A longtime board member and legacy alum, Barnwell looks to reconnect alumni and bring back on-campus events.

by Sarah Murphy

Brian Barnwell ’06

Presbyterian College welcomed Brian Barnwell ‘06 last year as the new PC Alumni Board president.

Barnwell, a long-time alumni board member and recipient of the 2018 Presbyterian College Young Alumnus Award, will serve in the role for a two-year term.

Barnwell earned his bachelor’s degree in English from PC in 2006, graduating summa cum laude, with honors. His family is a legacy at PC: his grandfather (Charles Barnwell ‘36), father (Buddy Barnwell ‘64) and sister (Erin Richardson ‘00) all graduated from the college.

“Having grown up in a PC family, and with PC being such a big part of my life for so long, it really is a privilege for me to be able to serve in this role as alumni president,” said Barnwell.

Following PC, Barnwell went on to earn his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and was an editor for the South Carolina Law Review. Today he is an attorney at Rikard & Protopapas in Columbia.

As society moves beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and seeks to resume life-as-normal, Barnwell said he hopes to spend his time as board president reconnecting with alumni and reenergizing alumni chapters. Virtual participation at PC events will continue to be an option, but Barnwell is hopeful alums will feel comfortable returning to Clinton to reignite their PC pride.

“When the pandemic started, Katherine Hicks did an outstanding job navigating quarantine and organizing everything virtually,” he said. “This will still be a part of how we work together going forward, but I want to encourage people to come back to campus and remind them of the times they had as students – to rediscover that energy.”

Barnwell also plans to call attention to the Presbyterian College Student Referral Program. When a PC alumnus or alumna refers a student to attend PC, the future Blue Hose will be eligible to receive a $1,880 scholarship in their name for up to four years attending PC. This amount honors the year PC was founded.

Since graduating from PC, Barnwell has lived out the PC motto, “While We Live, We Serve,” in a number of ways. Together with his wife, Mary Ellen, he founded the Cavalry, an organization that raises money for cancer patients in the Midlands of South Carolina. Barnwell was also the youngest individual appointed to the South Carolina State Ethics Commission in 2014 and served as its chairman from 2017 through 2019.

“If your state is calling you to serve, I feel it’s your duty to answer if you can,” says Barnwell. “That’s certainly something PC taught me during my time there.”

Questions or suggestions for Brian and the alumni board? Please reach out to alumni@presby.edu, or email Brian directly at bmbarnwell78@gmail.com.