Our 2023–24 Honorees

South Carolina Educator Hall of Fame Inductees:

Dr. Betty Bagley, Dr. Keith Callicutt, and
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher

Distinguished South Carolina Public School Graduates:

Pat Conroy (posthumous award), Donnie Shell, and
William “Bill” H. Stern

Distinguished South Carolina Public Education Impact Award Recipient:

William Barnet III

The South Carolina Foundation for Educational Leadership, South Carolina Association of School Administrators’ (SCASA) non-profit arm, is hosting its seventh annual gala on Friday, April 19, 2024, to celebrate this year’s South Carolina Educator Hall of Fame inductees, the Distinguished South Carolina Public School Graduates who have excelled nationally and internationally in their respective fields, and the Distinguished South Carolina Public Education Impact Award Recipient.

The “South Carolina Foundation for Educational Leadership Gala” will be held at the Columbia Marriott at 6:00 p.m. as a celebration of the impact of public education and how it has contributed to the achievements of the seven honorees.

2024 South Carolina
Educator Hall of Fame Inductees

Dr. Betty Bagley

A 1965 graduate of Liberty High School (Pickens County Schools), Dr. Bagley has served for over 50 years in education as a teacher, district administrator, and university instructor. Her leadership in Anderson District Five resulted in the creation of curriculum that was purchased by the SC Department of Education to be used in districts throughout the state. In 2008, she was named Superintendent of the Year, and in 2013, she received the William B. Harley Lifetime Achievement Award, both presented by SCASA.

Dr. Keith Callicutt

A 1968 graduate of Chester High School (Chester County Schools), Dr. Callicutt served 46 years in public education as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and superintendent in Florence District 5, Newberry, and York District Four. As superintendent in both Newberry and York District Four, he led successful building projects that garnered recognition in South Carolina and nationally. In 2022, he was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent, South Carolina’s second highest civilian award.

Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher

A 1965 graduate of Carver-Price High School (Appomattox, Virginia), Dr. Fisher served 43 years in education and became the first woman superintendent of the Greenville County School District. In 2011, she represented SCASA as South Carolina Superintendent of the Year and was selected as one of four finalists for the National Superintendent of the Year award by the American Association of School Administrators. She received the Lifelong Advocate for Education Award from the United Negro College Fund in 2022.

2024 Distinguished South Carolina Public School Graduates

Pat Conroy (posthumous award)

A 1963 graduate of Beaufort High School (Beaufort County Schools), Mr. Conroy was an award-winning, international bestselling author of books, which included The Water is Wide, Beach Music, and The Prince of Tides. He was a 1992 Academy Award Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay for The Prince of Tides. In 2002, he received the Order of the Palmetto and was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2009. Following his death in 2016, the Pat Conroy Literary Center was established in Beaufort as a tribute to his legacy.

Donnie Shell

A 1970 graduate of Whitmire High School (Newberry County Schools), Mr. Shell played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was named to five consecutive Pro Bowl Teams from 1978-1982 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. After retiring from the NFL, he became the Director of Player Development for the Carolina Panthers. In 2002, the NFL Player Development Department created the Winston/Shell award to honor him for being one of the pioneers in player development.

William “Bill” H. Stern

A 1975 graduate of Spring Valley High School (Richland District Two), Mr. Stern is the President and CEO of Stern Development, a 70-year-old commercial real estate development company headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. Serving on the Board of Directors at the South Carolina Ports Authority since 2001, he is the longest-serving chairman in the organization’s history. He is a founding member of the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust and is a current member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

2024 South Carolina Public Education Impact Award Recipient

William Barnet III

A 1960 graduate of Albany Academy (Albany, New York), Mr. Barnet was elected CEO of his worldwide family business, William Barnet & Son, Inc., in 1976. He served as mayor of Spartanburg for two terms beginning in 2002. A steadfast supporter of public education in South Carolina, he served as the first chairman of the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC). He also championed the Northside project in Spartanburg which has provided greater education access to residents in a historically underserved area.