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| Thursday, Jan 30, 2003 |
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Posted on January 30, 2003 Allison named education director
Gov. Mark Sanford named former state Rep. Rita Allison to his senior staff as education director Wednesday. She will be paid $60,000 annually to advise Sanford on matters of policy and legislation as it affects education. Allison said from Columbia Wednesday night that she is looking forward to her new job. "I know we have made some great strides in education, but I know there is a tremendous amount of work to be done," she said. Allison described the efforts to improve education in the state as a great journey with a goal of achieving a quality system. "I look forward to helping Gov. Sanford draft his ideas and his vision and be open for change for the betterment of our education system. I will not only be working with him but with all of the education family across state," she said. Sanford press secretary Will Folks said the position Allison fills is a vital component of education reform in the state. "The state spends 52 percent of its budget on education. The governor believes this position is very much needed," Folks said. The salaries of the staff appointees under Sanford is well below those of former Gov. Jim Hodges, according to Folks. Allison's position is not a new one. Inez Tenenbaum who is elected to direct the State Department of Education, which is not controlled directly by the governor, said Allison was a staunch supporter of public education as a legislator. Allison gave up the seat in the House of Representatives she had held since 1993 in an unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor last year. A native of Lyman, she described herself as a full-time legislator. She served on the House Ways and Means Committee and chaired the K-12 and Special Schools Subcommittee. She had also served as Spartanburg County Legislative Delegation Chairwoman, assistant majority leader in the S.C. House and on the joint legislative committee for families and children. Allison served as a member of the Spartanburg County School District 5 Board of Trustees for nine years and as a board member of the R.D. Anderson Vocational School in Spartanburg for eight years. Tennebaum said this experience enables Allison to understand the issues related to schools – including budgets - far better than anyone she knows. "I look forward to working with her, as we continue to advance the education agenda we have proposed. She's a good friend to education and a great personal friend of mine," Tennebaum said. Allison was among the last 10 staff appointments Sanford made. He said in a prepared statement in announcing the appointments that the ultimate goal of his administration is change. "In addition to being folks I trust, respect and value in terms of their professional abilities, each one of these individuals is committed to that underlying notion of change so that we raise income levels and quality of life in South Carolina," the governor said. Other appointees are Chief of Staff Fred Carter, Deputy Chief of Staff for Cabinet Chad Walldorf, Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration William "Eddie" Gunn, Chief Legal Counsel Henry White, Deputy Chief Counsel Swati S. Patel, Health and Human Services Director Darlynn Ruby Thomas, Senior Advisor for Budget and Policy Bob Toomey, Budget Director Ben Duncan and Constituent Services Director and Executive Assistant April Derr. Janet Spencer can be reached at 582-4511, Ext. 7222, or janet.spencer@shj.com. |
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