By chris horn

All Miles Loadholt wants for Christmas is higher national academic rankings for the University of South Carolina … a new building for the School of Law … a new home for the Moore School of Business … continued successful fundraising for the University … and, Santa, you might want to put the elves on overtime because the list keeps going.

It’s true that Carolina’s new chairman of the Board of Trustees wants a lot of positive things for his alma mater. But he’s not waiting for a reindeer-drawn sleigh to swoop down on the Horseshoe and deliver the goods. Loadholt, ’65, ’68 law, is rolling up his sleeves and asking others to do the same as the University moves forward with a new president and an ambitious agenda for the future.

“We should never take our eyes off the No. 1 mission of the University: educating the people of South Carolina,” said Loadholt, who joined the Board of Trustees in 1996, representing the 2nd judicial circuit. “There are a lot of important things the University is trying to do that serve not only that goal but also the greater good of the state—and we need to push forward to make those things successful.”

Loadholt was elected chairman earlier this year during a season of all-around good news at the University:

• the University’s former vice president for research Harris Pastides was unanimously elected Carolina’s 28th president

• the institution had its most successful year of fund raising ever, bringing in $106 million for fiscal year 2008, which ended June 30

• Carolina welcomed its biggest—3,850 students—and most academically prepared freshman class this fall

• the faculty garnered a record-high $206 million in sponsored awards and research in fiscal year 2008

• and the University was named among the Top 10 “Most Promising and Innovative Schools” in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 “America’s Best Colleges.”

All of those accomplishments have helped propel Carolina into fast-forward mode, and several trustees think Loadholt has the right skills to help advance the University in his key position as chairman of the board.

“Miles is an excellent listener, and he respects the opinions of others,” said William Hubbard, a long-time trustee from Columbia and former board chair. “He works to build a consensus and will work to move the University forward in a positive way. He is very smart and has a wonderful analytical mind and can absorb a lot of information, synthesize it, and take the right path.

“He’s committed to excellence and quality, and he’s been very generous to the University not only with his time but also in support of the capital needs of Carolina.”

Since graduating from Carolina’s law school 40 years ago, Loadholt has had a successful career as a lawyer and partner at Motley Rice, one of the nation’s largest plaintiffs’ litigation firms. His practice, anchored in Barnwell, S.C., was built on careful listening and decisive action.

“In my career, I’ve always dealt with people and had to satisfy people,” Loadholt said. “I’ve particularly learned how to listen and how to make hard decisions.” With the challenges facing Carolina, Loadholt will no doubt draw on those reserves as he works with fellow trustees and University administrators.

“The No. 1 problem facing Carolina is the need for more funding. With the state [of South Carolina] cutting back,finding more private and public money is critical,” Loadholt said. “We’re down to less than 20 percent of our budget coming from state appropriations.”

The University is planning a future capital campaign to provide funding for additional scholarships, strengthen academic programs, and build the institution’s endowment, which supports Carolina in perpetuity.

“When we launch our capital campaign, the Board of Trustees has to step up and set an example,” he said.

“The more we on the board take an active role in soliciting gifts for the campaign and giving to it ourselves, the more successful the campaign will be.”

The life of a board chairman isn’t all about policy making and fund raising, though. Loadholt’s long involvement with the University—he served for nearly 20 years on the Executive Committee of the Gamecock Club and longer still on the Western Carolina Higher Education Commission that supports USC Salkehatchie—has translated into plenty of feedback from the public.

“I hear it all—in some cases about things over which I have no control. ‘What in the world is the football team doing running a draw play on third and long?’ I get phone calls like that all the time,” he said, chuckling. “And to some extent it’s true that athletics always gets the publicity. You can raise the price of football tickets and lots of press will show up at a board meeting. But you can announce construction of a $50 million academic building, and no one will pay much attention to that.”

Having served with several board chairmen during his tenure on the board, Loadholt is well aware of the seemingly endless meetings, time demands, and other challenges of the job. Still, he’s eager to put his shoulder to the wheel.

“I have had a relatively successful career, and I owe that to Carolina,” Loadholt said. “I love the University, and I’m in a position to give something back.”