Board of Trustees
Nikki R. Haley
Founder and Chair
Nikki R. Haley is the former United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations. She served as a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and the National Security Council. At the United Nations, Ambassador Haley ensured the American people saw value for their investment, introducing reforms that made the organization more efficient, transparent, and accountable. In a two-year period, she negotiated over $1.3 billion in savings, including rightsizing UN peacekeeping missions to make them more effective and targeted while improving their ability to protect civilians.
During her time as ambassador, the United States stood proudly with its allies, repeatedly taking a strong and principled stand against the chronic anti-Israel bias at the United Nations. In the UN Security Council, she proudly issued the first American veto in six years defending the United States’ sovereign right to move our Embassy to Jerusalem—Israel’s true capital.
Prior to becoming the twenty-ninth U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Haley was elected in 2010 as the first female and first minority Governor of South Carolina. Reelected in 2014, she served as Governor until confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations in January of 2017. Under Governor Haley’s leadership, South Carolina was a national leader in economic development. Known as the “Beast of the Southeast,” South Carolina’s unemployment rate hit a 15-year low, it saw over $20 billion in new capital investment, and her administration announced new jobs in every county in the state, over 85,000 total. Governor Haley also ushered in the state’s largest education reform in decades—making education funding more equitable for schools in the state’s poorest communities, prioritizing reading in early grades, and equipping classrooms with the latest technology.
Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, she is the daughter of Indian immigrants and a proud graduate of Clemson University. In her first job, Ambassador Haley kept the books for her family’s clothing store—at the age of 13. Ambassador Haley and her husband, Michael, a major in the South Carolina Army National Guard and combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, have two children, Rena, 22, and Nalin, 18.
Mikee Johnson
Vice Chair
Mikee Johnson is Board Chair and Co-President of US Brick. In this role, he is responsible for advancing US Brick in the brick market as an industry-leader in specialty bricks and masonry products. He previously served as Vice-President of Koppers, Inc.; and before that, president and CEO of Cox Industries Inc
With an undergraduate degree from Furman University, Mikee also has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in family business from Kennesaw State University. Mikee and his wife, Cyndi, reside in Columbia with their three children, Brady, Causey and Lilly-Rae.
Candace Leaphart
Treasurer
Candace Leaphart is chief financial officer at Magnus Development Partners, a commercial development company that specializes in industrial development in the Southeast. Prior to that, Candace was the chief financial officer at Hammond School for ten years. Candace spent a number of years self-employed as a CFO/controller for organizations in North and South Carolina, including The Climatic Corporation, Carrier Corporation and the South Carolina Waterfowl Association.
Audrey Randolph
Secretary
Audrey Randolph currently works as a director at Sherman Capital Markets. She previously worked as former First Lady Laura Bush’s personal aide, representing Mrs. Bush for all external audiences including vendors, businesses and organizations in addition to interacting on her behalf with the United States Secret Service and the Office of George W. Bush.
Tyler Bailey
Trustee
Tyler D. Bailey is the founder and managing attorney at Bailey Law Firm, L.L.C., in Columbia South Carolina. In this position, Tyler manages the business operations at Bailey Law Firm, and represents its clients throughout South Carolina.
Tyler dedicates countless hours serving his community through non-profit board service and various civic endeavors. Tyler serves on the Boards of Sistercare, Vital Connections of the Midlands, The Pretty Powerful Foundation, The Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, Hammond School Alumni Council, The Talented Tenth, Compass Community Development Corporation, and Right Direction Church International. Additionally, Tyler previously served as a Commissioner on the City of Columbia Election Commission and was a Co-Chair of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyer Division’s Diversity Committee and Military Support Committee. He is currently the Chair of the South Carolina Association for Justice Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Of all of Tyler’s roles, he cherishes most his role as a husband to Allyce Bailey and father to Tyler “Ty” Jr.
Bob Edwards
Trustee
Bob Edwards is a native of Calhoun County, S.C., and is a site manager for Meritor, Inc. in Manning. Prior to this role, he worked as the general manager for Kent International’s Bicycle Corporation of America manufacturing factory, also in Manning. Bob spent a number of years in Alabama, working in a variety of areas including manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, quality management and business development management. Previous employers include C.F. Evans and Thermalex Inc., a Mitsubishi Aluminum Company.
Michael Haley
Trustee
Michael Haley is owner of Ikor Systems LLC, a business development company with clients in the trucking, aerospace manufacturing, gaming and real estate industries. A combat veteran, he is a major in the South Carolina Army National Guard where he specializes in security cooperation. Michael’s primary focus is in the Republic of Colombia where he works closely with the Colombian Armed Forces and government. In 2013, he deployed to the Helmand Province of Afghanistan for a year and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service there.
From January of 2011 through January 2017, Michael served as First Gentleman of South Carolina. Active in the community, he has held senior positions within several civic organizations – currently as a commissioned law enforcement officer with the Department of Natural Resources of South Carolina and on the advisory board of Avance Health, a group Healthcare Management Platform. Michael graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Nicki Hood
Trustee
Nicki Hood is a community volunteer and former Executive Director of The Original Six Foundation. Prior to her leadership with The Original Six Foundation, Nicki worked as former Governor Nikki Haley’s Scheduler in the South Carolina Governor’s Office, and as the Operations Manager and Legislative Liaison for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association of South Carolina.
Will Johnson
Trustee
Will Johnson leads Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s economic development practice group and concentrates his practice on economic development, corporate law and tax matters. His work has helped facilitate more than $5 billion in domestic and foreign investment in South Carolina.
He received a Master of Law in taxation from New York University, Juris Doctor (magna cum laude) from the University of South Carolina, and bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) from Wofford College. He is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a recipient of the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Council “Compleat Lawyer” Award.
Suzanne Koty
Trustee
Suzanne Koty, PhD is the Director of Service Programs for the Center of Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA). She oversees the following programs: Induction and Mentoring, National Board Certification, and Teacher Leadership including the South Carolina Teacher Forum and the Teacher of the Year program.
Suzanne started her career in education as a classroom teacher with the Sumter School District. She earned National Board Certification in English Language Arts, Adolescence and Young Adulthood (2011) and recently renewed that certification (2020). During her time with the district, she taught International Baccalaureate classes including English and Theory of Knowledge as well as various English courses. She supervised students completing their IB Extended Essay and functioned as a CAS (Community, Action, and Service) project supervisor. She was a trained mentor and evaluator, worked on the district’s curriculum writing team, provided professional development for teachers in the district, and served as the school’s numeracy coach.
She is currently the Chair of the South Carolina National Board Network and a committee chair on the SCASCD Board of Directors. She serves on the South Carolina Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year Recognition Planning Committee and the Advisory Board for Columbia College’s Alternative Pathways for Educator Certification (APEC) Program. She previously held a position on the board of SC Future Minds.
Suzanne was twice named a Sumter Area Reading Council’s Distinguished Reading Teacher (2007 and 2008) and three times as Sumter High School’s Top Ten Teacher (2008, 2009, and 2010). In 2014, she was recognized as the Sumter High Teacher of the Year and subsequently as Sumter School District’s Teacher of the Year. She went on to be named the 2016 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. In this role, she completed a one-year residency with CERRA. Upon completing that residency, she joined the staff at CERRA so that she could impact teachers across the state.
Suzanne is married with two adult children and continues to call Sumter home.
Ken Reynolds
Trustee
Ken Reynolds is the Director of Corporate and Community Affairs with Bojangles’ Restaurants, Inc. His primary role with the iconic southern restaurant brand is to evaluate, negotiate and recommend partnerships that are in line with the company’s mission and core values as well as leading the merchandising team. Ken has been employed with Bojangles’ for 25 years and has served in multiple roles of increasing responsibility within the Marketing & Insights Department.
Akil Ross
Trustee
Dr. Akil E. Ross, Sr. is a veteran educator who serves as Superintendent for Lexington-Richland School District Five. Dr. Ross began his 20-year education career as a teacher and coach at Eau Claire High School in Columbia, S.C. He came to School District Five from Richland School District One in 2005, where he first served as assistant principal and then principal at Chapin High School. In 2018, he left Chapin High School to serve as the Director of Secondary Education for the district. Dr. Ross is also an author and Affiliate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). He left School District Five in 2018 to start HeartED, LLC, an educational consulting firm, to share lessons and strategies to further his vision of a future where every community empowers every child. He was named Superintendent in School District Five on February of 2022.
He has received numerous professional recognitions and accomplishments during his career including: the 2017 South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) Secondary Principal of the Year and the 2018 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Principal of the Year. He was featured in The State Newspaper, 20 under 40, Class of 2017, Principal Leadership Magazine, The Rotarian Magazine and Columbia Business Monthly, 50 Most Influential, 2018. Dr. Ross was named the 2020 UofSC College of Education Adjunct Professor of the Year.
Kimberli Scott-Still
Trustee
Kimberli Scott-Still is the Director of Human Resources for Collum’s Lumber Products, LLC in Allendale SC. where she is one of the three 4th generation family owners. CLP has grown to be one of the leading southern yellow pine producers in the Southeast that not only produces top grade dimensional lumber but poles, in-wood chips, and biomass as well. Adjacent to her Human Resource position, she is a Contributing Editor for Elysian Magazine. An award winning, woman’s lifestyle magazine published quarterly and circulated nationally that showcases the successes of exceptional women.
In 2014, she was named South Carolina Ambassador for Economic Development for Allendale County. In 2018, was recognized by the South Carolina Arts Commission and honored as the first recipient of the Image Award for community involvement. The following year was issued the Longevity Award by South Carolina Department of Commerce.
Candace Shiver
Trustee
Candace Shiver is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Shiver Group, one entity comprised of three firms dedicated to serving the needs of businesses. Of the three entities, Candace operates Shiver Law Firm and Shiver & Associates Business Advisory Firm. Her husband, Rodrick Shiver, operates Shiver Certified Public Accountants. Together, The Shiver Group offers its clients a one-stop, comprehensive approach to business growth through areas including Corporate Law, Government and Corporate Relations, and Accounting services.
Noted for her integrity and good character, in 2017, Candace was nominated and selected by the South Carolina Supreme Court to serve as a Commissioner on the South Carolina Commission on Judicial Conduct, where she continues to serve. In 2011, at the age of 29, her home state of South Carolina honored her as one of the top 20 under 40 rising business stars, and she was also recognized for her contributions in the Greater Columbia Business Monthly publication. In addition to her service on the Original Six Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Candace also serves on the Board of Trustees for South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, and on the Board of Directors of the Central Carolina Community Foundation and the Oliver Gospel Mission for the homeless. She was also recently appointed to serve on the District Export Council for the state of South Carolina. Candace is the owner of Carolinas Competitive Edge Tutoring and is an active member of her church, Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia, SC. In addition, Candace demonstrates her commitment to public and global service as Co-founder of Candace Girls, an all-girls educational foundation in Liberia, West Africa. Candace has served in a number of leadership capacities aimed at promoting education, influencing international policy, and improving the lives of people and opportunities for American businesses.
Candace graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Spelman College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Philosophy, and in 2006, earned her Juris Doctor degree from Duke University School of Law. Candace is married to Rodrick Shiver, a union cherished all the more with one adorable son, Rodrick II, and one precious baby girl, Carrigan Faith.