By Mike McCombs
The Island News
Marilyn Harris will be the new face of the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce.
The announcement of Harris as the new Executive Director came Friday afternoon, July 15, a little more than two weeks after the Board ended its association with former CEO Larry Holman, his son, Director of Programs and Events Kevin Holman, and his wife, Dominique Tuttle.
Harris, who actually assumed the role July 3, will be responsible for all operational duties moving forward for the BCBCC, a 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to offering services, educational programs and products to multi-cultural business owners and professionals in Beaufort County and the surrounding communities. It is part of the national U.S. Black Chamber and is dedicated to empowering small, minority-owned businesses.
Harris is excited by the challenge.
“I am proud to be here at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce and I am thrilled to get started,” Harris said. “The opportunities to support the community are almost unlimited and I am excited to partner with the City, County and community to further the mission of the Chamber. I am dedicated to making sure that our entire community understands the BCBCC is a trusted partner.
Harris said the opportunity was “a surprise. It was totally a surprise.”
She met with Leroy Gilliard, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in late June. Then there was a meeting with the Executive Committee the Monday before the Fourth of July.
“We had several candidates that we looked at, but we all decided unanimously on her. I can say that,” Gilliard said. “No candidate is perfect, but what we had and what we’ve got now is 100 percent different.”
Gilliard had been adamant that the Board should not be running the BCBCC on a day-to-day basis and moved quickly to replace Holman, who ran the Chamber for 22 years.
“We help where we can, but we take directions from her,” Gilliard said. “We hired her to run the place. We had some investigations that we were working on prior, and we still are with her blessing.”
Harris has been in Beaufort County for less that a decade, relocating to the area in 2015, but she has made her mark already. She is currently a Commissioner with the Beaufort Housing Authority and also a Board member of the Coastal Community Foundation, both volunteer positions. She’s also a member of Women United, a committee of the United Way of the Lowcountry.
Harris has served on the boards of other local nonprofit organizations including Second Helpings, SCORE, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry. Plus, she has, with the United Way, partnered through Women United to launch Mimi’s Closets, an education support initiative created to provide school supplies to preschools and elementary schools throughout the Lowcountry.
As Beaufort County Program Coordinator for the Collaborative Organization of Services for Youth (COSY) and the Collaborative Organization of Services for Adults (COSA), Harris worked for the Department of Human Services. In addition, she served the County as the Lowcountry Affordable Housing Coalition facilitator.
Before arriving in Beaufort, Harris held leadership roles in the U.S. and Europe for the Federal Government, including the Department of the Army, the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Harris’ first priority has been office structure, processes and procedures.
“I’m looking at things that need improvement,” Harris said. “I’m talking to the Board to see what they need. I’m talking to City and County Officials and talking about partnering and working together. I have a steep learning curve.”
After she gets her feet under her, Harris says the next challenge is “making the community understand the BCBCC is a full partner in the community and has helping the community as its goal.”
Harris said some don’t understand what the BCBCC is or why it even exists.
“I don’t know that I see that as a problem,” she said. “I want to help people understand who we are, what we can do, that we’re fully invested. I’m excited to be the one to tell them.”
“I’ve spoken to the Mayor and City Council, who have been very enthusiastic and welcoming and affirming,” Harris said. “I’ve met one member of County Council, and I’m scheduled to meet more County officials next week.”
“Marilyn is an exciting new chapter of our history,” Gilliard said. “With more than 35 years of service leadership experience spanning military, Beaufort County government, and civil service, Marilyn has proven experience in uplifting others. We are confident that she will help us to not only continue our Chamber mission, but also to expand on it.”
“It’s a new board, a new day, a new team,” Harris said, “and I hope it’s a new beginning.”
Meet the Board
Gilliard and Harris were unaware that the names of the members of the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors were not available on the BCBCC’s website.
The Board currently consists of Leroy Gilliard, Board Chair; Anthony Dore, Vice Chair; Shellia Jenkins Ward, Secretary; Gary Littlejohn, Treasurer; Anita Prather; Doniella Chives; Viola Smalls; Deborah Martin; Michael Marshall; Carl Austin; and James Simmons.
For more information about Harris, and for more information about the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, visit www.BCBCC.org.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
