SC 29666-1023

864.543.2200

Fax: 864.990.0303

Website: www.ninetysixsc.gov

Population: 2,076

Form of Government: Mayor-Council Election

Council Meeting Date/Time: 3rd Monday of each month at 6:00pm

Elected Officials

Mayor: Mike Rowe

Council Members:

Ward 1 - Michael Ray (Mickey) Goodman

Ward 2 - Bridget Montrelle Porter

Ward 3 - John D. Jefferson, Charles Wideman

Key Municipal Personnel

Manager/Administrator: Rossie L. Corwon

Business Licensing Director: Ketekash R. Crump-Lukie

Chief Judge: Lisa Phillips

Clerk/Treasurer: Ketekash R. Crump-Lukie

Human Resource Director: Ketekash R. Crump-Lukie

Information Technology Director: Larry Thompson

Police Chief: Chris Porter

Purchasing Director: Ketekash R. Crump-Lukie

Risk Manager: Chris Porter

Lead Attorney: Douglas Bell