10/25/07
Clarendon Chamber announces its 2007 honorees
By Cathy Gilbert

Jeffrey Black

Barbara and Ted Johnson

Scherrie Cogdill

The Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce has announced its Business Person, Citizen and Ambassador of the Year, according to Chamber President Lamar Kennedy.

“We are excited to announce these deserving individuals who give so much to our community,” Kennedy said. “As Business Person of the Year, Jeffrey Black has exemplified what it means to be a leader in the revitalization of the Manning downtown area. Ted and Barbara Johnson, our Citizens of the Year, have played a vital role in the formation and operation of the United Ministries of Clarendon County, a successful emergency assistance program in our county. As our Ambassador of the Year, Scherrie Cogdill, executive director of the Cypress Foundation of Clarendon Health System, has taken the message of the importance of rural health care across our state.”

As a small child, Jeffrey Black already had an entrepreneurial spirit, according to lifelong family friend, Marie Land.

“His favorite television show as a kid was ‘The Price is Right’ because he was fascinated with the wheeling and dealing,” she said. “His keen insight in the business world has led him to multiple successes in both the for-profit and not-for-profit realms.”

Black has been instrumental in the growth and rebirth of Manning’s downtown commercial district, leading the way with a total renovation of the block of buildings on Mill Street that is now commonly known as Studio 1916. He has worked diligently with the downtown redevelopment group, the city government and local business owners to lead by example regarding the effectiveness of sound investment in Manning’s downtown.

Black is married to Stephanie Black and they, along with their two children, make their home in Manning’s historic Brooks Street district. In addition to his downtown business ventures, he serves as a corporate consultant to industries all over the globe including General Electric, Kodak, The Home Depot, M&M/Mars Candy, Mattel Toys, UPS, Progress Energy, BMW and NASCAR.

The Business Person o f the Year award is sponsored by the Bank of Clarendon who will make a donation to the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce in Black’s honor.

Ted and Barbara Johnson have been selected as the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizens of the Year.

This couple, now residing near Lake Marion, are former residents of Orangeburg County, where they were instrumental in beginning a community ministry organization that could efficiently and compassionately serve emergency needs of the less fortunate.

Upon retiring to Clarendon County, they saw the same needs here and brought the concept of bringing local churches together to centrally serve the same critical needs without duplication of service or having limited resources taken advantage of.

“The Johnson’s have given unselfishly and tirelessly of their time and talents in the formation and continued operation of United Ministries of Clarendon County,” said Betty Coffey, who serves as a UMCC volunteer. “The Johnson’s joined our community with a wealth of information on operating a crisis ministry and they have been greatly responsible for United Ministries success.”

The Citizen of the Year award is sponsored by The Manning Times who will make a donation to the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce in the Johnson’s honor.

The Clarendon County Ambassador of the Year award was established by the late Rep. C. Alex Harvin III to honor his father, Alex Harvin Jr.

“Alex felt strongly that it was important to acknowledge the efforts of those who work diligently to carry the message of the wonders of Clarendon County to others in the state, nation and perhaps the world,” said Harvin’s widow, Rep. Cathy Harvin, who continues to present this award annually along with a contribution in the honoree’s name to the Chamber of Commerce.

This year’s honoree is Scherrie Cogdill, who serves Clarendon Health System as the executive director of The Cypress Foundation, the charitable arm of CHS. She also serves as the director of volunteer services for the hospital. She is a founding member and director of the Coastal Plain Rural health Network, a coalition of regional health care providers and institutions.

Additionally, she is a nationally registered paramedic through Clarendon Memorial Hospital and a certified aesthetician. She is a member of the board of trustees at Clarendon Hall School in Summerton.

“If it were not for Scherrie’s management of The Cypress Foundation, we would not be where we are in just five years,” said Dr. Scott Brown, current foundation chair. Brown estimates that The Cypress Foundation has contributed slightly more than $1.6 million to the Clarendon Health System.

Cogdill carries the message of efficient rural health care and health care fundraising through her involvement with Clarendon Health System Ambassadors and as a member of the South Carolina Society of Hospital Fund Development. She is often asked to speak at national conferences on the important role fund development plays in the healthcare industry.

Cogdill resides in Summerton, along with her husband Kenny and their two sons.

All three awards will be presented at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007 at the Cypress Center. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. with a seated dinner at 7:30. Tickets are $35. For additional information or to purchase tickets, contact the Chamber at 435-4405.