Our Board

Mr. Clayton is Head of Partner Management at Pacific Life, where he is launching a frictionless workforce benefits division. He was previously Assistant Vice President at Legal & General America where he led customer and administration services. In 2018, he was named one of “Columbia’s Best & Brightest Under 35” by Columbia Business Monthly. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee with a Master’s in Organizational Psychology, and previously obtained his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from The College of Charleston.

Mr. Harvey is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Global Core Strategies and Consulting (GCSC), LLC. Ron has excelled at influencing organizations strategically, operationally, and tactically and his experience spans academic institutions, training organizations, and communities. Ron also serves on the Executive Committee for the Columbia Chamber and is a board member of several organizations across the Midlands including Midlands Technical College Veteran Board of Advisors and Communities in Schools.

Gettys is a former college fishing national champion from the University of South Carolina, a two-time College Fishing All-American and FLW Cup Qualifier. His work has been featured in numerous outdoors publications. 

Since that time, he has worked with McAlister Communications serving as the Communications Coordinator for the Bass Anglers Sportsman's Society (B.A.S.S.) and serves as communications and policy advisor for Senate President Peeler.

Gettys received his B.A. in Mass Communications with a focus in Advertising and Visual Communications from the University of South Carolina in 2016. He currently serves on the Youth Corps SC board, a nonprofit in Columbia focused on leadership development and with the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.

Mr. Ratterree is a senior banking executive with more than 30 years of experience. He earned a degree from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University as well as a BS Degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of South Carolina. In 2021 he relocated to his hometown of Columbia and joined United Bank as senior vice president. The father to two young men, Jay emphasizes being involved and open communication with his children. He believes that “investing in people equals infinite returns” and feels the philosophy helped his sons be successful in their lives and careers. An avid sports fan, Jay coached many of his son’s teams and served as the PA announcer for Furman baseball and women’s basketball.”

Mr. Bolton is pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Camden, a public outreach strategist at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and vice president of Bolton Counseling & Consulting, LLC. He spent 32 years as a journalist, starting as a reporter in 1986 with the Columbia Record before moving to The State in 1988. In May 1997, he joined The State’s editorial board, becoming its first African-American member and in January 2000, he was promoted to associate editor, another first for an African-American. In 2011, Bolton published his first book, God Is Grace: Lessons to a Father from a Son.

Mr. Cooke has 20 years of managerial experience in account management, market research, and production environments. He’s a graduate of Benedict College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, a Master of Arts degree from Webster University in Management, and Executive Leadership from Stanford University School of Business. He currently serves as the Director of Account Management for Colonial Life as well as a college business instructor at Midlands Technical College for the last 18 years. One of the highlights of his teaching career was being named the 2017 Midlands Technical College Faculty of the Year award. Before his eventful managerial and teaching career started, he served in the U. S. Marine Corps with the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Combat Engineer, where his primary responsibility was receiving and transmitting Intelligence Battalion. Mr. Cooke is a native of Columbia SC. He has been married for 21 years and has raised 4 boys and a girl. His philosophy on fatherhood is based on God, Self, Family and Education. He says, “If you keep those in order as a father you can take care of others, once you take care of yourself.” He loves to spend time with his family, and bonds with them over football.

Lori is the Vice President of Corporate Controller and Assistant Treasurer for BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina. Lori is responsible for overseeing the corporate finance, treasury, and tax functions for BlueCross and its subsidiary companies and has served BlueCross for fourteen years. Prior to joining BlueCross, Lori held positions with RBMG Mortgage Bank and Deloitte, LLP. Lori earned a Master of Accountancy and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Cum Laude, from the University of South Carolina.

Mr. Mendoza is an attorney with Nexsen Pruet, where he specializes in creditors’ rights and bankruptcy law. He is a certified bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law specialist in the state of South Carolina, has received the William E.S. Robinson Public Service Award of the S.C. Bankruptcy Law Association and was selected for The Best Lawyers in America for bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Mr. Shain is the Special Assistant to the President at the University of South Carolina. Prior to his work at USC, Mr. Shain was the Columbia Bureau Chief for The Post and Courier. He has worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Columbia covering a range of beats including the military, sports, consumer news, and politics. Mr. Shain started a weekend backpack food program at his daughter’s school and he volunteers at the Washington Street United Methodist Church soup kitchen.

Dr. Sumter is double board certified in Family Medicine and Sleep Medicine. He graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina with a medical degree in 2012, completed a Family Medicine residency at USC-Palmetto Health Richland in 2015, and completed a fellowship in Sleep Medicine at the University of Michigan in 2016. Dr. Sumter is a single father who resides in Columbia, SC. He enjoys exploring nature and parks with his daughter. Dr. Sumter enjoys guiding his daughter through exploring her environment, self-discovery, and learning by doing. His parenting philosophy is that “parenting is similar to gardening; we must always nurture and occasionally prune.” He also loves to cook, particularly seafood. He often hosts dinner parties at his home for his extended family.

Donna Waites is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, whose mission is to reduce poverty in South Carolina through action, advocacy, and leadership. Donna began working in the nonprofit sector with the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in 2000 as the first fund development staff person for Healthy Learners. Later, she helped build the Providence Hospitals Development Foundation and served as their Director of Philanthropy. She joined Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina in early 2015. Donna received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina and her master's degree in Organizational Change Leadership from Columbia College. Donna earned her Certificate in Finance Essentials through Duke University, is a current Grantmakers for Effective Organizations Change Leadership in Philanthropy Fellow, a member of the Blue Ridge Institute for nonprofit leaders, and serves as an elected elder of Downtown Church in Columbia, SC.

Michael Goar became president & CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System on July 22, 2024. With more than 25 years of leadership experience in the non-profit and education sectors, Goar most recently served as President and CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Paul-Minneapolis, where he partnered with the board to develop a strategic plan, identify new revenue streams, and establish a $50 million reserve fund. Previously, Goar was CEO for Big Brothers Big Sisters in the Twin Cities, leading a $10 million capital campaign and growing the organization from serving 2,000 to 4,500 children. His accomplished career also includes leadership roles with Minneapolis Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, and Memphis City Schools.

Clervaud is a husband, father, and community stakeholder. He has over 16 years of experience as a journalist and has been an anchor with WACH Fox News since 2010. He has a graduate degree in Christian Apologetics from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunication from the University of Florida. As a community member, Fraendy is a published author and licensed minister. He has written a children’s book, Stuttering Stephen, and a thesis entitled" Debunking the Curse of Ham and its Generational Impact on the Black Race."

Nathan Price is a financial advisor with over seven years of experience in his field. Mr. Price earned a Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics from Anderson University and is a board-certified financial planner. He values the family unit and creating opportunities for youth, as shown by his tenure as a board member for the Youth Corps from 2019-2022, which is a program that provides leadership training for highschoolers in the Midlands of South Carolina. Mr. Price currently works as a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual in Columbia, SC where he provides full service financial planning and asset management and develops financial plans for clients.

Cearra Harris is an accomplished full-time doctoral candidate and Adjunct Instructor at the University of South Carolina. She has over a decade of experience in public libraries. She is a USC Presidential Fellow, an American Library Association Spectrum Doctoral Fellow, and a 2023-2024 SEC Emerging Scholar. Cearra's research and service interests center around trauma-informed librarianship, DEI in community development, and social justice. Before starting her doctoral studies, Cearra was an outstanding librarian who dedicated her time and efforts to creating programs and initiatives that catered to the urgent needs of marginalized groups.

Collette Felder currently serves as the Division Human Resource Business Partner at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she oversees the Midland and Lancaster Divisions in South Carolina. Before her tenure at the Medical University of South Carolina, she held the position of Program Manager at the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging and Independent Living. An accomplished academic, Collette earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University and later pursued a Master of Arts in Public Administration and Human Resource Management from the University of New Haven. Originally from Jamaica, Collette spent more than 20 years in Connecticut before relocating to South Carolina in 2021. Her personal life is enriched by her marriage of 11 years, along with a son and a daughter, highlighting her strong family values.