Town-gown
relations
Furman's new director of community relations
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Inside Furman is published monthly during the school year by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.
Town-gown
relations
Michelle Shain hopes to strengthen Furman's ties to Greenville
Just down the hall from Michelle Shain's office in Plyler Hall are biology and physics laboratories. A pet snake is encased in a nearby display. A faint scent of formaldehyde lingers.
Shain's background is in social work, communications and community volunteerism. In a building where white lab coats dominate, her sharp business suit seems oddly out of place.
Shain, who joined Furman in November as director of community relations, does admit to feeling a bit awkward in her new surroundings. But she also finds symbolism in her Furman home.
"It is probably appropriate that I am located here (on the second floor of Plyler)," she says. "My job so far has been like an amoeba. It's been in a constant state of change and motion."
And like an amoeba, Shain's job description is still being defined.
She's charting new ground. Supported by a two-year grant from The Duke Endowment, Shain administers the Campbell Scholars program and serves as a liaison between the community and the university.
But her larger responsibility is to study Furman's role in Greenville and search for collaborative opportunities that could enhance learning at Furman and benefit the community. Furman's ties to Greenville extend to many areas. Students serve as interns in area businesses and schools. Professors team with local scientists to conduct joint research. And all members of the Furman family spend countless hours volunteering with area non-profit agencies.
For the past three months, Shain says she has been trying to get her arms around all of these activities. Ultimately, she hopes to develop a plan that would help focus Furman's resources on a clearly defined objective that could enhance the quality of life in Greenville.
She points to Duke University and Trinity College as examples. Working in concert with city officials in Hartford, Conn., Trinity students and faculty helped secure HUD funding to improve the community. Duke has focused much of its community efforts on improving the lives of low-income residents in a neighborhood near the campus.
"There are so many opportunities out there for Furman and Greenville to partner to make a difference. I know a lot about the Greenville community and its needs," says Shain. "Right now I'm taking a crash course on the university and Furman culture."
A native of Knoxville, Shain graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in communications. She worked for The Greenville News as a promotions manager and account executive from 1979-83 before leaving to start her own business, A Wedding Place. Shain was the sole operator and proprietor of the company until 1994, when she sold the business.
Since that time, she has devoted herself to public service. In 1998 she earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina. In recent years, Shain has been executive director of Greenville County First Steps and vice president of the Community Foundation of Greater Greenville. She currently is a member of the Greenville City Council.
Elected to City Council in 1998 as a political newcomer, Shain has grappled with such tough issues as the development of the Reedy River, the financial buy-out of the beleaguered Palmetto Exposition Center, and the Western Corridor highway project.
Through these and other deliberations, Shain earned a reputation for being a consensus-builder and a good listener. She has been described as a quiet leader who does not seek the limelight. As an elected official and community volunteer, she has also developed insight into how Greenville works and how to get things done. In December, The Greenville News listed her as one of Greenville's top 25 community leaders. Now she's putting that community influence - and notoriety - to work for Furman.