Board secretary retiring after a 36-year multifaceted career
Posted on March 25, 2021; Updated: March 25, 2021
By Chris Horn, [email protected], 803-777-3687
Cantey Heath’s 36-year career at the University of South Carolina began in fundraising with alumni, then changed when he became special assistant and chief of staff to former Harris Pastides University president.
For the past four years, he has been secretary of the university and secretary of the Board of Trustees and has conducted university graduation ceremonies. And for 30 years, Heath has also been secretary-treasurer for University Associates, a community relations group in the city and the dress.
In addition, his family has been associated with the university since its founding – Heath comes from a long line of former graduates and even professors and staff from 19º and 20º centuries. Now that he is retiring, could Heath write a book about everything that has happened at the university since the beginning of his career in 1985?
“I have good grades – it would be quite a drama,” he said playfully during a recent interview. “But what matters to me is this – I love my alma mater, I love the city of Columbia, I love the state of South Carolina. It is a privilege to have served in all these roles. ”
Heath could add “research assistant” to his long list of titles – he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history at the university in 1981 and 1985, respectively – and worked as a graduate student at the Institute for Southern Studies and the South Carolinian Library .
“I really enjoyed being at the university as a student and I certainly considered all the options, including teaching, but I gravitated towards the administrative side,” he said.
Working in development for many years, Heath was the fundraiser who cultivated one of the university’s first $ 1 million scholarships, which came from SC Tees Inc. and the William M. Gregg II family.
“Friends said, ‘I don’t see how you raise funds – I would hate to go around begging for money’, to which I replied: ‘I’m not begging for me – I wouldn’t like that either! I am looking for support for the institution that is so important to the people of South Carolina ‘”.
During the university’s Bicentennial Campaign, which ended in 2001, Heath was managing development officers for each of the university’s colleges and schools. This led to his first interactions with Pastides, who was then dean of the Arnold School of Public Health and later vice president of research.
“I continued to work with him in fundraising efforts and we continue to have a strong relationship, and that’s how I ended up working in the president’s office.”
Heath likes to say that he enjoyed the journey of his long term at university, even the bumpy parts that occurred during the last years of James Holderman’s presidency, which ended in 1990.
“As fund-raisers, we were put in a position to try to seek financial support for the institution when the university was being criticized and the president being criticized daily,” he said. “We just tried to keep our knitting and kept trying to do what was best for the institution.”
The past few years have also had their stressful moments, with the investigation by the university’s accreditation agency following the most recent presidential search. The consultants made recommendations to improve the board’s governance policies, which significantly improved the board’s practices, Heath said.
“I think the university board is better now, so it’s a good time to turn the page and let the next chapters unfold.”
But Heath’s journey is not over yet. Although his many responsibilities at the university have come to an end, he continues to serve as president of the SC State Fair Association – an organization whose 19º– the founders of the century include Heath’s ancestors – and that raises significant funds for scholarships for southern Carolinians.
“Aside from spending more time on this, I really don’t have any plans, and people find it hard to believe,” said Heath. “I’m really going to try to retire. And if it drives me crazy and drives my wife crazy, I will have to find out something. ”
Share this story! Let your friends on your social network know what you’re reading about
Topics: University Leadership