Marion County people in the news

Marion County people get awards, honors

Gregg receives academic award
Shirley Brown Gregg is married to Jerome Ronnie Gregg Sr. of Marion and attends Jesus Christ Church in Mullins. She has lived in Marion County for the past 16 years and is a student of Florence Darlington Technical College in Florence. As a student, Gregg’s summer field placement assignment is with the Mullins Nursing Center as an activities volunteer. Gregg is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society. On May 8 she received the Academic Excellence Award from FDTC’s SSS Program for having the highest GPA, 3.87. She will be graduating in the fall with an Associate Degree in Public Service.

Scott graduates from school in Nebraska
On May 10, more than 2,004 students received degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in commencement exercises. Former Omaha World-Herald publisher John Gottschalk addressed graduates. Arthur Wade Scott of Mullins graduated from the school’s College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Taylor earns degree from Payne
The Rev. Angia Taylor recently completed her studies at Payne Theological Seminary. Taylor is a native of Gresham, is married and has two children. She is employed with the Department of Social Services in Marion. She is the Pastor of St. Mark AME Church of Marion SC (Pee Dee Community), and St. Peter’s AME Church, Aynor. Taylor is a graduate of Allen University of Columbia, with a B.A. Degree in Religion and has now earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Payne.

Marion County students honored
Eighty-six students have accepted scholarships and are expected to enroll in the freshman class of 2008. Scholarship awards were presented to the most deserving recipients in four categories. These categories included the Patriot Scholars, Academic Distinction, Academic Excellence and the Pee Dee Scholars. These scholarships were granted based on superior academic excellence and leadership in the community. The Francis Marion Scholarship program aims to recognize students who exceed expectations at their perspective high schools and who meet the grade point average standard of a 3.0 or higher and an SAT score of 1100 or higher. From Marion are Jarrrott Hooks, Amber Powell, Reginald Reynolds and Jacob Tucker. From Mullins are Johnathan Elliot and Steven Smith. From Nichols are Carrie Daniels and Heather Patterson.

Blakeney receives recognition
Howard Blakeney recently received an award from Farm Bureau, with which he works.
He was named a Category IV Agency Manager of the Year by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company. Blakeney is the agency manager in the Marion office of Farm Bureau Insurance. Awards were presented to top agency managers in several categories based on the size of their office at the annual sales conference at the Radisson Hotel in Columbia. By meeting the requirements outlined by the National Association of Life Underwriters, Blakeney received the National Quality Award and National Multiline Sales Award. He also received The Sales Leadership Council Award. Only two percent of the producers in the 10 state southern region of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company qualify for this prestigious honor.
Blakeney received the Award of Excellence from SFBLIC on behalf of the Marion office for paid life and health policies. This year four agencies from South Carolina finished in the top five category out of 482 agencies across the 10 state southern region.
As an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance for 16 years, Blakeney has served as agency manager over the Marion office since 1995. Prior to his current position, Blakeney was an agent in the Marlboro office for four years. Blakeney also serves as senior pastor of the Harvest Church of Marion and vice chairman of the Marion County First Steps Board. He is an active member of the Marion Rotary Club, Marion One School Board and Marion County Progress Economic Board. Blakeney and his wife, Wanonia, have three children and one grandchild.

Bromell oversees Boys and girls club
The Rev. Cecil Bromell sees himself as a minister. The Marion resident not only preaches in various churches through the area, but serves young people at the Rick Goings Boys and Girls Club in Hemingway. “This is just a different way to do youth ministry,” he says. “Ministry is service and we are here to meet the needs of our youth and help shape their lives in a positive way. We want to help them keep their focus on what is really important.”
Bromell is new with the organization, having recently volunteered to help with the group. He liked it so much that he went to the Timmonsville unit to learn the ropes, then came to Hemingway as a full time staffer. He is an associate pastor at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Marion and speaks throughout the area. The Boys and Girls club seeks to fill in a time gap, where kids can easily get into trouble. Those whose parents work full time often come home to empty houses and there is a temptation for these “latch-key” kids to not use the time in a positive way. Those who come to the club start off with an “Hour of Power” where they can work on homework, etc. Bromell said the club teaches accountability, not only with the children, but also with the staff.
Bromell is a son of Deacon Lucky and the Rev. Essie Mae Bromell and a native of Loris. He is a 1984 graduate of Loris High School, a 2004 graduate of Morris College Sumter, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministry, and graduated Magna Cum Laude, and fourth in a class of 168. Other academic honors in-clude making the National Dean’s list, O.R. Reuben Scholar, All-American Collegiate Scholar, Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society, among other honors.
Bromell is a 2007 honor graduate of The ITC, Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta, earning the Master of Divinity. He is a member of Theta Phi Theological Honor Society. Throughout his adult life, he has worked with youth organizations. He has served as a mentor with the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy at the Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School in Columbia, and he worked with the Youth Hope-Builders Academy at ITC in Atlanta. He has numerous civic involvements, including True Light of Zion Lodge #399 Free and Accepted Masons, Mt Moriah #11 Order of the Eastern Star, McDonald Consistory #226, and Bejilah Temple #163 Shriners and is an active member of the Marion County branch of the NAACP. He served on the Board of Directors for the Little Pee Dee Manor, and on the Executive Board of the Little Pee Dee Baptist Association. He is married to the former Poiette McGill of Marion. The couple shares three children and one granddaughter and live in Marion.