NEWBERRY COUNTY — The Newberry County Young Professionals, in partnership with local Newberry leaders, have announced the first recipients of the Newberry County Four Under Forty Award.
The mission of the Newberry County Four Under Forty Award is to celebrate the service of young professionals in the community who, through their community and professional leadership, are creating a better place to live, work, and play in Newberry County.
In addition to the 2018 Newberry County Young Professionals president, Robbie Kopp, the judges of the 2019 nominees were community leaders WKDK’s Jimmie Coggins, Newberry County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michelle Long, Rotary President-Elect Christina Pomeroy, Newberry County Memorial Hospital Foundation Executive Director Brenda Williams, Newberry County Councilperson Scott Cain, Newberry Champions President Brandis Agnew-Robinson, Newberry community leader Liz Rivera and Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster.
After combing through over fifty nominations made by the community, the following, in no particular order, are Newberry’s Four Under Forty for 2019. The following information was provided by the nominations submitted for each winner.
Alana West
Newberry County Clemson Extension 4-H and Youth Development Agent
Alana West, 36, has served in her position with Newberry County Clemson Extension for nearly nine years. She has grown the program of 20 members to one with over 1,600 youth participants annually. West coordinates with local schools to teach life skills such as healthy lifestyles, financial literacy, and even how to hatch chickens. West leads 4-H programs including livestock shows, summer camps, monthly club meetings, sport shooting competitions, and independent projects.
In addition to her work locally, West has co-written several statewide 4-H projects and markets her efforts with 4-H via quarterly newsletter, monthly column for The Newberry Observer, web page and social media management, and appearances on WKDK and ETV’s “Making it Grow.”
West has coordinated with the City of Newberry and Newberry County Chamber of Commerce to expand the local Junior Leadership Program to include Whitmire Community School and Mid-Carolina High School.
Currently she is a member of the South Carolina Association of Extension 4-H Agents, National Association of County Agricultural Agents, vice president of the South Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents and is a three-time Extension State Senator. She has been recognized by both the SCACAA and SCAE4-HA with Achievement Awards for members with less than ten years of service and she has presented at the National Youth Gardening Symposium of the American Horticultural Society. West is active within her church and sings in the women’s ensemble at Silverstreet Lutheran Church, serves at the secretary of church council, teaches the children’s sermon weekly, and leads youth handbells. She serves on the Newberry County Ag & Art Committee, FFA Advisory Committee at the Newberry County Career Center, and volunteers as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.
West works as an agent of change for local youth by developing programs that establish youth-adult partnerships that result in a bonded and stronger community.
Austin Willingham
Sales at Willingham & Son’s Building Supply
Austin Willingham, 34, has been a sales associate at Willingham & Sons since 2008, where his commitment has propelled him to be a young leader in the business community. Willingham has modernized how his company advertises via website, social media, local radio and local television. Willingham coordinates the annual Willingham’s Customer Appreciation Day, cooking a complimentary lunch and sponsoring a blood drive with the Red Cross.
Willingham currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors at the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce where he has worked to bridge the gap between multiple generations in the local business community by encouraging the support of local business and proudly sharing that Newberry is a great place to work, live, and raise a family. Willingham has served as a volunteer coach in various youth sports with Newberry High School, the YMCA, Town of Prosperity, and City of Newberry for over a decade. Willingham revitalized the Newberry Youth Punt, Pass, and Kick tournament in 2012 and has remained an active volunteer annually. For the last seven years Willingham has volunteered his time and the resources of Willingham’s annually, traveling to North Carolina to load and transport the City of Newberry’s Christmas Tree for the benefit of the community.
Willingham is a member of Silverstreet Lutheran Church where he volunteers with the youth and Lutheran Men in Mission. Austin has been an active community builder helping people to meet, network, and establish relationships that make small town life attractive.
Carlton Kinard
Parenting Coordinator and Educator at Newberry Elementary School
Carlton Kinard, 25, is currently serving his second term as president of the Newberry County NAACP where he and his administration have grown membership to over 80 active members and hosted the first Freedom Fund Banquet awarding an academic scholarship to a Newberry County high school senior. Professionally, Kinard is an academic teacher at Newberry Elementary, where he makes a positive impact in the community by teaching basic life skills and civic engagement to his students and participates in the Call Me MISTER (Mentoring Instructing Students Towards Effective Role Models) program. As a part of Call Me MISTER Kinard mentors and builds bonds with elementary age male students lacking a male figure in their life by assisting with homework, classroom behavior, and being a shoulder to lean on in times of need.
Kinard is a member of New Enoree Baptist Church and serves as a trustee, is a member of the church band, and volunteers with their food pantry and foundation. Carlton helps oversee food distribution from the food pantry and foundation, affiliated with the Living Hope Foundation of Newberry, which feeds over 500 families each month.
John W. Pugh
Pharmacist and Owner of Prosperity Drug Co.
John Pugh, 38, is the young pharmacist and owner of Prosperity Drug Co. having practiced pharmacy there since 2006. Pugh applies his support of community to his business by offering special systems of service, compounding, and delivery services all to meet the needs of his patients he gets to know personally. He has been known to go into the pharmacy after hours to fulfill medication needs for patients and goes above and beyond in patient care. Pugh is an active participant in the community giving his time and support to community programs including school charities, community youth sports, the Newberry Senior Expo, and has served on the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce as a board member. He has also served multiple terms of service on church council at Saint Luke’s Lutheran in Prosperity where he is an active church member and represented the church at South Carolina Synod conferences. Pugh is a current member of Newberry County Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees, and has served as the president of the South Carolina Pharmacy Association from 2012 to 2013.
Newberry County Four Under Forty Award recipients have received a full year membership to the Newberry County Young Professionals as well as two tickets to the Newberry County Young Professionals Legacy Gala on February 8. During the event award winners will be recognized with a small token of thanks for their commitment to the Newberry community.
The community is invited to attend the event, for ages 21 and up. Legacy Gala tickets are $60 can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com, at the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce, or by emailing the Newberry County Young Professionals at newberrycountyyp@gmail.com.
