Board of Directors
 John
C.B. Smith, Jr.
John C.B. Smith joined the Board of the Educational Foundation in 1995
and has served in several offices. He becomes Chairman of the Board in
July 2004. He is owner of John C.B. Smith, Jr., Realty, and attorney
of counsel with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Columbia.
Mr. Smith received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee
University in Lexington, Virginia, and went on to earn his juris
doctor from the USC School of Law. He was a partner with Nexsen Pruet
Jacobs & Pollard from 1978 until 1997, where he served as managing
partner and chairman of the Executive Committee from 1989 to 1992. He
is a member of the Richland County, South Carolina, and American Bar
Associations. Mr. Smith serves as Chairman of the South Carolina
Education Lottery. He also serves as commissioner of the Richland
County Airport Commission and is a member of the South Carolina Bar
Resolution of Fee Disputes Board. He is a director of the South
Financial Group, Carolina First Bank, and the Columbia Jewish
Foundation.
Mr. Smith is active in several professional and charitable
organizations. He is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sisters
of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, and chairman of the USC
School of Law Partnership Board. He also serves on the USC School of
Medicine Partnership Board and is a life member of the Salvation Army
Advisory Board of the Midlands.
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 James A. Bennett
James Bennett joined the University of South Carolina Educational
Foundation from 1992 until 2000 and returned to the foundation again
in 2004. He serves on the Investments Committee.
Mr. Bennett has a bachelor�s degree from USC. In 1992, he became the
youngest South Carolina bank president when he was named president of
Victory Savings Bank, South Carolina�s only minority-owned bank. He is
currently the executive vice president and director of public affairs
for First Citizens Bank of South Carolina.
Mr. Bennett serves on numerous professional boards, as well as many
civic and community committees. He is on the Board of Directors for
SCANA, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and the South Carolina
Bankers Association. He serves on the South Carolina Business Center
Board for Excellence in Education and is the circuit vice president
for the USC Alumni Council. Mr. Bennett has received several awards
for his achievements: including the Columbia Jaycees' Business Leader
of the Year Award, the Columbia Urban League's Lincoln C. Jenkins
Award, and the USC Alumni Award of Outstanding Achievement.
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 F.A. (Andy) Lowrey
Andy Lowrey is president and chief executive officer of AgFirst
Farm Credit Bank in Columbia. He became a member of the University of
South Carolina Educational Foundation in 2002, and serves on the
foundation�s Audit and Budget Committee.
An expert in the wholesale banking industry, Mr. Lowrey has served on
the board of directors of Farm Credit Leasing Services Corporation and
the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the
boards of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the Farm Credit
Financial Corporation of Puerto Rico, the Palmetto Agribusiness
Council, the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, and the
Palmetto Agribusiness. He is a member of the Fannie Mae Southeast
Regional Housing and Community Development Advisory Council, and
chairman of the South Carolina 4-H Fund.
A Georgia native, Mr. Lowrey received a B.B.A. degree in accounting
from the University of Georgia. He also received an M.B.A. degree in
finance from the University of South Carolina and received the
�Distinguished M.B.A. Student Award� for his efforts. Since 2001, he
has served on the board of advisors of the Moore School of Business.
He is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society for the
collegiate schools of business.
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 Jerome D. Odom
Jerry Odom served as the Administrative Liaison to the Educational
Foundation from 1997 to 2004 and participated in all committee and
board meetings. In 2004, he returned to serving as a professor in the
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. The Board elected him to a new
term as a faculty member.
Jerry Odom received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the
University of North Carolina�Chapel Hill, and his Ph.D. in inorganic
chemistry from Indiana University. After a postdoctoral year at
Bristol University in Bristol, England, he joined the faculty of the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as an assistant professor at
the University of South Carolina. After many years as professor and
chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Odom was
appointed dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. In March
1997, Dr. Odom was appointed executive vice president for academic
affairs and provost.
He is the author of 150 peer-reviewed papers, five general chemistry
textbooks, and holds two patents. Dr. Odom is the recipient of
numerous awards and honors from the University, including the Amoco
Teaching Award (1984), the Mungo Teaching Award (1993); and the
Russell Research Award in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering
(1994). The five USC Foundations paid tribute to Dr. Jerome D. Odom
for his outstanding service to the foundations by establishing the
Jerome D. Odom Fellowship in Chemistry.
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 M. Walker Rast
Before retiring, Walker Rast served as chairman and chief
executive officer of Keyes Fibre Company, a paper-packaging concern
located in Connecticut. Now living on Hilton Head Island, Mr. Rast
continues to be an active member of service organizations. He also
regularly lends his expertise to his alma mater, the University of
South Carolina, and chairs the Advancement Committee of the
Educational Foundation. He joined the Board in 2002 and also serves on
the Executive Committee.
Mr. Rast is a member of the Union League Club in New York City and the
Management Policy Council. He also is board director for the Wexford
Plantation Homeowners Association.
A mechanical engineering graduate, Mr. Rast has a bachelor�s degree in
mechanical engineering from USC and an M.B.A. from Seton Hall
University. He has served on the USC College of Engineering
Partnership Board and recently received the College�s Distinguished
Alumni Award.
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 Claude M. Scarborough, Jr.
Claude Scarborough is managing partner emeritus with Nelson
Mullins Riley and Scarborough, a Columbia-based law firm. He joined
the Board of the Educational Foundation in 1996, chairs the Audit and
Budget Committee, and is a member of the Executive Committee.
Mr. Scarborough has served on the Central Carolina Community
Foundation Board of Trustees, has served on the Partnership Board for
the USC School of Law, and now represents USC on the National Advisory
Council. He serves on the Columbia Arts Commission and is a board
member for the Columbia Museum of Art.
Mr. Scarborough received a B.A. degree and juris doctor degree from
USC. Among his numerous awards and recognitions are the Compleat
Lawyer Award, Gold Medallion, presented to him by the USC School of
Law in 1992.
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 Debra R. Timmerman
Debra Timmerman joined the Educational Foundation in 2004. She is
a member of the Public Advocacy Committee. A member of the board of
directors of the South Carolina Educational Television Endowment,
Debra Timmerman became president of the endowment in May 2004.
A native of New Jersey, Mrs. Timmerman has a B.A. degree in American
Studies from Hollins University.
In addition to raising a family, Mrs. Timmerman has devoted much of
her time in service to the community. A 30-year resident of Charlotte,
North Carolina, she is currently serving on the board of the Charlotte
Symphony Orchestra and the Brevard Festival, and is the past president
of the Charlotte Symphony Guild. She has also been a member of the
Washington & Lee Parents Council, the Women�s Auxiliary of the Mint
Museum, the Junior League of Charlotte, and the Hollins University
Alumnae Board of Directors.
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 J. Chris Verenes
Chris Verenes is president of Security Federal Bank and its
subsidiaries: Security Federal Trust, Inc., Security Federal
Investments, Inc., and Security Federal Insurance, Inc. He joined the
Board of the Educational Foundation in 2003 and serves on the Audit
and Budget Committee.
Mr. Verenes received a B.S. degree in marketing and an M.B.A. from
USC. In addition to his educational background, Verenes brings a broad
range of experiences to the banking industry, including finance,
accounting, strategic planning, business development, marketing, and
governmental affairs. For the past 15 years, he has worked for
Washington Group International, the largest private employer in South
Carolina. During his time there, he served in various positions,
including chief of staff to the president and chief executive officer.
Mr. Verenes recently completed a term as a member of the South
Carolina State Board of Education, and served on the Aiken County
Board of Education from 1984 to 1998. He has been chairman of the
University of South Carolina - Aiken Partnership Board and vice-chair
of the Aiken Technical College Foundation. Mr. Verenes is a past
chairman of the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce and a worthy
recipient of the Jaycee Aiken County Man of the Year award.
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 J. Allen Wright
A native of Anderson, South Carolina, Allen Wright is senior vice
president of Investments and PRIME Consultant with UBS Financial
Services, Inc. in Atlanta. He became a member of the Educational
Foundation Board in 2001 and was named Secretary/Treasurer in 2004. He
serves on the Executive and Investments Committees.
He received a B.A. degree in marketing from the Moore School of
Business at USC and, as a student, was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He
has established the J. Allen Wright Lieber National Merit Scholarship
at USC.
Mr. Wright serves on the Atlanta Regional Campaign Committee, and is
the former chairman of the Insurance, Annuities and Relief Board of
the Presbyterian Church of America. He is former director of
Investment Management Consultants Association, a member of Southern
Employee Benefit Conference, a member of PRIME Advisory Council, and
chairman of the Director�s Council at the Atlanta Seminary for
Ministry and Theology.
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 C.
John Wentzell
John Wentzell joined the Educational Foundation in 2004. He is the
owner of Budweiser of Columbia. Mr. Wentzell received his Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration (accounting) from USC in 1974. He
earned his CPA in 1976. He began his career with C. C. McGregor &
Company, Certified Public Accountants, in 1974.
In 1980, Mr. Wentzell joined Budweiser of Anderson, Inc., Budweiser of
Columbia, Inc., and Budweiser of Greenville, Inc. as Chief Financial
Officer. He moved through the ranks of the organization holding the
titles of vice president, treasurer, and secretary. In 2001, he and
three partners purchased Budweiser of Anderson, Inc., Budweiser of
Columbia, Inc., and Budweiser of Greenville, Inc.
Mr. Wentzell has been an active Carolina supporter serving in various
capacities of Delta Sigma Pi, and as a member of the USC Bicentennial
Campaign Committee for the Moore School of Business. He has also been
active in the Central Chapter of South Carolina Association of
Certified Public Accountants, the South Carolina Association of Public
Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants. He has served as a board member of the Boys Club of
Greater Columbia, Palmetto Bassmasters, and as a Scout leader.
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Ex Officio Members
 Dr. Harris Pastides
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