- Lenna Neill (Chair)
- Sheri Few (Vice-Chair)
- Kathryn Wade (Secretary)
- Pamela Baker
- Cindy Costa
- Lilly Filler, MD
- Margaret Pope
- Laura Ringo
Lenna Neill has served as CEO of Piedmont Women’s Center, a faith based medical clinic, in Greenville, South Carolina, since 1992. A respected community leader, Ms. Neill regularly speaks at educational institutions, churches, and civic organizations on numerous topics including teen pregnancy, abstinence, and healthy lifestyle choices. She has also served as keynote speaker for pregnancy care center banquets in South Carolina, Massachusetts and California. She is a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class XXVIII and Leadership South Carolina 2003.
Under Ms. Neill’s leadership, Piedmont Women’s Center has expanded to four locations in Greenville County serving over 3,000 Upstate women and families each year. A fifth location houses the administrative staff. Under her direction, the centers provide pregnancy counseling, referrals for material supplies for mothers and children, Abortion Recovery Assistance, a 24-hour Hopeline, and a referral system that collaborates with other local and state supported agencies. In 2001, the ministry began offering free limited OB ultrasounds under medical supervision to their clients. She directs all administrative functions of the ministry including human resources, budgeting and cost control, marketing, and public relations. She has written articles for news publications, has appeared on local television and radio talk shows, and has organized and led South Carolina pregnancy care center conferences.
In recognition of her service to the State of South Carolina, in 1998 she was awarded the highest award for a civilian by the governor, the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina Governor David Beasley as well as special commendations from the South Carolina House of Representatives and State Senate. As National Liaison to Pregnancy Care Centers for Heritage Community Services, Ms. Neill is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles for single adults through character-based abstinence education. Recognizing the need for excellence in this movement, Heritage Community Services offers its services across the nation often working with pregnancy care centers. In 2005, Ms. Neill became an authorized consultant for Focus on the Family as a site representative for Option Ultrasound Program. She travels nationwide assessing and teaching at Pregnancy Medical Clinics helping to qualify them to receive funding for ultrasound machines and Sonography training offered by Focus on the Family.
Ms. Neill is the mother of three adult children, and the grandmother to 5 preschoolers. She is an active member of Taylors First Baptist Church, Taylors, South Carolina. In her leisure Lenna enjoys reading, teaching and being actively involved in the political process. She is the founder and owner of a marketing/consulting company called Neill & Associates.
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Vice-Chair
Sheri Few and her husband Marty Few have lived in Lugoff, South Carolina, for 25 years and have three sons. As the daughter of an Air Force general officer, Sheri grew up all over the world attending high school in England and college in Germany. One of the highlights of her career is founding SC Parents Involved in Education (SCPIE), which focuses on protecting teachers’ pay and parents’ rights while assuring all children have access to excellent education. After a decade of leadership in this nonprofit, Sheri is now an accomplished grant writer and curriculum author. She is known for her expertise in education and family policy. Sheri is the former chair of the Kershaw County GOP and former Board Chairman of the Midlands Women’s Center. Currently she serves as Executive Committeewoman for the Kershaw County GOP, Vice-Chair of the Kershaw County Republican Women and President of Stand Up South Carolina. She was appointed to the Commission on Women in 2009 and currently serves as Vice Chair.
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Kathryn Wade is currently the Field Representative for Congressman J. Gresham Barrett. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and works part-time at Community Care and Counseling Center where she does individual and marriage therapy. She attended the University of South Carolina where she earned a B.S. degree in Psychology. In 1999, Kathryn earned a Masters of Arts Degree in Counseling from the Biblical Seminary at Columbia International University. She is the Board Chair for Aiken Pregnancy Care Center, as well as a member of the Aiken Midday Lions Club and the Aiken County Family and Marriage Coalition. She is married to Robert and they reside in Aiken with their 8 year-old son, Seth. Kathryn was appointed to the Commission on Women in 2009 and serves as Secretary.
Pamela Baker is an attorney with McNair Law Firm in Columbia, SC. She is a shareholder with the Firm’s Environmental practice where she assists with the defense of state and federal environmental enforcement actions related to compliance with the environmental and health statutes and regulations. Pamela also represents clients in complex Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act negotiations with EPA and the State. Her practice also includes representing clients before the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control in negotiating air and water permits, Voluntary Cleanup Contracts, and assisting clients with environmental issues associated with property transactions. Pamela routinely appears before the South Carolina Administrative Law Court representing clients in environmental permitting appeals. She was appointed by Governor Sanford to the Commission on Women in 2009. Pamela also serves as a member of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, Richland County Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Environmental and Natural Resources Section and Columbia Chapter of The Links, Inc. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Bar Foundation, the Board of Directors for Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands and formerly, the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Columbia.
Cindy Costa is the Business Manager for Southeastern Facial Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery Center in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to being a licensed real estate agent and a former Mrs. South Carolina, USA, Cindy is a founding member of the James Island Christian Church and mother of four. She is currently the Republican National Committeewoman for South Carolina and Co-Chair of Operation Smile in the SC/NC Region. She was a Presidential Appointment to the United Nations from 2002 to 2003 and served as Senior Advisor to the US Mission to the United Nations. Cindy is also the founder and Chair of South Carolina Winning Women.
Lilly S. Filler, MD is an obstetrician/gynecologist in Columbia and founder of Women Physicians Associates, Ob/Gyn. This all female practice was started in 1992 by Dr. Filler with the mission of having women serving women and their needs. The practice now has 5 physicians and 1 nurse midwife. Prior to becoming a physician, Dr. Filler was a physical therapist and established the Columbia Rehabilitation Clinics with her husband Bruce, also a physical therapist. Dr. Filler has three grown children, Rachael Raynes, an attorney, who lives with her husband, Derek, in Burlington, Vermont; Alex, a landscaper living in Charleston, SC; and Michael, a civil engineer living in NYC.
Dr. Filler has been very active in many community activities including serving on the Boards of the SC Campaign to prevent teen pregnancy, Planned Parenthood, Beth Shalom Synagogue, Memorial Park Commission, Health Advisory Board for Richland School District 2, as well as professional medical boards at Palmetto Richland Hospital and Palmetto Health Alliance Board. Dr. Filler was the first female Chief of Staff at Palmetto Health Richland and served as the second female president of the Columbia Medical Society. She has been awarded the honor of "Woman of Distinction" by the Congaree Area Girl Scouts of America.
Serving on the SC Commission on Women has been an honor and a privilege over the past 4years and she is eagerly looking forward to the next 4 years on the Commission.
Practicing in the field of public finance for over 25 years, Margaret Pope (Commission Vice-Chair/ Treasurer) is recognized as one of the leading bond attorneys and problem solvers for financing-related issues at the State level. Working closely with the State Budget and Control Board, the South Carolina General Assembly and numerous State agencies, Ms. Pope is often called upon in her role as bond counsel to develop financing structures and draft legislation which meets applicable state and federal regulations.
Ms. Pope drafted the legislation that authorized the issuance of $750,000,000 in general obligation bonds by the State to directly fund a statewide public school building and renovation project. At the request of the State Budget and Control Board and the State Treasurer, she found a way for the State of South Carolina to currently access the payments it was entitled to receive from the tobacco settlements. The resulting bond issue, which was securitized by the payment stream, culminated in the State receiving over $900,000,000. In 2001, Ms. Pope was asked by the South Carolina Department of Commerce to help develop a program that would allow the State of South Carolina to contribute moneys directly to significant economic development initiatives. As reported in The Bond Buyer, the Firm ranked first among bond counsel in South Carolina for 2001 and 2002, based on the total principal amount of bonds issued.
Ms. Pope has been a member of the South Carolina Bar since 1975. She is admitted before the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and to the US Supreme Court. In addition to her membership in many legal associations, Ms. Pope has served on the boards of Newberry College, the Greenwood Genetic Center, and the Newberry Opera House Foundation. She is a current and founding board member of both the Drummond Center and Midlands Technical College.
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For the last three and a half years, Laura Ringo has resided in Spartanburg and served as the director of a nonprofit called Partners for Active Living. This organization seeks to encourage a healthy, more livable community by promoting walking, bicycling and physical activity on a daily basis (www.active-living.org). Prior to her time in Spartanburg, Laura attended Furman University in Greenville where she graduated with a degree in history and Latin American studies.
Laura enjoys serving a number of community organizations as a board member and volunteer. These include Leadership Spartanburg Alumni Association Board of Directors, Hampton Heights Neighborhood Association, Habitat for Humanity, Spartanburg Regional Women's Health Advisory Committee, Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities, McCarthy/ Teszler School Improvement Council and the Spartanburg Area Transportation Study Enhancement Committee.
During free time, Laura and her husband Will are renovating a historic home near downtown Spartanburg.