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Foundation and it is waking up audiences around the world.
As an author of the newly acclaimed book Instinct, founder and CEO of the leadership 360-review mobile application, icueity, and highly sought-after professional speaker, Rebecca has found her calling in helping others recognize the power of biological applications in their lives. A former educator, Dr. Heiss spent much of her earlier career in the classroom at both the high school and college levels and was recruited to be a founding member of an innovative charter school with a focus on entrepreneurial thinking and impact-based learning. Today she shares her work from stages around the world as a full-time speaker and facilitator of her Fearless Accelerator program and Year of Happy – an experience that delivers programming and physical subscription boxes with challenges and community to move otherwise successful people from a state of languishing in “meh” to finally finding HAPPY.
Rebecca’s “fearless” message inspires hope and actionable insights to train our brains to work for us, rather than against us in times of uncertainty. With surprising humor and palpable energy, no matter if Dr. Heiss is delivering virtually or on stage, she wins over her audiences with interactive, inspiring, and timely takeaways.
Rebecca lives in South Carolina with her spoiled rotten dogs named Guinness & Murphy and every day tries to live her life motto: “spread happy.”
Staley is a five-time SEC Coach of the Year and was the 2012 BCA Female Coach of the Year. She is the only Gamecock basketball coach – men’s or women’s – to amass 300 victories at South Carolina and became the fastest coach to 200 wins in program history, needing just 277 games at South Carolina to reach the plateau. She is the program’s all-time winningest coach (366) with a program-record 11 postseason appearances and is the only black head coach in men’s or women’s basketball to win multiple national championships.
In addition to her success in coaching, Staley is recognized as a one of the most decorated players in women’s basketball history. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame solidified that legacy with her enshrinement as part of the Class of 2013. The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia established the Dawn Staley Award recognizing the nation’s top guard in women’s Division I basketball in 2013 as well. Staley was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2012 and was one of the final nominees for induction to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame the same year. In the summer of 2011, the WNBA recognized her as one of the league’s “Top 15,” honoring the most influential players in the league’s history.
Prior to the WNBA, Staley enjoyed a four-year career at the University of Virginia that featured three trips to the NCAA Final Four, including a championship game appearance in 1991 after which she was named Most Outstanding Player. A two-time National Player of the Year (1991, 1992) and three-time Kodak All-American (1990, 1991, 1992), Staley was the ACC Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992 and the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1989. Finishing her career as the only player in ACC history – male or female – to record more than 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 700 assists and 400 steals, Staley is one of three players at Virginia to have her jersey retired. She was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team in 2002 and earned a spot on ESPN.com’s “Top Players of the Past 25 Years.” In April 2008, she was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Holding the office of Mayor of Conway (SC) is among my greatest blessings. I grew up in poverty and with restrictions placed on me in the ‘Jim Crow’, pre-Civil Rights South, so the likelihood of my becoming a professional anything, a community leader or a contributor to my city’s progress was almost nil. But, God gave me strong parents and a grandmother who insisted I be my best self and be an independent thinker. Human angels were placed in my path to teach me crucial life lessons and to encourage and sometimes push me along the way. The plan was not mine, but I somehow always knew to follow the road that required discipline, duty and risk.
My undergraduate work was in Sociology and I later earned a graduate degree in Education, entered law school as the least likely student to be admitted or to find success, but I was compelled by barriers to the uneducated and financially challenged in seeking fair relief through the courts. My education was obtained at the University of South Carolina and the USC School of Law. I have grown through a twenty year plus career in social work, eighteen years as a lawyer, and always being acutely aware of the plight of others. I have been a member of the Conway City Council since 1993, and easily accepted responsibility to help make Conway the best it can be for all its people.
I am not a saint, but I love the Lord- forever crediting Him with everything that ultimately brought me to be with you today. I love His people, and am proud to describe my life as one of service. I am married to a very handsome, doting man, and through ours and former marriages, claim parenthood of six children and eight grandchildren. The youngest and first to grow up in Conway is four-year-old Kennedy, my mini-me, who holds a large portion of my heart. I love family time, travel, reading, writing, Sudoku puzzles and dancing… and oh yeah, swimming, a skill I gained after my sixtieth birthday. Enough said!
Pamela Sue Evette of Travelers Rest was elected as the 93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina on November 6, 2018.
Prior to her election as the first female republican lieutenant governor of South Carolina, Evette founded Quality Business Solutions, Inc. (QBS), a payroll, human resources, and benefits services firm headquartered in Travelers Rest. Under her leadership as President and CEO, QBS has grown exponentially, going from start-up to earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 listing of the nation’s fastest growing small businesses. Her company has also been repeatedly honored among the fastest growing and best places to work in the State of South Carolina.
Evette has been the recipient of numerous business and professional accolades, including the ATHENA Leadership Award®, which honors individuals who assist women in reaching their full leadership potential and provide community service; the Women’s Presidents Organization/American Express 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies Award; and being honored as a member of the Impact 50, an annual ranking of the most powerful women leaders of Inc. 5000 companies. She is also a sought-after public speaker and nationally published author.
A trained accountant and former CFO, with many years serving in a financial capacity at a wide range of organizations, Evette has demonstrated a keen focus on driving customer growth and a deep understanding of the regulatory issues and challenges facing small and medium sized businesses.
Based on her years of experience in handling small business compliance, Evette was appointed to serve as a member of South Carolina’s Small Business Regulatory Review Committee, which is charged with reviewing and supporting or challenging proposed regulations that might impact small businesses’ ability to start-up, operate effectively or grow within the state.
Evette has always been passionate about and focused on improving educational performance in the community, assisting the elderly and the young – especially those facing illness, and helping small- and women-owned businesses. She serves on the boards of directors of the St Francis Foundation (affiliated with Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital) and the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), where she is also an emeritus member of the state legislative committee.
A native of Ohio, Evette is the granddaughter of Polish immigrants. Her parents, Jennie and Emil Gajoch, were first generation Americans who taught her the value of hard work and the importance of civic duty and giving back. Evette holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in accounting from Cleveland State University.
Evette and her husband David, COO of QBS, attend Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Taylors. The Evettes have three children, Amanda, 22, Joseph, 20, and Jackson, 11.
Dr. Jessica Greene is a private practice clinician on the Grand Strand. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in general psychology from Northcentral University where she defended her dissertation entitled, "Lived Experiences of Black College Women and Their Use of Support Services on Campus."
She is a member of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, chair of Leadership Grand Strand, and vice chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. In addition, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Junior League of the Grand Strand and was honored as a 2021 ChangeMakers in the Grand Strand by Multiplying Good (the parent organization of the Jefferson Award). Dr. Greene works with clients of all ages and specializes in mental health, anxiety, and depression using the approaches ranging from cognitive behavioral therapy to faith-based counseling.
Alex is actively involved with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors and previously as a Board Member since 2016. She also served as Board Member for Destination North Myrtle Beach from 2013 – 2018.
Alex also co-hosts Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals podcast with Annie Holcombe. Awarded to the “Top 30 Hospitality Podcasts” by the Global Hospitality Institute, Alex & Annie are frequently asked to speak at vacation and short-term rental events across the country.
Alfreda Small is a Myrtle Beach, SC native who is known for her service to both her country and her community. After receiving her bachelor's degree in social science from Charleston Southern University, Alfreda joined the South Carolina National Guard. While in the military, she completed her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Webster University. Alfreda began her career as a licensed professional counselor while completing her 6-year term as a sergeant in the military.
She worked for S.C. Dept. of Mental Health, and in 2020 she launched Small Counseling and Wellness, LLC in Conway, SC. At her practice, Alfreda is certified complex trauma professional and is committed to supporting adolescents and adults who are struggling with both the emotional and psychological effects of trauma.
Alfreda believes that each person is an individual with struggles and triumphs no one can understand but themselves. She values diversity and adheres to her mission and core values. She believes that each and every human being is capable of creating a life worth celebrating. She strives to provide a safe, compassion-centered home for healing and growth, and she is dedicated to living this mission in all that she does.
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