BOT Elects New Officers

November 16, 2006

From left, William B. Shearer, Paula Harper Bethea, and Joseph "Pat" Patrick will comprise the new officers group for the Presbyterian College Board of Trustees.

Presbyterian College alumnus William B. Shearer, Jr. of Atlanta was elected to serve as chairman of the college's Board of Trustees at the board's meeting on campus Wednesday morning.

Trustees also elected Paula Harper Bethea of Hilton Head Island, S.C. as vice-chair, and re-elected Joseph "Pat" Patrick of Covington, Ga. as secretary.

Shearer, a 1964 PC graduate, is a senior partner and member of the Board of Partners with the Powell Goldstein LLP law firm in Atlanta and outside general counsel for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim major league baseball team. He will assume the chairmanship on January 1, 2007 from former Delta Airlines CEO Ron Allen, who served for seven years as the board chair.

"I am both excited and humbled to learn about this election by my colleagues. This is an exciting time at Presbyterian College as Ron Allen and (PC president) John Griffith have worked closely to advance the college's academic program, physical facilities, and the move to NCAA Division I athletics. I look forward to working with PC's governing bodies, faculty, administration, and students to continue this growth."

Shearer was a member of the college's Board of Visitors before joining the Board of Trustees as an at-large member in 2002. In addition to working with the executive committee of the board, he has chaired the student life committee.

He is Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia, representing the Seed Capital Fund, which was created to allow the state to provide investment capital to emerging businesses. Shearer also has served as a panel member on the annual White House Conference on Consumer Awareness and the Regulation of the Financial Services Industry, and has served as a consulting editor for Research Institute of America, the Tax Management publication division of the Bureau of National Affairs, Prentice-Hall and the Institute of Business Planning.

He has conducted numerous continuing education courses for the American Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association, the Georgia Society of CPAs and a wide variety of professional and business organizations.

Paula Harper Bethea elected vice chair

Harper Bethea is the director of external relations at the McNair Law Firm, P.A. on Hilton Head Island. She joined the PC Board of Trustees in 2001 and chairs the external relations and resource development committee in addition to serving as a member of the executive committee.

"These are exciting times at Presbyterian College and I am thrilled to be asked to help lead the team that will continue the excellent work accomplished by many," Harper Bethea said. "During my tenure with the board, I have discovered the distinctive commitment to excellence that is in place at PC. I am eager to continue the advancement of this distinguished college."

The University of South Carolina graduate's extensive civic service includes chairing the Caring Coins Foundation, the Hilton Head Regional Medical Center Board, the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina, and The Drummond Center. She is chair emeritus of the United Way of America's Board of Governors and past board chair of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce, and Columbia College.

A life member of South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc., Harper Bethea is a past member of the South Carolina State Ethics Commission. She is a recipient of The Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest award for volunteer service. She and her husband, William L. Bethea, were honored as the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce's 2006 Business Leaders of the Year.

Pat Patrick re-elected secretary

Patrick, who will serve a second consecutive term as secretary, joined the PC Board of Trustees in 1998. In addition to his service to the executive committee, he has been vice chair of the buildings and grounds committee and is a member of the trusteeship and honorary degrees committee.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Patrick is a retired printing executive who serves on the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Board of Directors. He also is president of the Concert Association of Newton County and chairman of the Newton County Community Foundation.

The Patrick Family has long been a generous donor to Presbyterian College and made possible the Patrick Center that houses the college's admissions and human resources offices,

"One of the things that is distinctive about Presbyterian College is reflected in its motto, dum vivimus servimus. Service is an element that is paramount in a PC education," Patrick said. "The opportunity to serve PC has been invaluable to my family and to me. The college provides outstanding graduates - leaders for our changing world - and I am honored to be re-elected to the leadership team for this first-rate college."

Board adds seven new trustees

The board also elected seven new college trustees: Larry W. Massey of Dawson, Ga.; Allen C. McSween of Greenville, S.C.; Dr. Welton O'Neal, Jr. of Yardley, Pa.; Douglas J. Sanders of Charlotte, N.C.; Dr. Alvin Durand Sewell of Macon, Ga.; James M. Singleton of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; C. Douglas Warner of Charleston, S.C.; Donnie R. Woods of Charleston, S.C.; and Mr. Roland F. Young III of Hartford, Conn.