Marie M. Land


Marie Land is a resident of Manning, South Carolina and retired occupational therapist. She received a B.S. degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Mrs. Land has volunteered in Clarendon Two school district for over 30 years. Mrs. Land supports Habitat for Humanity, The Palmetto Project, Spoleto Festival U.S.A., the Clarendon Historical Society, and the Sumter County Museum. As a master gardener and volunteer for Main Street Manning, Mrs. Land is an active public servant. Mrs. Land and her husband, John, have three children and eight grandchildren. Ms. Land has served on the Board of Trustees at the College of Charleston, representing the sixth district since 1988.

W. Derek Lewis


Mr. Lewis is the executive director of Greenville First Steps, a local nonprofit that uses public and private funds to build community partnerships to ensure that all children are ready for school. Mr. Lewis also serves on the United Way of Greenville County's School Readiness Council and Community Impact Cabinet. Mr. Lewis is also on the steering committee of the Greenville Chamber's Non-Profit Alliance. Mr. Lewis is currently participating in the South Carolina Education Policy Fellowship program and was a recent member of Leadership Greenville Class 36. Mr. Lewis was a board member and Child Development Center co-chair for the YWCA of Greenville. Prior to this, Mr. Lewis was program director and trainer with the YMCA of Greenville for 10 years. Mr. Lewis and his wife, Hedrick, have a young son.

Dr. Kay Phillips


Dr. Phillips is the executive director of Dorchester Children’s Center in Summerville, one of the seventeen Children’s Advocacy Centers in South Carolina, which respond to allegations of child abuse in a manner that reduces trauma to child victims while working to bring agency professionals together to work in a collaborative approach that results in effective, efficient and child-centered casework.

Dr. Phillips holds a PhD and Masters in Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Her previous employment experiences include: Teaching Social Work as an adjunct professor at Charleston Southern University, Private Practice in clinical counseling, and 35 years of administrative, personnel, and management experience.

As Executive Director of the Dorchester Children’s Center, Dr. Phillips oversees a staff of 23 and works closely with DSS, Law Enforcement, MUSC, Dept. of Mental Health, Solicitors office, and children’s advocates in order to reduce trauma for children and families during the child abuse investigation and make recommendations for best outcomes for children and families who have experienced childhood maltreatment.

Dr. Phillips and her husband, Ralph, reside in Summerville, SC.

George Milner


Mr. Milner resides in Summerville, South Carolina and is a graduate of Auburn University and Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds graduate degrees in engineering and business management. After serving in the nuclear Navy, he worked for Exxon for over a decade and later became co-owner and international president of LINQ Industrial Fabrics. He is currently the principal in a commercial real estate firm. A passionate child advocate, Mr. Milner and wife Karen have fostered more than forty-five children. In 2007 Mr. Milner co-chaired The Governor's Task Force on Children in Foster Care & Adoption, and he currently serves on the National Governor's Association Foster Care Policy Academy. Mr. Milner is also the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Children Come First.

Michele Nichols, MS Statistics


Title: Biostatistician

Primary affiliation: Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities

Address: Public Health Research Center (PHRC), Room 227, 921 Assembly Street

Phone: 803-777-4527

Fax: 803-777-2504

Email: nichols@sc.edu

Holly Pope, MSPH, PhD


Title: Director of Communications

Primary affiliation:
Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities

Address: Public Health Research Center (PHRC),
921 Assembly Street

Phone: 803-556-1122

Fax: 803-777-2504

Email: hpope@sc.edu

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Committee Members

Legislative Members

• Senator Brad Hutto, Senate District 40, Orangeburg County
• Representative Shannon S. Erickson, District 124, Beaufort County
• Senator Darrell Jackson, Senate District 21, Richland County
• Representative Neal A. Collins, House District 5, Pickens County
• Senator Katrina F. Shealy, Senate District 23, Lexington County
• Representative Beth Bernstein, District 78, Richland County

Appointments by the Governor

• Ms. Marie M. Land, Manning
  
• Mr. W. Derek Lewis, Greenville
  
• Dr. Kay Phillips, PhD, LISW, Summerville
  

Ex Officio Members

• Freddie Pough, Acting Director, Department of Juvenile Justice
• Beverly A. Buscemi, Director, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
• V. Susan Alford, Director, Department of Social Services
• John H. Magill, Director, Department of Mental Health
• Molly M. Spearman, State Superintendent of Education
  

Committee Staff

Children's Law Center, University of South Carolina School of Law

• L. Michelle Dhunjishah, Director
• Carolyn S. Morris, Assistant Director
• Amanda G. Adler, Senior Resource Attorney
• Maggie Meekins, Legislative Resource Attorney