Staff reports
Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Director Caroline Fermin has been named one of University of South Carolina’s Outstanding Veteran Alumni.
The USC website reads, “Each year the Alumni Association has the great honor of celebrating the best and brightest alumni and friends of the university with our six awards. … These awards are the highest honors reflecting the ideals cherished by South Carolinians that include service, integrity, character and leadership.
“The Outstanding Veteran Alumni Award is presented to a graduate who has served in the U.S. military with honor, distinguished themselves in his or her professional career, shown remarkable leadership capabilities and positively impacted the community.”
Fermin, a native Beaufortonian, graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1985. She spent 25 years in the United States Marine Corps with global assignments that took her from Hawaii, to Japan to Washington, D.C.
She has a Masters in Economics from Johns Hopkins University, a Master’s in Military Studies from Marine Corps Command and Staff College, a Master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps War College, and a Doctorate in Leadership and Innovation from St Thomas University.
Governor Henry McMaster selected her to serve on the task force that developed the first cabinet-level position for veterans affairs. Under her guidance, the task force created the position description, conducted interviews, and recommended a nominee for the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs for South Carolina.
As a wounded warrior, Fermin is a peer mentor for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), assisting fellow warriors in their recovery journey. She also serves as a WWP Warrior Advocate Leader, advocating for veterans in a grassroots effort in South Carolina.
Fermin has participated in several OPERATION Advocacy Fly-Ins on Capitol Hill and the first Women Warrior Summit in Washington D.C. last Fall. In this capacity, she actively advocates with our Federal legislators for veterans’ benefits such as the PACT Act, Major Richard Star Act, and several bills to combat veteran suicide.
As Director of Veterans Affairs for Beaufort County, Fermin has expanded the breadth and scope of operations, increasing the span of veteran services. She has established a Veteran Advisory Council and a Beaufort County Veteran Council, where she brings government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations together to support the veteran population. Under her leadership, the department has exceeded all goals in its first year, notably reducing the untethered population by five percent in less than 10 months.
Fermin is a graduate of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Beaufort program.
