Calder D. Ehrmann Scholarship
To bring forth new perspectives and enrich class conversations, every Diversity Leaders Initiative class is built to be reflective of South Carolina’s demographics, making scholarships critical to the success of the program. Honoring the legacy of the late Calder Ehrmann, who played an instrumental role in launching DLI and was a highly-regarded diversity champion in the community, the Calder D. Ehrmann Diversity Leaders Fund provides scholarships that ensure representatives of nonprofit, faith-based, and underrepresented groups in the Upstate can participate in the program.
About Calder Ehrmann
Calder Ehrmann was Chief Diversity Officer for Michelin in 2002 when he heard Juan Johnson speak about a diversity leadership program he had implemented in Atlanta. Convinced that the Upstate needed such a program, he and Jim Foster, another Michelin executive, met with Riley Institute executive director Don Gordon, and Benny Walker, then vice president for enrollment at Furman, to talk about how to move forward. The idea took root.
Calder led the work of carefully crafting the mix of participants of the two annual Upstate classes. His passion for equity was infectious and helped make the state a better place to work and live. Calder passed away in 2015 but his legacy lives on.
Scholarship Recipients
Dejr Bostick, Founder, Black Men Meditate, LLC
Debra Rice, HR Growth & Solutions Manager, Bon Secours Mercy Health
TJ Rumler, Clinical Social Worker and Therapist, TJ Rumler Consulting
Norma Jean Suarez, Executive Director, Unity Health on Main
Almarina Olmeda, Director, Community Youth Services, Pendleton Place
Savannah Ray, Director of Center for Youth Engagement & Partnerships, Spartanburg Academic Movement
Peter Rumsey, Senior Director Operations, Housing and Community Strategy, Habitat for Humanity International
Jay Boyd, Senior Vice President for Strategy & Engagement, Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries
Wallace Cobbs, Principal, Greenville County Schools
Wendell Jones, State Representative, South Carolina House of Representatives
Stephen Love, Pastor, The United Methodist Church South Carolina Annual Conference
JD Whitt, Program Director, Blue Ridge Council; Camp Director, Boy Scouts of America
Joseph Fields, Vice President of Equity, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Reverend Jennifer Fouse Sheorn, Pastor & Director, Triune Mercy Center
Kaitlin Watts, Director, Center for Early Childhood Success, Spartanburg Academic Movement
Annie Maertens, Executive Director, Pendleton Place
Tyler Prescott, CEO, Upstate LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
Johnny Sellars, Executive Director/CEO, The LOT Project; Senior Pastor, Evergreen Baptist Church
Eric Bebber, Director of Operations, Beacon Property Services
Demond Criss, Program Director, Greenville County Schools
Randy Jackson, Executive Director, Phillis Wheatley Community Center
Ankoma Anderson, Clergy, Welfare Baptist Church
Laney Buckley, Director of Community Services, Catawba Nation
Shannon Owen, Director of Operations, Hispanic Alliance
Lizzie Bebber, Executive Director, United Ministries
Tavaghn Monts, Associate Director, Momentum Bike Clubs
Jeremiah “JDew” Dew, Entrepreneur, JDew Productions, LLC
Sylvia Martin, Executive Director, The Arts Council of Greenwood County
Jason Terrell, Program Officer, The Walton Family Foundation
Sh’Kur Francis, Pastor, New Hope United Methodist Church
Chris Ballard, Major General (Retired), US Army
Adrick Ceasar, Director of Operations and Rehabilitation, Elite Integrated Therapy Centers
Leslie Latimer, Executive Director, Palmetto Shared Services Alliance
Chris Manley, President/CEO & CEO of Engenius, Rebuild Upstate
Ramon Nieves-Lugo, Principal, UniComm Media Group
(l-r) Chris Ballard, Leslie Latimer, Glenda Ehrmann, Ramon Nieves-Lugo, Adrick Ceasar. Not pictured: Chris Manley.
Becky Callaham, Executive Director, Safe Harbor, Greenville
Damon Qualls, Principal, Monaview Elementary School, Greenville County Schools
Paige Stephenson, President/CEO, United Way of the Piedmont, Spartanburg
(l-r) Juan Johnson, Paige Stephenson, Glenda Ehrmann, Becky Callaham and Jacob Ehrmann. Not pictured: Damon Qualls.
Kenneth Dean, Pastor, Mount Zion Baptist Church
John Lattimore, Senior Director of Project Management, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Shawn Reid, Fiscal and Program Operations Specialist, Duscha Management, LLC
Feliccia Smith, Professor of Business, North Greenville University
Sally Wills, Executive Director, LiveWell
(l-r) Juan Johnson, John Lattimore, Sally Wills, Feliccia Smith and Glenda Ehrmann. Not pictured: Kenneth Dean and Shawn Reid.
Osa Benson, Attorney; Director, Legal Department, SYNNEX Corporation
Miriam Dicks, CEO, 180 Management Group
Brann Fowler, Assistant Solicitor, Greenville County Solicitor’s Office
Rimes McElveen, Executive Director, Mere Christianity Forum
(l-r) Osa Benson, Glenda Ehrmann, Miriam Dicks and Rimes McElveen. Not pictured: Brann Fowler.
Jerry Blassingame, Executive Director, Soteria Community Development Corporation
Anthony Esquivel, Owner, COPA Indoor Soccer
Steve Hairston, Public Policy and Advocacy Director, Public Education Partners
Caroline Sexton, Executive Director, Hub City Farmers Market
Thessa Smith, Director, Economic Development
(l-r): Jerry Blassingame, Steve Hairston, Glenda Ehrmann and Caroline Sexton. Not pictured: Anthony Esquivel and Thessa Smith.
Alecia Brewster, GoodGuides Program Manager, Goodwill Industries of the Upstate/Midlands
Anthony Dicks, Senior Pastor, Mt. Zion Church
Tracie Frese, Executive Director, Upstate International
Jeri Kleckley, Director of Volunteer Engagement, United Way of Greenville County
(l-r): Anthony Dicks, Tracie Frese, Jeri Kleckley and Alecia Brewster
Mario deCarvalho, Vice President, Carolina Zoom Studios and Video Productions
Ethan Friddle, Director of Programs & Operations, United Ministries
LaShauna Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, United Way of Oconee County
Chirinjev Peterson, Proprietor, American Education and Testing Services
Jonathan Shanin, Executive Director, Aid Joy
Nicole Wood, Vice President of Resource Development, United Way of Greenville County
(l-r): Ethan Friddle, LaShauna Harrison, Juan Johnson, Glenda Ehrmann Mario deCarvalho, Nicole Wood, Chirinjev Peterson, Jonathan Shanin
Jane Robelot Decarvalho, Vice President, Carolina Zoom Studios and Video Productions
JoKeitha Seabrook, Community Engagement Manager, United Way of Greenville County
Lamont Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate
(l-r): Juan Johnson, Jane Robelot Decarvalho, JoKeitha Seabrook, Lamont Sullivan, Glenda Ehrmann, Calder Ehrmann III, and Jacob Ehrmann
Lillie Lewis, Associate Professor of Education, Southern Wesleyan University
Keith McDaniel, Pastor, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
Ann Wright, Executive Director Upstate SC/COO, SC Region American Red Cross
(l-r): Jacob Ehrmann, Glenda Ehrmann, Lillie Lewis, Keith McDaniel, Ann Wright and Juan Johnson
Chrissie Cofield, Assistant Chief, Laurens Police Department
Cornelius Huff, Mayor, City of Inman
Rodney Johnson, Principal, Lead Academy Public Charter School
Diane McNeil, VP Finance/CFO, Urban League of the Upstate
Kimaka Nichols-Graham, Managing Attorney and Education Unit Head
(l-r): Cornelius Huff, Chrissie Cofield, Jacob Ehrmann, Glenda Ehrmann, Rodney Johnson and Kimaka Nichols-Graham. Not pictured: Diane McNeil.