Our Board of Directors

Mr. Washington has been involved in a number of different volunteer organizations including Department of Juvenile Justice Board Member, former president of Florence Jr. Football League, School Foundation Member, Salvation Army Board Member, Florence Youth Basketball Board Member/Governance, and Student Discipline.

Dr. Ron Roberts serves as a counselor in higher education and also has served in secondary education. He attended and graduated from Winthrop University, Webster University, and Southern Illinois University. He currently serves on several boards in the Pee Dee region. Dr. Roberts and his family reside in the Florence area.

Lindsay Watford Privette is the Economic Development Director for the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments. In this role, she provides support to local governments related to planning and economic and community development across the Pee Dee Region. She is a graduate of Francis Marion University where she earned a BA in Professional Writing and Spanish and an MBA in Business. Privette lives with her husband and two children in the Timmonsville area.

Dr. Machell F. Sprauve is a veteran secondary math teacher with over 25 years of experience. She taught in the Florence One School District at Wilson High School for 16 years and in the Darlington County School District at Darlington High School, and at the Virtual Academy for nine years. Now retired, she supports a variety of local, state, and community organizations. Dr. Sprauve holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Capella University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Mathematics from Francis Marion University, an Associate of Science Degree in Computer Science from Horry-Georgetown Technical College, a certificate for Online Teaching from Clemson University, and an Entrepreneur Certificate from Cornell University. She has served on Cognia teams for accreditation and diagnostic reviews, where she worked collaboratively with team members nationwide to accredit schools and school systems. Dr. Sprauve is active in her community and around the state as a Donate Life & Sharing Hope volunteer, Assistant Dean for Christian Education for the St. John Baptist Association, and a Florence County Library System board member. She is also a proud member of the Xi Iota Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta, Inc.

Mrs. Cotton works with the local court system. A Pee Dee native, she is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Meredith and her husband, Rusty, have two daughters and reside in Marion County.

Michael Cook is a proud Veteran of the United States Army, having honorably served his country for 20 years. He now serves as Pastor of New Grace Temple Ministries, where he leads with compassion and vision, reaching the Florence community through impactful outreach programs and dedicated ministry work.  Michael Cook is a graduate of Central Texas College, earning an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Limestone College and a Master of Divinity from Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina.  Blending his military discipline, academic training, and spiritual calling, he continues to make a lasting difference in the community.

Dr Latoya Mitchell Hodges is a scientific communications manager with a large pharmaceutical company and a licensed apprentice funeral director at a local funeral home. She is a graduate of Furman University where she earned a BS in biology, Wake Forest University where she earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology, and Piedmont Technical College where she earned a certificate in Funeral Directing. Dr Mitchell Hodges holds a Certified Medical Publication Planning credential from ISMPP and is a SC Notary Public. She has held several alumni board and council positions with Furman University, including the Young Alumni Council, Young Benefactors, and the Alumni Board of Directors, and is currently secretary of the Furman Black Alumni Council. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Dr Mitchell Hodges currently lives in Darlington with her son.

David Sanderson is an operations executive with over 40 years of experience  leading engineering and manufacturing operations. As Vice President of  Operations for several Fortune 500 companies, he led large-scale initiatives that  expanded market share, reduced costs, and strengthened competitive advantage through new product development. More recently, David has used his expertise  to help smaller, privately owned manufacturing companies across the Southeast  to create business strategies and tactics that significantly improve financial  performance, enabling these smaller businesses to thrive in increasingly  competitive markets. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems  Engineering from Ohio University and a MBA in Operations Management from  the University of Northern Washington. He is certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt and a Lead Auditor for ISO 9001. Now retired, David serves as Chairman of the  Finance Committee at Central United Methodist Church in Florence and actively  supports the local efforts of the Red Cross. A Florence resident for more than 20  years, he and his wife, Dr. Catherine Sanderson, enjoy spending time with their  two grown sons and three grandchildren, all of whom live nearby.