November 2025

HONORING OUR VETERANS

County Events Honor U.S. Veterans

Photos, clockwise from top left: Greenville County, Lexington County, Sumter County and Charleston County

Counties across the state honored and celebrated our nation's veterans, many of whom continue to serve their communities as county employees. Parades, lunches and other events were held earlier this month to recognize service members.

Counties also participated in Operation Green Light for Veterans, a national initiative that shows support for our nation's service members by lighting public buildings in green.

Photo: Horry County Court House

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT

Horry County Unveils Independent Republic Heritage Preserve Wetland Mitigation Bank

Earlier this fall, Horry County leaders and elected officials celebrated the unveiling of the Independent Republic Heritage Preserve Wetland Mitigation Bank.

The nearly 3,700-acre property once served as farmland, a mining site and a military artillery range during World War II. The land also has faced wildfires throughout its history, including the Covington fire earlier this year.

"This land has more stories to tell and I look forward to what stories we will hear in the future," said Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey. "It's a heritage that will last for generations to come."

Environmental restoration work on the mitigation bank will continue over the next seven to 10 years. This will include the installation of several miles of fire breaks and prescribed burns, which are designed to reduce wildfire potential in the surrounding areas.

Learn more about the project.

NEWS

2026 SCAC Scholarship Program Now Open

High school seniors in 13 counties can now apply for one-time college scholarships to be awarded in 2026.

Each year, SCAC's Presidential Scholarship Program awards one $5,000 scholarship to a graduating high school senior who is a resident of the same county as the current SCAC President. The 2026 Presidential Scholarship will be awarded to a Chesterfield County student in honor of SCAC President and Chesterfield County Council Chairwoman Mary D. Anderson.

A graduating senior from each of the following 12 counties will be selected to receive a $5,000 Board of Directors' scholarship: Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Jasper, Marlboro and McCormick.

Learn more about the program and how to apply.

Check Out the New SCAC Website

SCCounties.org has a new look!

The updated SCAC website was redesigned to include user-friendly features, easier navigation and visual elements to emphasize all the services the Association offers. The depth of content is still the same, and the resources you know and love are still available.

If you have questions about the new website, please contact Mary-Kathryn Craft at mkcraft@scac.sc.

EVENTS

Registration Deadline Approaching for 2025 Legislative Conference

Register today for the 2025 SCAC Legislative Conference, set for Dec. 4-6 at the AC Hotel in Greenville.

Attendees will hear from officials from the S.C. Department of Public Health and S.C. Department of Environmental Services. The final recommendations of the policy steering committees will be reviewed and discussed by the Legislative Committee. The policy positions adopted by the Legislative Committee will become SCAC's official policy positions for the upcoming legislative session.

The deadline to reserve rooms at the AC Hotel is Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Register by Nov. 24 to ensure you get the discounted rate of $195. After Nov. 24 and on site, registration will be $205 per person.

Learn more about this year's event and register.

EDUCATION

NACo Offers High Performance Leadership Academy for County Leaders

The National Association of Counties (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy is enrolling now for the first cohort of 2026.

The 10-week virtual program is designed to equip frontline county professionals with practical leadership skills and prepare county leaders for success. Leading industry executives will share their insights and best practices for:

• Leadership
• Organizational development and change management
• Negotiation and collaboration
• Effective business communication

"Many frontline managers are exactly the people we cannot afford to lose. The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy helps to retain these vital employees and helps enable them to be better leaders," said NACo Executive Director Matt Chase.

The next cohort begins Jan. 5, 2026.

Learn more about the program and enroll.

SHARE THE SPIRIT

Share Your Holiday Cheer and Your County's Ornaments with SCAC

SCAC ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The fall issue of County Focus magazine has arrived!

This issue takes a look at a challenge that counties throughout the state and across the nation are currently facing: the shortfall in public finance talent.

This issue also highlights topics discussed at this year's annual conference, including crisis communications and effective AI solutions for county governments.

Check out these stories and more in County Focus 🔗 https://countyfocus.mydigitalpublication.com/county-focus-fall-2025

We love to spotlight our county officials sharing success stories with the rest of the nation.

Dorchester County Administrator Jason Ward highlighted how counties can build thriving park systems during a panel discussion at the ICMA-International City/County Management Association annual conference today.

Ward and partners from the Trust for Public Land presented “Building a System of Parks and Open Space in Under 15 Years - A Case Study from Dorchester County, SC.”

Meet new Laurens County Administrator Jerre Threatt.

He brings more than two decades of experience, including roles as a corporate and foundation relations officer at Presbyterian College, as an assistant city manager in Clinton and as a city planner in Columbia. 

Threatt holds a Master of Public Administration from Clemson University, a Master of Arts in Historic Preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and a bachelor's from Coker College. 

He has deep community ties through his service on local boards, including serving on the executive board of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce. Threatt is committed to serving the residents of Laurens County with integrity, honesty and transparency.

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Welcome, and here's to a bright future for Laurens County! 🌟

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