The University of South Carolina Upstate is pleased to announce David Church, vice president of oncology and support services for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS), has been named chairman of the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education (SCCHE).
Church, a 1992 graduate of USC Upstate who has served on the commission since 2017, was unanimously chosen by his fellow commissioners. He began his four-year term as chair on July 1.
“The Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education is delighted to welcome David Church as chair,” said USC Upstate Interim Chancellor Derham Cole. “David is one of our outstanding alums who has proven himself to be a dedicated leader in the medical field and the community. We are very excited to continue our work with the commission with David at the helm.”
Church succeeds Thomas R. “Tommy” Young, III, who was appointed chairman of SCCHE in 2011. He will be responsible for leading the 17-member commission as it seeks to fulfill its mission to advance higher education in Spartanburg County.
“I am honored to serve as the next chairman for the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education,” Church said. “I look forward to promoting the mission of the commission and being a vocal advocate for our university.”
A lifelong resident of the Upstate, Church has held numerous executive roles with SRHS. Earlier this year, he began leading Spartanburg Regional’s COVID-19 Task Force Steering Team, which is directing the system’s response to the pandemic.
Church serves as an adjunct professor for the Healthcare Administration program at Converse College and is on the administrative board of the Charles Lea Center.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from USC Upstate and a Doctoral of Healthcare Administration degree from the Medical University of South Carolina.
“Being an alumnus of the university, David already has a solid connection to USC Upstate,” said Kim Jolley, interim vice chancellor for University Advancement and interim executive director for USC Upstate Foundations. “We are thrilled he has accepted this leadership position. He brings superb leadership skills and a strong sense of community.”
SCCHE was established in 1967 by the South Carolina Legislature to serve as the lead advocate for the interested and advancement of USC Upstate with regional legislative delegations, all of the university’s constituencies and the public, and to actively involve the commission’s advisory board in that effort.
Members of the commission are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a majority of sitting state legislators from Spartanburg County. Their duties are to participate in the selection of the university’s chancellor, to evaluate and support USC Upstate’s mission, and to acquire real estate as necessary to support university operations and master planning, among others.
Written by USC Upstate.