|  David
H. Wilkins Legislative Leadership
Program
 |
| (l-r)
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Howard Baker, Bobby Harrell, David
Wilkins, & Richard Riley |
House
Speaker Bobby Harrell receives the Wilkins Award for Excellence
in Legislative Leadership
The
Second Annual Wilkins
Legislative Award Dinner
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Ctr
January
8, 2007
Charleston
Republican Bobby Harrell, who serves as Speaker of the South Carolina
House of Representatives and represents Charleston and Dorchester
counties in District 114, was presented the David Wilkins Award
for Excellence in Legislative Leadership during the award dinner
Monday night, January 8, 2007.
Harrell, a
1978 graduate of the University of South Carolina, is the second
person to receive the Wilkins award. He was elected to the state’s
House of Representatives in 1992 and was appointed to serve on the
Ways and Means Committee in 1994. In 1997, he was elected to serve
as Majority Leader and became the Ways and Means Committee Chairman
in 1999. Additionally, he served as chairman of the Economic Development
and the Public Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.
Harrell was named Speaker of the House in 2005 and was re-elected
to the position again last month.
Since Harrell's
election in 1992, he has become known as someone who tackles tough
issues and works tirelessly to improve the lives of his constituents.
He has earned a reputation for his bipartisan approach to issues
and for designing legislation that promotes a future of prosperity
and opportunity for all South Carolinians. Upon receiving the Wilkins
Award, Harrell said, "I am very honored to receive this prestigious
award. Improving the lives of our state's citizens through the development
of a knowledge-based economy has been a major focus of mine, and
of this General Assembly. I see opportunities presented by today's
global economy and ask, why not South Carolina?"
More than 450
people attended the second annual award dinner including David H.
Wilkins, the former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives
and current U.S. ambassador to Canada, and former U.S. Secretary
of Education and S.C. Governor Richard W. Riley. Keynote speakers
for the event were former United States senators Howard Baker and
Nancy Kassebaum Baker.
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