47 years ago, Gary Williams and his wife, Peggy moved to Rock Hill to establish a new putt-putt and games course. They have stayed ever since and have become valued members of both the Rock Hill and Winthrop community.
Williams has served on the Board of Trustees for three years and was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster in 2019 to serve the seat vacated by former member Don Long who was appointed by former Gov. Nikki Haley.
Before becoming Chairman of the Board in 2014, Williams founded the company Williams & Fudge Management, a financial services organization and served as their CEO.
Williams has served the local community in many roles such as School Board member, Palmetto Council of the Boy Scouts and Camp Canaan, among others.
Previously serving as president of the Winthrop Foundation, Williams also established The Williams Family Multicultural Children’s Literacy Collaborative with Peggy Williams.
Willams was thanked for his efforts by the university in 2011 when he was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
Williams came to be a member of the board because he supported McMaster for governor and expressed interest in serving on the Winthrop Board of Trustees.
Williams wanted to serve because “Rock Hill and Winthrop l are both very important for each other to be successful, so my main purpose in serving is to be a bridge for both,” he said.
Williams said he enjoys serving on the board because he gets to help Winthrop move forward and build for the future. He wants students to know that his main reason for serving is to “build the University for future generations by encouraging the city and Winthrop to form partnerships.”
Williams said he “is excited for Winthrop’s future and is glad that students chose Winthrop for their higher education experience.”
The Board of Trustees Chair, Glenn McCall stated, “Gary has been a wonderful addition to our Board. He brings a philanthropic as well as a business perspective to the Board. We are appreciative of his generous support of the university and the local community.”
His term is continuous with whomever is currently governor in South Carolina.
