Hon. Rita Allison and Hayne Hipp Receive Wilkins Awards for Excellence

Furman University’s Riley Institute has announced the winners of its David H. Wilkins Awards for Excellence.

Hon. Rita Allison

The Honorable Rita Allison (R-District 36) will be awarded the David H. Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership; and Hayne Hipp, former CEO of The Liberty Corporation and founder of the Liberty Fellows, will receive the David H. Wilkins Award for Excellence in Civic Leadership.

The awards dinner will take place at Columbia’s Metropolitan Convention Center Tuesday, Jan. 10, the first night of the 2017 legislative session.

A strong, long-time advocate for education improvement in South Carolina, Representative Allison has worked tirelessly for the children of South Carolina and has set aside partisanship to bring people together to tackle important education issues.  Nominated for the award by fellow legislators, she is described as open-minded, smart, and easy to work with.

Hayne Hipp

Hayne Hipp’s civic and community leadership is far-reaching, but no greater impact has been made in the community than through his vision and creation of the Liberty Fellowship, an incubator for exemplary leadership in South Carolina.

“Hayne consistently asks ‘why not?’ as he challenges the status quo in South Carolina.  He leads wholeheartedly and generously, focusing on what is best for South Carolina,” said Luanne Runge, the current president and CEO of Liberty Fellowship.

The annual ceremony honors David Wilkins, who served as speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives and as U.S. Ambassador to Canada.  Wilkins will co-host the event with former U.S. Secretary of Education and former two-term Governor of South Carolina Dick Riley and Furman President Elizabeth Davis.

A reception for all registered attendees will begin at 6 p.m., Jan. 10, and the dinner and awards presentation begins at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $125 each and can be purchased by calling 864-235-8330 or visiting the Riley Institute website. Sponsorships are available.

Furman’s Richard W. Riley Institute broadens student and community perspectives about issues critical to South Carolina’s progress. It builds and engages present and future leaders, creates and shares data-supported information about the state’s core challenges, and links the leadership body to sustainable solutions. It is committed to nonpartisanship in all it does and to a rhetoric-free, facts-based approach to change.

For more information contact the Furman News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.