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Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews presents Order of the Palmetto to Charles "Buddy" Phillips
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Summary
State Senator Margie Bright-Matthews presented the Order of the Palmetto to longtime educator and community leader Charles "Buddy" Phillips at the Sept. 15 Hampton County Council meeting.
HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. — State Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews presented the Order of the Palmetto on Monday to Charles "Buddy" Phillips, recognizing his decades of service to Hampton County schools and the community.
The presentation, held during the council’s scheduled presentations, included a biographical summary of Phillips’s career. Bright-Matthews called Phillips “synonymous with Hampton County,” detailed his work as an educator and superintendent, and credited him with school facility improvements and long-tenured leadership that included a 24-year term as superintendent.
Phillips accepted the award and thanked those who had supported his nomination, including elected officials and members of the Southern Carolina Alliance. He said the honor belonged to many people who worked with him over the years — students, teachers, principals, parents, government officials and citizens — and thanked his wife, Joanne, and family for their support.
Why it matters
The Order of the Palmetto is the highest civilian honor awarded by the state of South Carolina. The council’s presentation acknowledged Phillips’s influence on local education, regional economic development partnerships and civic life in Hampton County.
What the transcript shows
Bright-Matthews noted Phillips’s roles as an educator, superintendent and later director at USC Salkehatchie; she and others credited him with facility renovations, construction projects such as a stadium, and continued community service following retirement. Phillips referenced the letters and background checks required for the honor and named several officials and organizations involved in the nomination process, including Governor McMaster, Representative Bill Hager, Lieutenant Commander Alex Shaw, Pastor Charlie Grant and Danny Black of the Southern Carolina Alliance.
Ending
After the presentation, council members posed for photos with Phillips and the meeting moved on to public comment and business items.
