Joint committee nominates three candidates for state child advocate after closed-session interviews

The Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children voted unanimously to recommend three finalists for state child advocate to Gov. Henry McMaster on March (date not specified), after reviewing 21 applications and interviewing seven finalists in an executive session.

The committee recommended Margaret Bodman, Jonathan Lehi and Sharon Wilkinson for the governor’s consideration. The slate was moved and seconded and approved by a unanimous voice vote; committee members said no nays were recorded and the names will be sent to the governor.

The nominations follow a screening subcommittee process. Committee members said they received 21 applications for the state child advocate post. Of those, 11 applicants were attorneys, which the committee said met the governor’s stated requirement; the subcommittee interviewed seven candidates who were judged to have relevant children’s-issues and management experience.

Margaret Bodman was presented as the committee’s first recommended nominee. Committee materials describe Bodman as the senior resource attorney for investigations and prosecution at the Children’s Law Center at Joseph Rice School of Law. The committee said Bodman supervises an investigations and prosecution team, coordinates the Children’s Justice Act Task Force, teaches a law school course on children and the courts, and previously served as an assistant solicitor in the Fifth Circuit handling violent crimes involving children. References cited by the committee praised her qualifications and recommended her for the role.

The second recommended nominee, Jonathan Lehi, was described as a regional managing attorney with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, responsible for supervising attorneys and paralegals, monitoring contract counsel and delivering legal training to regional staff. The committee said references noted Lehi’s organizational skills and that he had cleared case backlogs in prior assignments.

The third recommended nominee, Sharon Wilkinson, was described as a staff attorney for the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee who drafts legislation, coordinates subcommittees and liaises with state agencies and private organizations on child-welfare matters. The committee noted Wilkinson’s prior experience as a legislative liaison for DSS, as assistant general counsel for the Department of Public Safety, and as an assistant solicitor prosecuting cases involving children. References cited her personal experience with adoption and foster care and recommended her for the position.

Before the vote the committee briefly described the screening process and emphasized the candidates’ combined legal and management experience as relevant to the state child advocate role. Committee members said no formal action was taken during the executive session itself; after returning to public session they voted to forward the three names to the governor.

Committee staff told members that a draft of the committee’s annual report is available for review and asked members to return suggested edits by close of business on Friday so the report can be finalized.

The committee adjourned following the vote.