Background Information

• Current President of Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina

• Worked in academia for close to ten years before entering public service

• Has worked for the State's budget control board, in addition to the administration of two former governors

Interview Synopsis

In talking to Dr. Carter, we learned more about the university's perspective on improvements made to Downtown Florence. We learned a lot from Dr. Carter in relation to the way each university addition downtown (especially the performing arts center and the health science center) had a different impact. The Performing Arts Center provided a hub for Florentine art and culture, improving not just a university program, but improving arts city-wide through collaboration with other entities. The Health Science building brings more student traffic into the city, leading other businesses nearby to succeed and resulting in students being able to have internships with local health stakeholders. In different ways, both buildings are now integral to downtown.

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Background Information

• Practicing Attorney in the City of Florence

• Served as Mayor of the City of Florence

• Launched the "Downtown Florence" initiative

Interview Synopsis

We discussed the roots of Downtown Florence with Mr. Wukela, and the collaborators that joined the city in the project. He emphasized the impact of businesses such as Victor's Bistro or Hotel Florence, the state government (especially the late Hugh Leatherman), and Dr. Fred Carter with Francis Marion University. He views Downton Florence as having a successful trajectory, and well on its way to a fully revitalized area. He added that small cities across the nation should look to their local universities for assistance in economic development and revitalization. His words prompted us to seek an interview with Dr. Fred Carter, the president of Francis Marion University.

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Background Information

• Greenville County Council Member (2007-2019)

• Previous board member of Palmetto Cycling Coalition

• Current board member of Bike-Walk Greenville

• Chaired Greenville's 2040 Plan

• Advocate of bike and pedestrian infrastructure

• Improved connections from neighborhoods to parks and schools at city level

Interview Synopsis

On November 12th, 2020, we held an interview with former Greenville County Councilwoman Amy Ryberg Doyle. Ms. Doyle served on the County Council since 2007 and stepped down from her position in January 2019. During her time, Ms. Doyle helped improve connectivity across the city of Greenville with specific interest in establishing connections from parks and trails to neighborhoods in the city's downtown. As such, given her specialty, we primarily asked questions regarding connectivity in cities with an emphasis on the difficulties and facilities related to this type of implementation.

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Background Information

• 2nd newest member of the Hartsville City Council (2018)

• Chaired the Historic Marion Avenue Cemetery committee starting in 2018

• Focused on tactical urbanization and beautification in Hartsville

• Vision to create a network of "pocket parks," accessible recreational spaces for all community members, throughout the city. 

• Works in education, started The Gammage Consulting Group, a K-12 education consulting firm in 2017

• Former resident life coordinator at the Governor School for Science and Mathematics (2017)

Interview Synopsis

On January 13th, 2021, we hosted a virtual interview with Hartsville City Council member Tre’ Gammage to discuss how community projects are established and sustained at the city level. We also touched on how these projects intersect with issues of equity and accessibility. Mr. Gammage was elected to the council in 2018, and has since been the chair of two committees involving the curation of the Hartsville commons.  

Through Mr. Gammage’s work, the Historic Marion Avenue Cemetery, a landmark of black history in Hartsville, was restored. The city now maintains the cemetery for public visitation, and has plans for future improvements. In 2018, the committee received recognition for their work from the South Carolina African American Association. Mr. Gammage says that he has volunteers from GSSM, Coker University, and other community groups to thank for helping to clear out what was “a jungle” when he inherited the project. He also credits Johnny Andrews, a local historian, for his work in gathering information about the generations of residents buried in the cemetery.

Mr. Gammage also led a project to introduce a network of "pocket parks" into Hartsville. These green spaces could range from a small garden with benches or a chess set to a full on playground or nature trail. The goal is to give all residents a safe, enjoyable outdoor space within walking or biking distance of their homes. 

But progress on these types of projects, Gammage says, is slow but steady. Sometimes plans change. A major sponsor might revoke their participation, or the city's priorities might shift elsewhere. The key is to keep a committed, passionate group of people who are willing to adapt when needed, or keep pushing for improvements even if a project loses traction. Eventually, these changes will stick, and the park or cemetery will be at a point where it can be monitored and sustained. Then, the torch of progress can be passed on to the next set of driven community members. But first, he says, "We need a catalyst."  

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Background Information

Daniel Moore is the City Manager of Hartsville, SC. He holds a masters in public planning from Augusta State University and has a background in urban utilities planning from the cities of North Augusta, SC and Goose Creek, SC. 

Interview Synopsis

Background Information

Background Information