Adam Taylor, Lander University's vice president for University Advancement, has been appointed by President Daniel Ball to fill a new position, and Ralph Patterson, Lander's director of Development, will move into the spot Taylor is vacating.
Ball said of the appointments, "In light of the severe budget cuts from the State of South Carolina, Lander will be redoubling its fund raising efforts to carry out its mission. I cannot think of a better tandem to lead this two faceted effort than Adam Taylor and Ralph Patterson."
Taylor, who graduated from Lander in 1987, was named vice president for Governmental Relations, a position that will tap into his previous experience as a South Carolina legislator. For 10 years, he was a member of the House of Representatives from District 16, encompassing Laurens and Greenville counties. He and his wife, Monica, a 1993 Lander graduate, have three children.
While in the legislature, Taylor served on the House Ways and Means Committee and was majority whip and assistant majority leader. He joined the Lander administration in the spring of 2008.
As vice president for Governmental Relations, he will shuttle between Lander, the state house in Columbia and federal agencies in Washington, D.C., investigating opportunities for obtaining state and federal funds and grants for the university, and helping to shape public policy to support Lander's mission.
He said, "I look forward to using my governmental experience and relationships to enhance Lander at the state and federal levels."
Ralph Patterson, who worked for 13 years in athletics and administration at Erskine College in Due West, accepted the position as Lander's director of Development in January of this year. Early in his career, he coached basketball at the college level for 18 years at Erskine College, Appalachian State University and the University of Colorado.
When his coaching days were over, he became Erskine's director of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving, and was later promoted to vice president for Advancement, the position he held before joining Lander.
He also has a government background, having served for three years as mayor of Due West where he and his wife, Lynn, and their two sons still live.
Of his new position as Lander's vice president for University Advancement, Patterson said he is privileged to be a part of the university team. As director of Development, he reported to Taylor and worked closely with him. "I appreciate Adam's good work," he said.
As for the impact of the economy on raising funds for the university, Patterson said, "The economy does not have anything to do with people's passions. The challenge is to help donors match their passions to Lander's needs, and there have never been more opportunities to help Lander than right now."
Patterson's top priorities are obtaining funding for the Jeff May athletic complex, now under construction; the university's Equestrian Center; and Lander's Loyalty Fund.