Getting charged with a crime in Greenville can be a traumatic experience. Even "petty" crimes can cause an individual's life to fall apart professionally and personally. Spending time in jail is bad enough, but the ramifications of a criminal record run deep, resulting in loss of employment, loss of friends, and even family. For many people, having a zealous criminal defense attorney in Greenville, SC, to defend their rights is the only shot they have of living a normal life.
That's why, if you have been charged with a crime, you need the help of a veteran criminal defense lawyer early in the legal process. That's where CDH Law Firm comes in to give you or your loved one hope when you need it the most.
Our criminal defense law firm was founded to help people just like you - hardworking men and women who are looking at diminished employment opportunities and a possible lifetime of embarrassment. But with our team of experts fighting by your side, you have a much better chance of maintaining your freedom and living a normal, productive life. When it comes to criminal law in Greenville, we've seen it all. With decades of combined experience, there is no case too complicated or severe for us to handle, from common DUI charges to complicated cases involving juvenile crimes. Unlike some of our competition, we prioritize personalized service and cutting-edge criminal defense strategies to effectively represent our clients.
Clients rank Cobb Dill & Hammett, LLC as the top choice for Greenville criminal defense because we provide:
Choosing the right criminal defense lawyer in Greenville can mean the difference between conviction and acquittal. Our firm has represented thousands of clients in the Lowcountry, and we're ready to defend you too. Some of our specialties include:
DUI penalties in Greenville can be very harsh. Many first-time DUI offenders must endure a lifelong criminal record, license suspension, and the possibility of spending time in jail. Officers and judges take DUI very seriously, with 30% of traffic fatalities in South Carolina involving impaired drivers, according to NHTSA. Criminal convictions can have lasting impacts on your life, which is why CDH Law Firm works so hard to get these charges dismissed or negotiated down. In some cases, we help clients avoid jail time altogether.
The bottom line? Our criminal law defense attorneys will do everything possible to keep you out of jail with a clean permanent record. It all starts with a free consultation, where we will take time to explain the DUI process. We'll also discuss your defense options and speak at length about the differences between going to trial and accepting a plea bargain.
The consequences of a DUI in Greenville depend on a number of factors, including your blood alcohol level and how many DUIs you have received in the last 10 years. If you're convicted, the DUI charge will remain on your criminal history and can be seen by anyone who runs a background check on you. Sometimes, a judge will require you to enter alcohol treatment or install an interlock device on your automobile.
If you're on the fence about hiring a criminal defense lawyer in Greenville, SC, consider the following DUI consequences:
48 hours to 90 days
with fines ranging from
Five days to three years
with fines ranging from
60 days to five years
with fines ranging from
Additional consequences can include:
1
When convicted of DUI in South Carolina, most offenders must join the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. This program mandates that offenders complete a drug and alcohol assessment and follow the recommended treatment options.
2
Some first-time DUI offenders in Greenville may choose to complete community service in lieu of jail time. Community service hours are usually equal to the length of jail time an offender would be required to serve.
Typically, when a person is convicted of driving under the influence in Greenville, their driver's license is restricted or suspended. The length of restriction or suspension depends on how many prior DUI convictions an individual has.
First-time DUI offenders must endure a six-month license suspension. Drivers convicted with a blood-alcohol level of .15% or more do not qualify for a provisional license. However, sometimes they may still drive using an ignition interlock device.
Offenders convicted of a second DUI charge must use an ignition interlock device (IID) for two years.
Offenders convicted of a third DUI charge must use an ignition interlock device (IID) for three years. That term increases to four years if the driver is convicted of three DUIs in five years.
For offenders with two or more convictions, the judge will immobilize their vehicle if it is not equipped with an IID. When a judge immobilizes a vehicle, the owner must turn over their registration and license plate. Clearly, the consequences of receiving a DUI in Greenville can be life-changing, and not in a good way. The good news is that with CDH Law Firm, you have a real chance at beating your charges and avoiding serious fines and jail time. Every case is different, which is why it's so important that you call our office as soon as possible if you are charged with a DUI.
Most drivers brush off traffic law violations as minor offenses, but the fact of the matter is they are criminal matters to be taken seriously. Despite popular opinion, Traffic Violation cases in Greenville can carry significant consequences like fines and even incarceration. If you or someone you love has been convicted of several traffic offenses, your license could be suspended, restricting your ability to work and feed your family.
Every driver should take Traffic Violations seriously. If you're charged with a traffic crime, it's time to protect yourself and your family with a trusted criminal defense lawyer in Greenville, SC. Cobb Dill Hammett, LLC is ready to provide the legal guidance and advice you need to beat your traffic charges. We'll research the merits of your case, explain what charges you're facing, discuss your defense options, and strategize an effective defense on your behalf.
There are dozens and dozens of traffic laws in Greenville, all of which affect drivers in some way. Our Greenville defense attorneys fight a full range of violations, including but not limited to the following:
As seasoned traffic violation lawyers, we know how frustrating it can be to get charged with a Traffic Violation. While some traffic charges can be minor, others are severe and can affect your life for years to come. Don't leave your fate up to chance call CDH Law Firm today for the highest-quality Traffic Violation representation in Greenville.
At Cobb Dill Hammett, LLC, we understand that children are still growing and learning about the world around them. As such, they may make mistakes that get them into trouble with the law. Children and teens who are arrested in Greenville can face much different futures than other children their age. Some face intensive probation, while others are made to spend time in jail.
This happens most often when a child's parents fail to retain legal counsel for their son or daughter. Cases referred to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice often move quicker than adult cases, so finding a good lawyer is of utmost importance. With that said, a compassionate criminal defense attorney in Greenville, SC, can educate you and your child about their alleged charges. To help prevent your child from going to a detention center, we will devise a strategy to achieve favorable results in their case.
Unlike adults, juveniles don't have a constitutional right to a bond hearing. Instead, once your child is taken into custody a Detention Hearing is conducted within 48 hours. This hearing is similar to a combination of a Bond Hearing and a Preliminary Hearing. Unfortunately, there is little time to prepare for these hearings, which is why you must move quickly and call CDH law firm as soon as possible.
Our team gathers police reports, petitions, interviews your child at the DJJ, speaks with you about the case and talks to the prosecutor to discover if they have plans for detention. In most cases, we strive to avoid detention and seek alternatives like divisionary programs or treatment facilities. This strategy better addresses your child's issues and keeps them out of the juvenile legal system in Greenville. If your child is charged with a crime, and South Carolina decides to prosecute, your child will appear before a family court judge, who will find them delinquent or not delinquent. There are no juries in juvenile cases in South Carolina, which is why it's crucial to have a lawyer present to defend your child if they go in front of a judge.
Common penalties for juveniles charged with crimes in Greenville include:
Whether you are facing a DUI charge or a serious traffic violation, CDH Law Firm is here to fight for your rights so you can continue living life. The future might seem bleak, but our criminal defense lawyers in Greenville, SC, have the tools, experience, and strategy to win your case, as we have with so many others. Don't lose hope call our office today and maintain your freedom tomorrow.
An estimated 90,000 people are expected to fill the streets of downtown Greenville to celebrate craftsmanship ranging from ceramics to printmaking by some of the best artists and up-and-coming creatives in the Southeast.Artisphere, presented by TD Bank, will take place May 12 to 14 for the 19th consecutive year. Organizers said the ev...
An estimated 90,000 people are expected to fill the streets of downtown Greenville to celebrate craftsmanship ranging from ceramics to printmaking by some of the best artists and up-and-coming creatives in the Southeast.
Artisphere, presented by TD Bank, will take place May 12 to 14 for the 19th consecutive year. Organizers said the event will showcase 143 artists across 18 genres of craftsmanship.
This is a free event and will span from Court Street and Main to Wardlaw and Main during the three-day festival.
Last year, Artisphere returned to a full-capacity festival. In 2021, the three-day art celebration was socially distanced, and a virtual festival took place in 2020. This year will be Artisphere's first festival that integrates events and exhibitions that expand into Falls Park since 2019.
"The art is phenomenal but there's so much more," said Kerry Murphy, director of Artisphere. "There are a lot of things we reenvisioned for changes from last year. There's a real excitement. There's something magical about this year."
Artisphere will kick off with an opening night party at District 365 on May 11 with food, drinks and music by Steel Toe Stiletto.
Since Artisphere's inception in 2005, the festival has contributed more than $700,000 to nonprofit organizations and local students and emerging professional and visual performing artists. Those dollars help facilitate workshops, paid performances, and awards to those involved, according to Murphy.
In 2022, each participating artist averaged $14,376 in sales, and since 2005, local artists' sales have amassed around $1.6 million, Murphy added.
In total, Artisphere has had an overall economic impact of $11.9 million on the city of Greenville since 2005, said City Council member Dorothy Dowe.
Artisphere does not take a commission on sales and charges between $475 and $650 for an artist's booth.
Food Finds:Downtown dining: 10 new spring menu items at 5 Greenville restaurants
Here is an interactive guide to parking for this year's art festival:
A selection of tacos, hot dogs, crepes, empanadas and more will be available as five Greenville-based restaurants will be on-hand at Artisphere's Culinary Arts Cafe.
Barberitos, Society Sandwich Bar & Social Club, Abanico, Bonjour Crépe, Latin Flavorz will provide food for purchase during the three-day arts festival. A full viewing of participating restaurant menus can be found here.
Hospitality passes are available for purchase, as well, as it provides VIP access to refuel after a big day in a tented lounge with free food, drinks and cooling fans.
Must See:Kenny Chesney, Artisphere and more highlight Greenville's entertainment scene April to June
12 acts are set to perform at the Main Stage, during Artisphere weekend including indie folk band The Pinkerton Raid, country combo The Kentucky Gentlemen, and Americana artists Run Katie Run.
Here is a link to the entire performing arts schedule for Artisphere 2023.
Broad & Main Street
Falls Park Drive
River & Main Street
Throughout Artisphere 2023, an assortment of demonstrations, presentations and displays will take place during the weekend. Here is a list of events:
Located at Main Street and Wardlaw, the Fine Arts Center Exhibition will showcase young artists and teachers from the Fine Arts Center of Greenville. There will be an Artists on the Rise stage playing youth and student-based jazz, orchestra, voice and wind acts happening throughout the weekend.
The Donaldson Career Center Culinary Arts event will include pimento cheese sandwiches, Cajun boiled peanuts, strawberry cobbler and more.
The official Artipshere 2023 store will offer gifts, custom commemorative posters, T-shirts made by Dapper Ink, private-label Artisphere wine made by Kendall Jackson, and more festival-inspired memorabilia.
Artisphere Festival Store is open all hours of the festival and located on the festival site grounds.
Chris Carlson and his 3-dimensional animal art that appears to pop out of the sidewalk will be on display at the 3D Chalk Art demonstration.
A local art exhibition supported by a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council that displays Upstate-based artists and the quality and diversity in the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson art communities.
50 total local artists will be represented in this showcase, a list of participating visual artists can be found here.
Home Grown:Singer Peabo Bryson returns home to his roots for concert at Peace Center in Greenville
A handful of weekend-long workshops offer short courses on wheel throwing, installation art, and printmaking with a mini press on Friday evening. Saturday courses will offer a Japanese ceramics lesson, watercolor-resist techniques, and a rug hooking session.
On Sunday two separate earring-making classes will run, and a printmaking course will be offered.
Kidsphere music will take place at South Main Street, directly in front of City Hall. Activities include a Green Beats, swag station and DRUM street beats parades which involve an interactive music sculpture, crafts creation and a percussion studio.
Kidsphere Arts & Crafts take place on Friday from 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, masquerade masks, a textile town and handmade Mother's Day card making. This event will take place on South Main Street and Grill Marks at 209 S. Main Street.
The parade begins at 3:30 p.m. Friday. Two more parades will be held on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. and again at 5:15 p.m. and the last parade is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and more for The Greenville News and Anderson Independent Mail. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on Twitter @ajhappened.
It's been nearly two years since city officials publicly discussed a conference center downtown in-depth. Since then, the city has been largely quiet on specifics, while questions remain about the project's viability.Plans call for the conference center to be built on seven acres near the banks of the Reedy River on land pledged to be donated by local developers Bo Aughtry and Phil Hughes.The venue, as proposed in 2021, would include 43,000 square feet total of rentable space, 60,000 square feet of supporting spa...
It's been nearly two years since city officials publicly discussed a conference center downtown in-depth. Since then, the city has been largely quiet on specifics, while questions remain about the project's viability.
Plans call for the conference center to be built on seven acres near the banks of the Reedy River on land pledged to be donated by local developers Bo Aughtry and Phil Hughes.
The venue, as proposed in 2021, would include 43,000 square feet total of rentable space, 60,000 square feet of supporting space and 80,000 square feet for art galleries with collections from two museums: the Greenville County Art Museum and Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery.
But feedback gathered from hospitality industry stakeholders and Greenville residents indicated the ballroom space might not be large enough to attract events that would warrant the center's expense. In August 2021, City Council and consultants struggled to solidify a layout that would work on the proposed site.
Aside from a few public budget discussions on how to finance the project, city officials have not publicly discussed the project at length, saying only that they continue to work on plans for the site.
Proponents are pitching the center as a way to bring in out-of-town events and visitors, specifically more business travel.
With an average 71% hotel occupancy on the weekends and 66% during the week, visitors have a significant impact on the city's revenue, according to Greenville's 2022 economic development strategic plan. And the conference center's output — direct, indirect and induced spending for 43,000 square feet of rentable space — could generate a $30 million footprint in the city, including $20 million in new total output, according to the project study.
While the city subsidizes the Greenville Convention Center off North Pleasantburg Drive and I-385, the convention center is far away from downtown attractions and isn't pedestrian-friendly. A conference center downtown would provide alternative space for economic development initiatives and would bolster surrounding small businesses, Mayor Knox White said.
But concerns over cost, the venue's size and parking have raised hurdles for the project in recent years. And if the city wants a larger space, they'll have to pay more for it, consultants said.
The conference center is expected to total more than $100 million. That includes the private land to be donated by Hughes and Aughtry, valued at $25 million; and $26 million each from the city, county and state.
But the local portion of that total is increasing. City Manager John McDonough and City Council are now considering contributing $30 to $35 million from the city's hospitality taxes — if the county contributes a similar amount, too. The goal is to bond the funds for an approximate $100 million once the bond that funded Falls Park matures, McDonough said in his statement.
City Council would have to vote on the funding for it to take effect.
The property that Hughes and Aughtry are donating is located around 301 Rivers Street. While the land is located downtown and occupies a premium location by the Reedy River, questions remain about parking and loading for the facility.
But this land isn't the only downtown location the development partners have considered.
About four acres off Calvin Street that once housed a postal service facility still sit vacant, located across the street from the Grand Bohemian Hotel and future United Community Bank headquarters. United Community Bank purchased 2.3 acres of that land in 2021 to be used temporarily for employee parking, the company said in a statement.
But moving the conference center to the Calvin Street location — combined with the yet-to-be-opened UCB building — would create "significant" traffic issues for Cleveland Street and the surrounding area, Aughtry said.
"Academy (Street) is a much-less used artery than Church (Street) and not in the same proximity to significant residential neighborhoods as the site to which you refer," Aughtry said in an email.
The Grand Bohemian Hotel's price structure is also not conducive to meeting planners, Aughtry said.
"The supplemental hotels in immediate proximity to this site do not work," he added.
The city still has cash in hand for the project despite the lack of progress on site specifics.
The state allocated the rest of its $26 million in the fiscal year 2022 budget. For fiscal year 2024 to 2028, city officials are budgeting for a $35 million debt issuance for the conference center while assuming they will not continue to subsidize the Greenville Convention Center, according to budget workshop presentations.
The convention center has historically been a drain on city resources and required $1 million in 2020 to keep it afloat after COVID-19. The center's subsidy is lower this year at $650,000 due to new management, city budget director Karen Crawford said, but the city is attempting to sell the convention center to the county to save money and keep the space available for large-scale events.
In a written statement Wednesday, McDonough said the city remains committed to a public-private partnership on the conference center.
"We continue to explore sites, work with architects on space planning and look to the private sector for those with interest in investing in and operating the center," McDonough said.
Macon Atkinson is the city watchdog reporter for The Greenville News. She's powered by long runs and strong coffee. Follow her on Twitter@maconatkinson.
GREENVILLE — When Methodical Coffee’s owners relocated their roasting operation in 2019 to a back room at The Commons in downtown Greenville, they assumed it would be plenty of space.Their original location was in a warehouse in the Monaghan Mill community but they decided to move into The Commons to be more transparent with their roasting process.Then their business grew. And grew. And grew.“We almost immediately outgrew that,” co-owner Marco Suarez said.Their success led the three owners ...
GREENVILLE — When Methodical Coffee’s owners relocated their roasting operation in 2019 to a back room at The Commons in downtown Greenville, they assumed it would be plenty of space.
Their original location was in a warehouse in the Monaghan Mill community but they decided to move into The Commons to be more transparent with their roasting process.
Then their business grew. And grew. And grew.
“We almost immediately outgrew that,” co-owner Marco Suarez said.
Their success led the three owners to search for a place to consolidate their roastery, landing on a 40,000-square-foot industrial warehouse in Travelers Rest. But they were left to wonder what to do with the extra space at The Commons?
While they initially considered relinquishing it back to the landlord, they recognized it was prime real estate. So they chose to reconfigure it.
Work is currently underway to transform the once roasting space into additional seating and an updated kitchen. The expansion should be done by Memorial Day, Suarez said.
“Things are moving very quickly now,” he said.
The Commons is a multi-tenant redevelopment project spearheaded by founder of Parker Group Drew Parker and his business partners. The group bought a strip of blighted industrial warehouse properties in what is now Unity Park and transformed them into a food hall, where Methodical is housed, along with other retail and office spaces. It is currently under construction on its next 18-tenant phase.
Methodical’s corner presently includes a cafe bar and ordering counter, a kitchen and a 2,000-square-foot space former roasting facility. The old roastery will be split in half, with part dedicated to growing the kitchen and the other to adding more seats — many of which are nook-like to provide a sense of privacy.
The updated kitchen will be more exposed because “people love to watch food being made,” Suarez said. It will include a counter where patrons can see pastries be produced.
“Basically, we took the transparency into the roasting operation out and replaced it with transparency into our baking and cooking operation,” he said.
The Commons Methodical makes all the baked goods for its cafes and is the only location that also serves made-to-order food like breakfast sandwiches. Its head chef is Perrin Gardner, and it also recently hired a bread lead and a pastry lead.
“We now have all engines firing,” he said. “We’re working on some new offerings.” New menu items have not been nailed down yet.
It is also stretching out its retail area. A few shelves currently line Methodical’s walls at The Commons but the owners want to provide more space for merchandise and add a grab-and-go refrigerator.
To Suarez, the coming expansion makes The Commons their “most fully-formed cafe.” Other locations can be found in downtown Greenville at 101 N. Main St. and on Wade Hampton Boulevard near The Community Tap.
“[At The Commons], we’re trying to nail all three of those things that we know really well — the coffee bar and coffee service, the food program and the retail program,” he said.
Within a few months of relocating the roasting operations to The Commons, the owners moved a portion of it back to the warehouse in the Monaghan Mill community. They roasted between the two facilities for over a year, which proved to be a logistical challenge.
Around 2021, the trio began to look for a facility to consolidate its roasting operations. They found an industrial space just north of Travelers Rest High School. Production began in the new facility, known as Methodical Manufactory, this February.
Methodical subleases parts of its 40,000-sqaure-foot space through a co-working concept for food-based product companies like Common Pops and Lumineaux Chocolate.
Suarez said they still have other spaces available in the commissary kitchen concept along with two parcels, a 4,000 and 6,000 square feet, available for rent.
It was originally advertised that GOAT, South Carolina’s only non-profit climbing center, would be housed in the facility but Suarez said that is no longer happening.
If the sprawling community known as Verdae is anything, it is a promise filled with potential and prospects of a bright future in need of a leader who can take the area from what it is now and bring all of that potential to life.This is the role Verdae Development Inc. CEO Dan Klausner took over in 2022, and he has spent the past 10 months learning the community and settling into the responsibility he bears for guid...
If the sprawling community known as Verdae is anything, it is a promise filled with potential and prospects of a bright future in need of a leader who can take the area from what it is now and bring all of that potential to life.
This is the role Verdae Development Inc. CEO Dan Klausner took over in 2022, and he has spent the past 10 months learning the community and settling into the responsibility he bears for guiding Verdae into the future.
Klausner has spent the past 20 years in real estate development and served as vice president of commercial real estate for the East Coast for San Diego-based Newland Real Estate Group.
He and his wife, along with their two children, thought they were living in their “forever home” in Raleigh, North Carolina, when he got a call about the top job at Verdae Development. Having been to Greenville numerous times, he knew the 1,100-acre planned development known as Verdae was a significant project, but he didn’t grasp the scope of the vision behind the project until interviewing for the job.
With his background at Newland in developing other planned communities, Klausner saw the promise and potential at Verdae and became excited by the prospect of steering the community through the next steps, which include finalizing plans for Legacy Square and the 90-acre Laurens Road corridor.
“Coming here to all of that, and the thought processes of all of that, was very exciting,” he says. “It’s what I have done previously with Newland communities.”
Klausner says Verdae and many of the planned communities he worked on with Newland reflect what a great many people want in today’s world — an urban environment in a suburban setting.
“We’re teed up perfectly to deliver on that with a strong partnership with the city,” he says.
As Klausner sees it, the vision for Verdae fits neatly into the city’s GVL2040 plan which focuses on developing nodes and corridors. This is significant, as that plan and the city’s new development code will guide the ultimate development of the Laurens Road corridor.
In major projects like Verdae and its residential centerpiece, Hollingsworth Park, one of the most important aspects to consider is how each new aspect of the development enhances the brand, Klausner says.
And an integral part of that brand is creating a sense of place.
“What happens when you create great places incrementally, every deal you do creates more value,” he says. “That’s the promise of what we need to deliver on.”
The time taken in the past three years to develop a strategic plan while pausing most new development has created pent-up demand for Verdae projects, he says.
Going forward, Klausner believes the immediate priority is fine-tuning plans for Legacy Square and developing the Legacy Connector — the portion of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail running through the heart of Verdae.
Part of that process is contingent on working with the city to ensure the area has the right zoning designation to accommodate plans for Legacy Square. Currently, plans call for a mix of 156 multifamily housing units, 11 residential lots, 25,000 square feet of new office space, 19,000 square feet of new retail space and 10,000 square feet of new food and beverage space. Plans also call for more than 100,000 square feet of open space.
The city’s proposed zoning for the area under the new development code is RMX-C — residential mixed use — which would not allow some of the uses in current Legacy Square plans.
“Thankfully, we’ve got a great partnership with the city and their vision is aligned with ours,” Klausner says.
Verdae is a 1,100-acre community development formed from property holdings of the late J.D. Hollingsworth Jr. in an area bounded by Woodruff and Laurens roads and Interstate 85.
The development includes:
Connections and community involvement are at the core of this dynamic groupThe Junior League of Greenville is actively recruiting local women who want to make a difference in their community. JLG’s membership has been doing exactly that for 94 years, supporting more than 300 agencies and contributing countless service hours. Now is the time to apply for provisional membership in this thriving group of more than 1,100 dynamic individuals.Whether you’ve been in Greenville for a few months or a few decades, yo...
Connections and community involvement are at the core of this dynamic group
The Junior League of Greenville is actively recruiting local women who want to make a difference in their community. JLG’s membership has been doing exactly that for 94 years, supporting more than 300 agencies and contributing countless service hours. Now is the time to apply for provisional membership in this thriving group of more than 1,100 dynamic individuals.
Whether you’ve been in Greenville for a few months or a few decades, you can be part of the class of 2023. The window to apply will soon close, but there are still opportunities to attend information sessions on JLG’s history, mission and legacy of service. Currently, the group is engaging in initiatives that help women overcome barriers related to human trafficking and economic mobility. JLG has contributed more than $3 million in funding to local organizations, and this year, it will be awarding $177,500 in grants to three of its community partners: Pendleton Place, which JLG members founded; Jasmine Road; and United Ministries.
Although the women who join have many common interests and goals, Communications Vice President Adrienne Frain says she may never have crossed paths with some of her fellow members if it weren’t for JLG. Frain joined the Junior League in Charleston and transferred membership several times. As she moved to different areas, she was always thankful to have an established network of women to welcome her.
“It’s been so helpful in all the places I’ve lived to be able to get involved almost immediately,” Frain says.
Public Relations and Marketing Chairperson Shira Simon was new to Greenville when she first saw a JLG announcement. She wanted to be more active in the community but didn’t know where to start. “I was pursuing my MBA and working in tech sales, so obviously, my time was limited. JLG was a portal that helped me focus my efforts and maximize any impact I could have on the community,” she says.
Simon also notes that her leadership role with JLG has broadened her skills. “My daily work is all about spreadsheets and sales. Without a major career change, I would never have had the opportunity to delve into communications the way I have,” she says.
Frain has actually known members who have switched professions after volunteering with JLG. “I’ve seen them go into counseling and fundraising. … There are just so many things you learn like how to lead a committee or run a meeting effectively,” she says. JLG can be life changing as the organization develops its members, along with the agencies they support. If you would like to get involved and become part of the JLG heritage, visit jlgreenville.org/join.