My History of Service, Part I

My grandmother was a devout Southern Baptist who hadn’t had a preacher in the family for some time when I was born in 1971.  I was her second grandchild, but the first born close to her home, and she prayed over me that I would become a preacher someday.  Instead, I grew up to have a different biblical job – I’m now your tax collector.

My father moved us to Columbia when I was 4 years old to take a job with the SC Department of Social Services to work on foster care and adoption for abused and neglected children.  He worked at SCDSS , for 33 years before retiring.  In our home, the most dire needs of our community were always as close as our dinner table.

After leaving The Citadel in 1994, I began to work for Democratic candidates who lived up to my family’s tradition of Christian public service for those who needed it most.  And, I’ve worked every day to bring that philosophy to the Richland County Treasurer’s Office. 

My philosophy is nothing more than this: do your job well, meet the needs of our community, and help everyone you can.

It sounds simple, but far too few elected officials spend time putting that philosophy into action – some are just too happy playing the political game.  I will spend the next few journal entries giving you more about my history, and how it has led us to this day, but I hope that you will look over this website to see that what our Treasurer’s Office does.  I think you’ll see that ours is the most effective, innovative and helpful Treasurer’s Office in South Carolina in helping citizens – and I hope you’ll vote for David Adams on June 10^th.