Spring Staff Changes

Posted By: Madeleine McGee Together SC Alerts,

Looking ahead to recovery and beyond, Together SC is determined to operate from a place of strength and come back from the pandemic stronger than ever.

Unfortunately, the pandemic curtailed most of Together SC’s earned revenue, including that related to the 2021 Nonprofit Summit. As a result FY21 budget revenues are down 35 percent from FY20. And, while we received a PPP loan last summer, we were not awarded SC CARES Act funding in December. 

This has necessitated the following changes this Spring:

  • This month, we say goodbye to Brandi Elkins who has served as membership manager for the past four and a half years. She has worked closely with many of our members and we will miss her positive, can-do attitude that made Together SC events rock. We are very grateful for her contributions and hope you will join us in thanking her for her years of service. She will be with us through February 12th, and can be reached after that at brandihelkins@gmail.com.
  • To allow time for repositioning the organization, while continuing giving members the quality service, we have engaged a team of terrific business partners who bring new skills and expertise and know us well.    
    • Kathryn Harvey of Neue South Collective, in Spartanburg knows the nonprofit sector and Together SC having worked with us on the 2020 Census and GivingTuesday. Her team will handle our social media, For Good Connections and event communications. 

    • To help ramp up member recruitment and engagement, we're contracting with Mary Dell Hayes, principal of StopGap Consulting in Columbia, who has a strong background in fundraising, nonprofit management and knows many of our members.

    • With Ann Timberlake stepping back, GP McLeer (ED of SC Arts Alliance and Mayor of Fountain Inn) through his new firm, Pecan Public Relations, will handle legislative monitoring, government relations, and planning for our advocacy work with the Advocacy Allies Leadership Team.  

    • Jessica Sharp of Sharp Brain Consulting out of Greenville will support the Board’s Racial Equity Task Force and the Black Nonprofit Leaders Group.

    • Debbie Nelson will continue her amazing work in developing and managing ongoing learning opportunities. And Charles Weathers will continue to lead Carolina Leadership Seminars for new execs each fall. 

To learn more about and contact our extended team, bookmark the Together SC Team page.

Ben Bullock’s expertise in sound governance and best practices are well known to all. We're thrilled to share his recent promotion to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. 

The support of our team of consultants and Ben’s leadership will allow our president, Madeleine McGee, to use the Spring to focus on positioning Together SC for a strong recovery and implementation of our 2020 Strategic Plan. And, with the Board’s support, she will be taking unpaid leave a day or two a week through May or June to aid her aging parents.

Together SC is getting its house in order to better serve our members and the entire nonprofit community.

Please contact Madeleine at Madeleine@TogetherSC.org with your questions or concerns.