Richland Library Executive Director Melanie Huggins is one of 22 innovative problem solvers selected to join the newest class of Liberty Fellows. Dynamic and diverse, these Fellows are South Carolina's standout leaders in the business, government and nonprofit sectors.
"When I consider these Fellows individually, I see women and men who know what they want and deliberately go after it. There's no sitting on the sidelines, waiting on someone to lead," said Hayne Hipp, who co-founded Liberty Fellowship with his wife, Anna Kate. "While this propensity to make things happen has served them well in their careers and community engagement, imagine the potential for South Carolina as they work collectively for the good of the state."
For the lifelong experience, Liberty Fellowship recruits diverse leaders and immerses them in four seminars over a two-year period. A highlight of the program, the Globalization Seminar has Liberty Fellows interacting with Fellows from the Aspen Global Leadership Network in locations such as Jordan, India and China. Other key components for each Fellow are being paired with a mentor and committing to a leadership project focused on South Carolina.
"Our never-ending pursuit of growing the leadership capacity in South Carolina to benefit South Carolina takes huge strides with this group," commented Luanne Runge, Associate Executive Director. "Fellows in this 12th class are passionate about South Carolina and intent on discovering their place in solving the pressing challenges facing the state."
"I am honored and excited to be a part of this prestigious program," said Executive Director Huggins. "Most importantly, I'm looking forward to collaborating with my classmates on making my beloved South Carolina even better."
To view the Liberty Fellows for the Class of 2017, click here.
