COLUMBIA CHAMBER GRADUATES 57 MIDLANDS LEADERS

57 Participants in the Chamber’s Leadership Columbia Program Honored at Graduation Ceremony

COLUMBIA, S.C. – On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at the Columbia Museum of Art, the Columbia Chamber and the Leadership Columbia Advisory Board (LCAB) honored 57 graduates of the Leadership Columbia program. The Class of 2025 completed an orientation, a retreat, 10 class days and a class project with The Free Medical Clinic. Since its inception in 1972, Leadership Columbia has graduated over 2,000 leaders across the Midlands. 

“For over 50 years, the Columbia Chamber’s Leadership Columbia program has been cultivating the next generation of leaders who are committed to creating lasting impact,” said Carl Blackstone, President and CEO of the Columbia Chamber. “The Class of 2025 carried that legacy forward through their transformative work with The Free Medical Clinic, strengthening a vital resource that supports the health and wellbeing of our entire community.”

In addition to presenting each graduate with a commemorative plaque, the Columbia Chamber and Leadership Columbia Advisory Board honored Chris Johnson, Lourie Life & Health, with the Glenn Jacobus award, an award given each year to a class member who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the class project and truly embody the role of a servant leader. 

The Leadership Columbia Class of 2025:

“Leadership Columbia is the region’s signature leadership program and this year, no different from years past, the program has delivered once again,” said Kenneth Givens, 2024-2025 Leadership Columbia Advisory Board Chair. “Each year, the class participates in a series of class days that each focus on a different topic in the community, i.e. Education, Military Affairs, Arts & Culture, and many more.  During each day, the class has the opportunity to hear from subject matter experts regarding each topic, and class days are often held at different local area event centers, further integrating the class into their communities.  The class also leads a community engagement project where they partner with a local nonprofit, raise roughly $50,000, and donate at least 12 hours each of their own time impacting the program positively and imparting their legacy for years to come.  This year’s class worked with the Free Medical Clinic to remodel their office, parking lot, signage, and to provide their marketing insight across social media platforms.  Overall, the class accomplished what they set out to do, but more importantly, they built relationships, formed partnerships with the community, grew as leaders, and set aside numerous differences to achieve a common goal.  The board hopes to continue developing future classes of great leaders in the Columbia area.”