Community leaders share hopes for the new year

By Cheryl P. Allen, Amy Clarke, Lillia Callum-Penso, Paul Hyde and Donna Isbell Walker
Originally published December 26, 2010, in The Greenville News (subscription required)

A new year brings with it hope and promise and lots of wishes. And as individual Greenvillians prepare to bid a farewell to the turbulent 2010, community leaders are sharing their hopes for a happy and prosperous 2011.

They are thinking of economic recovery and public safety and healthy living for people in the Upstate. We talked to several of the movers and shakers of Greenville to ask about their hopes for 2011, and here’s what they said:

Business

Greenville Mayor Knox White is optimistic about the city’s prospects for the coming year, thanks in large part to the economic boost from electric-bus manufacturer Proterra Inc. and Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research.

During 2010, ICAR helped Greenville begin the process of emerging from the recession, White said, and its example is encouraging other energy-technology companies to look to the Upstate.

As the economy continues to improve, “Greenville will continue to be at the leading edge of the recovery. Even in the recession, we kept things moving, did things that other communities couldn’t do, (such as) attracting new companies,” White said.

In the coming year, other projects are on the way, many of them centered on Greenville’s vibrant downtown area.

“I think in 2011, the skyline of Greenville will change yet again. We have a number of conspicuous downtown projects that will move forward on Main Street in 2011,” White said.

Ben Haskew, president and CEO of Greenville Chamber of Commerce, hopes that more travel and job opportunities will come from the landing of Southwest Airlines service at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport next year.

“I think it’s going to do so much for our region,” Haskew said. “Hopefully, that will mean more people from a broader area are going to want to come and fly Southwest out of GSP. I think potentially, it can be so good that it might help existing businesses expand, and it certainly can draw new businesses into the area.”

Haskew said he also hopes for continued growth of existing corporations such as BMW and Proterra, along with the emergence of small businesses. “I believe Greenville has so much to offer and … I think we’ve gotten many things on the horizon that’s going to be good not only for our economy but for our quality of life too,” he said.

Like White and Haskew, Butch Kirven is thinking of the local economy. The Greenville County Council chairman said the council’s eye will be set on economic matters heading into 2011.

“I would like to see a decrease in the unemployment rate, more people with jobs. I’d like to see a more robust economy, a real-estate market picking up more,” Kirven said. “I think we’re on track to move in that direction, and we want to stay on course with it.”

Public service

And while leaders work to repair and lift the economy, service organizations still seek to help people most affected by the recession.

“I would like to see that those who are most vulnerable and most affected by the continued uncertainty in our economy would find opportunities that would improve their situation,” said Ted Hendry, president of the United Way of Greenville County.

He also wants those people down on their luck to know that there is help to be found. The United Way assists about 85 programs at more than 50 agencies, reaching an estimated one in four citizens.

And despite the hard times, Hendry said he’s proud that Greenville is such a strong and generous community.

United Way of Greenville County exceeded its 2010 fundraising goal, collecting the largest total in the organization's 88-year history. The 2010 campaign exceeded the $14.6 million fundraising goal and raised more than $14.7 million.

“In a year of record-breaking need, people in Greenville County gave a record-breaking amount to the United Way,” Hendry said.

The arts

Alan Ethridge doesn’t hesitate when asked about his hopes for the New Year.

“Greater public funding for the arts,” said the executive director of the Metropolitan Arts Council.

The funding helps sustain the community’s cultural assets like visual arts, theater and music, which have a lasting impact, said Ethridge.

It helps “quality of life for all residents, tourism and overall economic development,” Ethridge said. “I think greater funding pretty much covers it.”

Ken Johnson, executive director of The Greenville Symphony Orchestra, notes that even during a challenging economic climate Greenville offers an abundance of arts attractions.

“All of us want to see Greenville continue to thrive as a vital arts community, and to see a greater percentage of our population participating in the many arts opportunities our community offers,” Johnson says.

Education and religion

Furman University President Rodney A. Smolla has a wish for Greenville that can’t be wrapped up in a brightly colored package.

“I wish for a civilized political dialogue across political and social and religious divides so that we can engage each other constructively to solve many of the problems that face the community,” Smolla said.

Universities such as Furman can lead the way, as can other people in prominent positions who “can look for ways to reduce the heat and shed more light on the issues we’re facing,” he said.

The Rev. James E. Speed Sr., pastor at Allen Temple AME Church in West End Greenville, looks to the past and the present as he thinks of the coming year. Speed said he’s proud of the increasingly diverse population of Greenville and how efforts have been made over the years to make the city more inclusive.

“My hope is that we can continue in that effort and move toward even better relations and a more inclusive society,” said Speed, a Greenville native. “I think that sets Greenville apart from many of the Southern cities that exist in this country.”

Health, safety and recreation

Greenville Police Chief Terri Wilfong hopes that the city’s deployed officers in the military will return home safe and sound, and that more people will start locking their cars and removing valuables from their vehicles, which can help reduce the crime rate. She also hopes that the city’s crisis intervention team will be successful.

That team involves trained officers working with mental health professionals to help better manage crises involving the mentally ill.

“We will have 50 officers trained in which someone will always be on duty so that when there is a crisis … those officers will be able to respond,” Wilfong said. “And they will be able to take the amount of time that’s necessary to be able to handle the situation, hopefully to calm the person down, take the person to the hospital… Because the concern is that jail is not the answer.”

Scot Baddley is optimistic about the coming year in Greenville but first, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greenville paused to reflect on the past year. He’d like to see the community grow from seeds that have already been planted, such as the development of healthy infrastructure like trails and walkable areas, as well as economic development such as the coming of Southwest Airlines.

“I’m very hopeful that all these great steps that are being taken will bring in that industry that we need to get the unemployment rate lower and more families back on track financially,” Baddley said.

On the health front, the YMCA plans to expand the annual Activate Upstate initiative, a free health and wellness program that is a partnership with Greenville Hospital System and Furman University. Baddley promises more details in January but says the goal is always that “more people will become involved in activities that lead to better health.”

Plans for the coming year willfocus particularly on childhood obesity. His hope is that the community continues to make such accessible and feasible.

“So our hope is that we really do have a healthier New Year because we’re going to engage more people in getting involved in physical activity and programs that apply the disciplines that they’re learning,” Baddley says. “I do believe that long-term sustainable reductions in those levels of obesity and diabetes result when we have policies and systems in place that help support the family and help provide the community with the resources.”

So far, 2011 is set to be a productive one for Greenville County Recreation District, according to district community relations director Mike Teachey.

Plans for the new year include finishing the renovation of Greenville Municipal Stadium, as well as the Westside Aquatic Center and continuing to expand the Greenville Hospital System Swamp Rabbit Trail.

“Our role is to create the built environment that makes it easier for people to get out and play and run and exercise and that kind of stuff,” Teachey said. “Our hope is that for us, that we successfully finish the projects, that we finish what we have slated for 2011 and for the community, that they take full advantage of all this stuff and live well.”