Upstate Leader Honored Among 2026 OneSouthCarolina Award Recipients
Applied Public PolicyFurman Innovation LabNews ReleaseOneSouthCarolina Partners in Progress AwardRiley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Legislative and Civic Leadership Awards
FOR INFORMATION:
Claudia Winkler
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Riley Institute at Furman University
864-294-3368 • [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Upstate Leader Honored Among 2026 OneSouthCarolina Award Recipients
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Riley Institute at Furman University honored South Carolina Representative Neal Collins (R–Pickens & Greenville) with the Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Legislative Leadership Award at the annual Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Awards Dinner on January 13, 2026. Collins was recognized for his collaborative, bipartisan approach to policymaking and his commitment to advancing long-term solutions for South Carolina.
An attorney and six-term member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Collins has earned bipartisan respect for his independent thinking and evidence-based legislative approach. A graduate of Furman University, Collins has focused his legislative work on issues with lasting impact, particularly in education and child welfare, while championing transparency, accountability, and collaborative governance.
Collins has served on several key committees, including the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, and the Legislative Oversight Committee, where he has played an influential role in shaping policy grounded in data and accountability.
The awards dinner also recognized the Center for Heirs’ Property with the 2026 OneSouthCarolina Partners in Progress Award for its work advancing economic opportunity and land retention across South Carolina, and William “Bill” Finn of Charleston with the Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Civic Leadership Award.
Reflecting on Collins’s win, Executive Director of The Riley Institute Bryan Boroughs said, “Representative Collins exemplifies the type of principled, thoughtful leadership that strengthens South Carolina’s future. His commitment to doing the right thing and what’s best for people, even when it’s hard or isn’t politically advantageous to him, reflects the core values of OneSouthCarolina.”
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About the Riley Institute at Furman University
The Riley Institute equips current and emerging leaders with the tools and networks needed to address pressing social challenges and advance inclusive progress. Its OneSouthCarolina initiatives and awards celebrate leadership that strengthens communities and drives meaningful change across South Carolina.
About the OneSouthCarolina Awards & Events
The Riley Institute’s OneSC awards and events celebrate the vibrancy of South Carolina, derived from its many cultures, traditions, and perspectives; honor leadership that has provided vision for the state; and call participants to engage across differences to move South Carolina forward through collaborative action.