2/21/08
The Candidates
English to stand for County Council seat
By Cathy Gilbert

Former Bank of Clarendon President A.C. English announced Friday that he will run for the District 2 County Council seat being vacated by Margaret Jackson. Jackson has publicly announced she will retire from public service at the end of her term this year.

Former Manning Mayor Jerry Robertson had previously announced his intention to run, but withdrew in lieu of English’s bid.

English, 66, was born in Davis Station and was a 1959 graduate of Manning High School. He graduated from Wofford University in 1963.

Following a two-year stint as a U.S. Naval officer in Germany, English returned to his hometown to work for the Bank of Clarendon where he rose to the rank of president. Today, he serves as a consultant to the bank.

English said he was both excited and encouraged by the economic prosperity and growth on Clarendon’s horizon.

“With the anticipated growth in our county, I realized there were going to be many important decisions facing our local government,” he said. “I believe I could offer some insight and direction to get us there.”

English has a special interest in the county’s education system and previously served the Clarendon School 2 Board of Trustees as a member and as chairman. Currently, he is the area commissioner for Clarendon County on the Central Carolina Technical College’s Board of Commissioners.

English is the past president of the Independent Bankers of South Carolina and was named Independent Banker of the Year in 1996. Also in 2006, he was the Chamber of Commerce’s “Business Person of the Year.”

He is a member of the S.C. Bankers Association, the Manning Rotary, has served on the board of Covenant Place and is currently the chairman of finance at his church, the Presbyterian Church at Manning.

He is married to the former Ann Mitchell, a retired schoolteacher. The couple has two sons, Drew, an attorney in Columbia, and Todd, an EMT with Cypress Transport. He has three grandchildren and one on the way.

At press time, no other candidate had come forward to oppose English for the District 2 seat. Official filing for the June 10 primary begins on March 17 and closes at noon on March 31.