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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 02/01/2018 The chapter's Young AFCEANs (YACs) held fundraisers in 2017 to benefit the new Fisher House, which opened in Charleston, South Carolina in December 2017. The Charleston Fisher House supports active duty and veterans' families whose service member/veteran is receiving treatment at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston. During 2017, the YACs held an Ugly Christmas Sweater Fundraiser and sponsored fundraising efforts during the annual Charleston Defense Summit and our two AFCEA golf tournaments.They raised a total of $4,317.00 supporting this worthy charity. |
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/23/2016
The chapter celebrated another successful scholarship season and honored the recipients of its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scholarships in May. This year, 13 Charleston, South Carolina, area high school seniors pursuing STEM degrees each received $3,000. This was a highly competitive year; award winners were selected from a pool of 39 applicants. The students averaged over a 4.88 GPA and were in the top 4 percent of their high school class. The funding for these scholarships is provided by two annual golf tournaments held locally.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 04/09/2016
The fourth annual Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition (PCDC), hosted by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic in collaboration with the chapter was held in April at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, South Carolina. The goal of the PCDC is to energize South Carolina high school and collegiate students to focus on the development of technical skills in networking and cybersecurity. To emphasize the importance of growing the cyber workforce, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley appeared to talk to the high school competitors and connect the competition activities to real-life cyber attacks on state agencies. “We need you to care about cyber security because it is real,” the governor said. Capt. Scott Heller, commanding officer of SSC Atlantic, also noted that PCDC “is a great opportunity to build on the vast cyber and military assets here in the Low Country and to attract the next generation of cyber professionals.” Eight high school ... READ MORE |
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 03/24/2016
Chapter President Don Pearsall, presented AFCEA International's Educational Foundation ROTC Honor Award to Midshipman Jose Delgado, USN, and Cadet Marcus Harbol, USA, at an award ceremony in March at the Citadel. The award recognizes an individual cadet or midshipman for achievement in leadership and academics and includes a certificate and a ribbon bar. Recipients of these honor awards are selected by professors of military, naval science or aerospace studies. Each ROTC unit may nominate one person for an honor award annually. Recipients must be U.S. citizens and juniors preparing to enter their senior year with a major in electronics; electrical, aerospace, computer, systems or communications engineering; mathematics; physics; science or mathematics education; computer science or technology; information management systems or related technical disciplines. Nominees should demonstrate high academic achievement.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 01/21/2015
At the January chapter luncheon, Regional Vice President Jane Hefner-Brightwell swore in the 2015 chapter officers. Outgoing President Tony Orlando passed the gavel to newly elected Chapter President Don Pearsall. Also serving on the 2015 Board of Directors will be 1st Vice President Christina Ward, 2nd Vice President Greg Blackburn, Secretary Debbie Donaldson, Treasurer Whitney Bridges and At Large Board Members John Andrews, Kristen Smith and Scott Higgins. Orlando will continue on the board as immediate past president. Following the swearing in ceremony, Cmdr. Marcia Ziemba, USN, executive officer of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, addressed the membership.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 12/17/2014
The December chapter social event once again supported the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign, with members invited to bring an unwrapped new toy as the price for admission. A buffet dinner and musical entertainment were provided and the results of the chapter officer elections were announced.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 07/16/2014
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, the director of business development for the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), provided a briefing on the various programs and initiatives of CURI during the July luncheon. Colbert-Busch is responsible for CURI's private public strategic planning for business and economic development. CURI projects and programs include: the Department of Energy grant to build a state of the art wind turbine testing facility and a one of a kind 15MW Hardware-in-the-Loop Grid Simulator; the South Carolina Electric and Gas Energy Innovation Center; Duke Energy's Electric Grid Innovation and Development Center; and The Zucker Family Graduate Education Center. The briefing was well received by chapter members and guests, including six members of the local military community who joined as sponsored guests through the chapter's "Lunch with a Warrior" program. For chapter luncheons, chapter corporate members are given the opportunity to sponsor a table of local active ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 07/30/2014
The chapter's Young AFCEANs recently hosted a party for revelers of all ages ready to "throw it back 80s style." The party drew a crowd dressed as iconic characters from the 80s, including best costume winners as the Ghostbusters, runner up Richard Simmons, aka Capt. Nathan Swab, USAF, chapter military liaison chairman, and even senior chapter leaders impressively disguised as Cheech and Chong. The event raised more than $2,500 through admission tickets as well as the generous sponsorship donations from industry partners in the Charleston area. Proceeds from the fundraiser were donated to Canines for Veterans, which is a national program that provides disabled veterans with quality trained service dogs. The program works with military prisoners at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston and teaches them how to train rescue dogs as service dogs for the wounded and injured veterans. Service members or veterans with a disability including mobility limitations, traumatic brain injury or ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 07/02/2014
Chapter members attended an informal meet and greet with Kevin Cooley in July. This was a pop-up opportunity arranged on short notice to leverage Cooley's presence in Charleston on government business. Cooley is the command information officer (CIO) for Navy Fleet Cyber Command and the 10th Fleet. He is an experienced CIO, having held that position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and at the National Centers for Environmental Predication (NCEP). He is a Citadel graduate and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. During the meet and greet, Cooley provided informal remarks providing keen insight into the challenges of working in the cyberdomain. Following Cooley's remarks, Tony Orlando, chapter president, presented Cooley with a 2014 Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition Challenge Coin as well as a chapter coffee cup.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/21/2014
The chapter awarded more than $45,000 in academic scholarships to 15 college-bound Charleston-area students during its May luncheon meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The chapter raises funds to support the scholarships through its spring and fall golf tournaments, actively supported by its 300+ members and industry supporters. The 2014 scholarships were awarded to: Matthew Alford, Stratford High School; Sean Carter, Pinewood Academy; Caroline Churchill, James Island Charter High School; Olivia Coyle, Pinewood Academy; James Duncan, Northwood Academy; Alta Hiott, First Baptist School; James Huey, Porter-Gaud School; Morgan Ingerson, Stratford High School; Lauren Jackson, Berkeley High School; Bryce Kunkle, Berkeley High School; Samuel Lopez, Pinewood Academy; Jessica Mack, Fort Dorchester High School; Michael Marshall, Ashley Ridge High School; Vijay Soni, Hanahan High School; and Mary Welsh, Summerville High School. Applicants were evaluated on academic performance, class rank, tes ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 04/12/2014 The chapter and the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic jointly organize the Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition (PCDC). The goal of the PCDC is to energize South Carolina colleges and high schools and their students to focus on the development of technical skills in the areas of networking and cyber security in preparation for exciting careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The 2014 competition was conducted April 12-13, in the College Center at the Complex for Economic Development at Trident Technical College in North Charleston. Clemson University successfully defended it title as champion of the PCDC collegiate division and Florence Career Center earned the prestigious championship among South Carolina high schools. University of South Carolina and College of Charleston took second and third place among the SC colleges and Summerville and Wando High Schools rounded out the high school performers. Winning team members each received ... READ MORE |
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 10/18/2012
The chapter hosted the one-day Big Data in the Maritime Battlespace Symposium in October at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in North Charleston, South Carolina. The three key speakers for the day included Dr. Marv Langston of Langston Associates, who posed the question, “With the Navy making 100 terabytes a day of data, how do you move it?” Cloud computing makes handling big data possible, and big data and the cloud all come down to three things: capability, agility and life cycle cost. Terry Simpson, chief technology officer, headquarters U.S. Marine Corps, led the first panel and wrapped up as the final keynote speaker. He brought a point of view from his extensive work around the Marine Corps. A key issue he presented is the need to standardize and build out infrastructure, and he stated that the Navy needs an integrated set of capabilities across the board to include its mission partners. Michele Weslander Quaid of Google also gave a presentation. She says the collection of data really h ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 08/15/2012
The chapter held its monthly luncheon in August at the Crowne Plaza hotel in North Charleston, South Carolina, where the guest speaker, Dr. Al Emondi, gave a presentation on the strategies and structure of science and technology at the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic. Emondi is the science and technology competency lead, discovery and invention business portfolio manager and deputy chief technology officer at SPAWAR Atlantic.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 07/18/2012
The chapter, on behalf of the AFCEA Educational Foundation, presented a $5,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scholarship to Caroline Stalvey. Stalvey, a resident of Georgetown, South Carolina, is a rising senior at Clemson University, where she is majoring in mathematics. The chapter made the presentation during its July membership luncheon. Stalvey accepted her award along with her father John.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 03/12/2012
In the chapter's continuing effort to improve its offerings, the chapter polled its members. Based on the results, it became apparent that a gap existed between the big picture monthly luncheons and the desire for the membership to connect at a deeper, technical level. Based on this feedback, the chapter has partnered with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic to conduct periodic symposiums. The evolving guidelines for the symposium series are: technical and timely topics; industry and government leadership presence; and low costs for AFCEA members and government to attend. The chapter held its first symposium in March and presented a deep-dive on semantic technologies. Speakers from around the nation provided a full day of learning to more than 180 participants. This included a keynote address from Dennis Wisnoski, chief technical officer and chief architect in the Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer, U.S. Department of Defense, as well as a presentation fro ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/16/2012
Each year, the chapter awards scholarships to deserving high school seniors in the Tri-County area who will be attending college and majoring in engineering or selected sciences. For the second consecutive year, the chapter has awarded $3,000 scholarships to 25 graduating seniors. With a record 52 applications, the competition for the scholarships was fierce. The education committee, consisting of Bruce Thackston (chair), Jack Moore, Beth Meredith, Mark Couthard, Wes Smith and Chris Ward, evaluated all applications and made the tough decisions on who received an award. At the May luncheon, 14 of the 25 scholarship awardees were recognized for their accomplishments while their families looked on in admiration.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/18/2011
In May, the chapter presented 23 scholarships valued at $3,000 each. The graduating high school seniors this year have a grade point average of 4.53 and an average SAT score of 1,884. Nine of these recipients are the top 1 percent of their classes, including three salutatorians and one valedictorian. In addition to the high school senior scholarships, the chapter presented two veteran scholarships. This year's scholarship awards totaled $76,000. In the last five years, the chapter has presented more than 86 scholarships worth more than $250,000.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 12/31/2010.JPG)
The chapter, located in the Charleston, South Carolina area, awarded a total of 17 scholarships in 2010 at $3,000 per student with one student receiving an additional $1,000 for the Terry Watkins Award. So far, more than $34,000 has been raised from the 2010 golf tournaments for the 2011 scholarship fund. In addition to these scholarships, the Educational Foundation awarded two Science Teaching Tool grants: one $1,000 grant funded by the check received from AFCEA International, and a second $1,000 grant funded by the chapter's education fund. The chapter hosts two golf tournaments each year in April and October. These tournaments provide the primary source of funding for the chapter's scholarships.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 12/06/2010
Each year, AFCEA International sends the chapter $1,000 to award to a local high school teacher for the purpose of procuring tools for science classes. This December, the chapter awarded two $1,000 grants with additional support from its education fund. These grants are awarded based on financial need, and the chapter collected nominations from all Title One high schools in the area. The chapter awarded the grants to Michael J. Minnema and Heather Connelly. Minnema, a teacher at Baptist Hill High School in Hollywood, South Carolina, received his grant in his classroom. He requested the funding to procure two LabQuest Minis for $149 each to interface their Vernier probes with their Smart Boards; 30 keypad updates at $10 each for their Nspire calculators; some Vernier EasyLink probe ware replacements for $60 each; and several small probes to enable small group science experiments. This request impacted approximately 400 students. Connelly, a teacher at R.B. Stall High School in North ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/19/2010
In May, the chapter held its scholarship luncheon at Carrabbas in North Charleston. This year, the chapter awarded $3,000 scholarships to 17 local graduating seniors entering technical fields of study in college. Over the past four years, the chapter has awarded over 60 scholarships to local graduating seniors. “We had another outstanding year of quality applicants,” said Terry Watkins, Southeastern regional director, Webster Data Communications, who also serves as chair for the chapter's Education Committee. “We had a record number of applications with the winners having an average SAT score of 1950, an average ACT score of 30 and an average GPA of 4.76. We're beginning to see some of our past scholarship winners returning to the Charleston area to work with AFCEA in supporting our warfighters,” says Watkins. The chapter supports the U.S. Navy's high tech Engineering Center located in North Charleston. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Atlantic provides the Navy, Defe ... READ MORE
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 09/01/2009
In September, Terry Watkins presented the 2009 AFCEA Science Teaching Tools Award to Stephanie Mellott of Summerville High School. In October, Watkins presented the 2010 Science Teaching Tools Award to Robin Greig and Bill Gettys of Trident Academy. These grants enable teachers and educators to purchase classroom equipment and supplies such as SMART Boards and CSI Lab Investigations kits.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/20/2009
In May, the chapter held a scholarship presentation and luncheon. This year's scholarship winners received a $3,000 award, a $50 cash prize and a free year-long membership to AFCEA. This year also marked the presentation of the first Terry Watkins Award, named in honor of chapter scholarship board member Terry Watkins for his dedication and volunteerism to the chapter and to education. His employer, Webster Data, donated an additional $1,000 in his name to the scholarship's recipient, Catherine Varnes.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY CHAPTER - 05/21/2008
At the chapter's May 21 meeting, 15 students were awarded $3,000 scholarships as well as given $50 cash. This was the highest number of scholarships awarded in the chapter's history. The scholarships were given to students throughout the tri-county area in Charleston. Prior to the awards ceremony, the students and their families were invited to the monthly sales luncheon to be recognized for their outstanding accomplishments.
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