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Bill Workman

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Bill Workman
33rdMayorofGreenville,South Carolina
In office
June 13, 1983 – December 11, 1995
Preceded byHarry B. Luthi
Succeeded byKnox H. White
President of the Municipal Association of South Carolina
In office
1994–1995
Preceded byStephen M. Creech
Succeeded byLessie B. Price
At-large member of theGreenvilleCity Council
In office
1981 – June 13, 1983
Preceded byClifford Gaddy Jr.
Succeeded byKnox H. White
Personal details
Born
William Douglas Workman III

(1940-07-03)July 3, 1940
Charleston, South Carolina,U.S.
DiedMay 12, 2019(2019-05-12)(aged 78)
Walterboro, South Carolina,U.S.
Resting placeLive Oak Cemetery, Walterboro
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Marcia Mae Moorhead
​
​
(m.1966;div.1996)​

Patti Gage Fishburne
​
​
(m.1996)​
Children2 (3 stepchildren)
Parent
  • W. D. Workman Jr. (father)
EducationThe Citadel
OccupationBusinessman
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
RankLieutenant colonel

William Douglas Workman III(July 3, 1940 – May 12, 2019)[1]was an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor ofGreenville, South Carolinafrom 1983 to 1995.[2]Greenville is the seat ofGreenville County,the state's most populous county, at the center of theUpstate South Carolinaregion.

Originally from the southern part of the state, Workman began work in journalism before entering politics. He worked in GovernorJames B. Edwards' administration in the latter 1970s, after which he was honored with theOrder of the Palmetto.Workman was a member of the Greenville city council for two years before his election as mayor.

During his three terms as mayor, Workman coordinated redevelopment of the city's Main Street, helped build international cultural ties, oversaw construction of a baseball stadium, helped bring multiple corporate headquarters to the region, and negotiated funding partnerships for a performing arts center and a multi-purpose arena.

After elected service, he continued work as vice president for a major regional gas utility company, and advised community leadership gatherings in South Carolina and beyond. Workman returned to the state's Lowcountry in 2006 and held leadership roles in various economic development organizations. He was honored as a South Carolina Economic Ambassador in 2014.

Early life and career

[edit]

Born inCharleston, South Carolina,[3]Workman grew up inColumbiaandWalterboro.His father, William Jr., worked for various state newspapers andNewsweekmagazine. His mother, Rhea, taught English atColumbia College.Workman graduated fromThe Citadelin 1961.[4]He served two years with the U.S. Army before continuing in the Army Reserve, later retiring as a lieutenant colonel.[5][6]

Workman was a news reporter in Charleston (News and Courier) and then Greenville (The Greenville News) in the late 1960s.[4]Greenville Technical Collegehired him in 1971 as dean of health services.[7]Workman was an executive assistant for South Carolina governorJames B. Edwardsfrom 1975 to 1978,[4]and was given the state's highest honor, theOrder of the Palmetto,by him in 1978.[8]From 1978 to 1994, Workman was employed byFluor Danielin industrial relations and project development.[3][9]

Public career

[edit]

Workman served for two years on the Greenville City Council before being elected as the city's mayor in 1983.[10]As mayor-elect in June 1983, he told city officials, "The primary thing we have to focus on is economic development."[11]Early in his first term, Workman and the Greenville area's chamber of commerce decided to recruit corporate headquarters to the area. The chamber had a plan in place by late 1983, and French tire manufacturerMichelindecided to move its North America headquarters to Greenville in 1984, taking advantage of its location between Atlanta and Charlotte. Tens of other companies also moved to Greenville in following years, including pulp and paper businessBowaterin 1992.[12]

Workman ran unsuccessfully to representSouth Carolina's 4th congressional districtin1986.During the campaign, he was endorsed byReagan administrationHUD SecretarySamuel Pierce,who "stressed Workman's experience with former [governor Edwards]... and the Greenville City Council."[13]Workman lost toLiz J. Pattersonin a close 49–51% election,[14]and attributed the outcome to home support for his challenger inSpartanburg CountyandReagan's veto of a textile billimportant to parts of the district.[15]In an unusual situation, the candidates' fathers had beenopponents in 1962for a U.S. Senate seat.[16]It was the state's most costly race of 1986, in which Workman's campaign spent over $590 million.[17]

As mayor, Workman is credited with helping to build cultural ties to Greenville and establish a sistership withBergamo,Italy;[18]he visited the northern Italian city in 1989 to discuss various exchanges.[19]Under his leadership, the city acted as developer for the 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) West End Market project, which later brought an arts and entertainment district.[20]A city councilman credited Workman with getting corporate support forpublic–private partnershipsincluding thePeace Centerperforming arts center.[4]He oversaw construction of the $2.7 millionGreenville Municipal Stadiumafter getting local banks to buy city revenue bonds,[21]continued Main Street redevelopment, and was involved with partnership negotiations for development of theBon Secours Wellness Arena.[9][22]

In 1989, Workman urged a group of the state's city and county leaders to look beyond their annual budgets, in anticipation of eventual economic downturns and to control the gap between upper and lower class.[23]In 1990, he urged aUnionrevitalization group (about 45 miles or 72 km to the east) to accept more risk and build water–sewer lines along its new highways in anticipation of future growth.[24]In 1993, at aBeauforteconomic summit in an industry recruitment context, Workman said, "If someone is looking at your community, they want to see how you treat yourselves, then they can see how you will treat them."[25]

After mayor

[edit]

In the 1995 campaign for mayor, challengerKnox Whitecriticized Workman's twelve years on the job as making him less effective, and pledged that he would introduce a term limit for the office. White defeated Workman 3,569–2,234 in the primary, and then more-than-doubled Workman's duration as mayor after winning the general election.[26][27]After losing reelection, Workman continued work as a vice president ofPiedmont Natural Gasand took leadership roles in various organizations to promote local economic development.[4]

In 1997, Workman offered advice in around table discussionabout industrial recruitment inOak Ridge, Tennessee.[28]In 1998, he was thekeynotespeaker at a gathering of business and community leaders inDurham, North Carolina,who sought to revive their downtown commerce and activity. Workman warned against repeating Greenville's mistakes during growth, and emphasized the need for a strategic plan rather than a tactical one to attract businesses.[29]

In 2004, U.S. SenatorLindsey Grahamacknowledged Workman's accomplishments in attracting new industries to his city and region: "There is no doubt Greenville is now one of the Southeast region's premier cities for business. Bill Workman played a leading role in this evolution and has made many noteworthy contributions to Greenville and upstate South Carolina."[30]Workman retired from Piedmont in February 2004 after 10 years of service, with Mike Forrester replacing him as vice president of the energy company's South Carolina operations.[31]

In March 2004, Workman received a "Vision Award" from theAppalachian Regional Commission.[32]In the latter 1970s, while working for Governor Edwards, he had a key role in getting the Upstate region added to the multi-state Appalachia area, with annual funding from the commission going toward economic stimulants such as a network of state technical colleges. Workman also held top leadership positions in the state's Appalachian Health Council from 1972 to 1975. The award is given for "exemplary service and leadership" and covered regional planning and development contributions throughout Workman's career.[33][34]

Workman moved to South Carolina'sLowcountryregion in 2006, where he wasBluffton's town manager for three years.[4]He had a part in laying off a Bluffton police officer in 2009 and was named in a subsequentage discriminationlawsuit. JudgeBruce Howe Hendrickscited statements made by Workman in recommending non-dismissal of the federal suit, which ended with a cash settlement from the town in 2012 without admission of liability.[35]

Personal life and later years

[edit]

Workman and his first wife, Marcia, were married in 1966 and had two sons;[36][7]the couple divorced in January 1996.[37]With his 1996 marriage to second wife Patti, Workman gained three stepdaughters.[38][30]

In 2014, he was honored in the state capital as a "South Carolina Economic Ambassador" forColleton County.[39]

Workman died on May 12, 2019, in Walterboro.[40]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"SC – District 04".ourcampaigns.RetrievedMay 14,2014.
  2. ^"Historical Archives: Mayors and Intendants, with photos".greenvillesc.gov. Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2014.RetrievedMay 14,2014.
  3. ^abBrooks, Richard (April 27, 2006). "Workman Selected by Panel – Town Negotiating to Hire Former Greenville Mayor as Top Administrator".Bluffton Today– viaNewsBank.
  4. ^abcdef"Acclaimed former Greenville mayor Bill Workman dies in Walterboro".The Times and Democrat.May 15, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 29,2022.
  5. ^Hembree, Mike (May 14, 2019)."Former Greenville mayor William D. 'Bill' Workman III dies at 78".Greenville Journal.RetrievedFebruary 3,2022.
  6. ^Brown, Kimberely (May 14, 2019)."Fmr. Greenville mayor Bill Workman dies at 78".WSPA-TV.RetrievedFebruary 2,2022.
  7. ^abPage, Levona (May 8, 1983)."Unlike His Dad, This Workman Finds Winning Easy".The State.Columbia, SC.RetrievedFebruary 14,2022– viaNewspapers.
  8. ^"Order of the Palmetto Recipients"(PDF).South Carolina Department of Archives and History.April 19, 2021. p. 115.RetrievedFebruary 7,2022.
  9. ^abConnor, Eric (May 14, 2019)."'Right man at the right time': Former Greenville Mayor Bill Workman has died ".The Greenville News.RetrievedFebruary 2,2022.
  10. ^Leonard, Michael (November 7, 1985)."Greenville Mayor Announces Candidacy for 4th District Seat".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.p. B1.RetrievedFebruary 1,2022– via Google Books.
  11. ^James, Claudette (June 13, 1983)."Mayor-elect targets economic development".The Greenville News.RetrievedFebruary 14,2022– via Newspapers.
  12. ^Monk, Fred (March 29, 1993). "S.C. Luring Corporate Headquarters – Columbia Hopes to Match the Upstate's Success in Enticing Companies to Relocate Their Home Offices".The State.Columbia, SC. p. 1 – viaNewsBank.
  13. ^Smith, Mike (September 20, 1986)."HUD Secretary Gives Support To Workman".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.p. B3.RetrievedFebruary 1,2022– via Google Books.
  14. ^Eichel, Henry (November 10, 1988). "Aggressive Finish Gave Patterson Victory".The Charlotte Observer.North Carolina. p. 1A – viaNewsBank.
  15. ^Teter, Betsy; Smith, Mike (November 6, 1986)."Workman says he swam against tides".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.p. 3B.RetrievedFebruary 1,2022– via Google Books.
  16. ^Pinto, Ines (August 4, 1986). "Daughter, Son of '60s Opponents Square Off: S.C. Candidates Living Out a Political 'Family Feud'".The Charlotte Observer.NC. Associated Press. p. 1D – viaNewsBank.
  17. ^"N.C. Races Among Costliest".The Charlotte Observer.NC. Associated Press. April 14, 1987. p. 1C – viaNewsBank.
  18. ^Nolan, John (October 14, 2021)."Glimpses of Greenville: 1980 to 1990".Greenville Journal.RetrievedJanuary 29,2022.
  19. ^"South Carolina".The Charlotte Observer.NC. November 12, 1987. p. 4D – viaNewsBank.
  20. ^Whitworth, Nancy P.; Neal, Mary Douglas (Spring 2008)."How Greenville, South Carolina, Brought Downtown Back".Real Estate Review.RetrievedJanuary 29,2022– via saveourgateways.
  21. ^Morrill, Jim (April 10, 1986). "Strike 2? Unlike Other Cities, Charlotte Lukewarm to New Ballpark".The Charlotte Observer.NC. p. 1A – viaNewsBank.
  22. ^Nolan, John M.; White, Knox (2020).Lost Restaurants of Greenville.The History Press.ISBN978-1-4396-6959-4– viaScribd.
  23. ^"Brace for Hard Times, S.C. Warned".The Charlotte Observer.NC. Associated Press. January 23, 1989. p. 1D – viaNewsBank.
  24. ^"Workman tells Union group to take more building risks".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.January 30, 1990 – viaNewsBank.
  25. ^"Economic vision".The Beaufort Gazette.September 24, 2002 – viaNewsBank.
  26. ^Connor, Eric (February 19, 2019)."Mayor Knox White runs for seventh term – decades after he promised term limits".The Greenville News.RetrievedFebruary 8,2022.
  27. ^"Conservative Wins Senate Primary".The State.Columbia, SC. The Associated Press. September 20, 1995. p. B3 – viaNewsBank.
  28. ^Neal, Mark Newbold (November 5, 1997). "Oak Ridge needs new image, visitor says".The Oak Ridger.Tennessee – viaNewsBank.
  29. ^Michael, Karine (September 19, 1998). "DDI envisions a bright future for downtown".The Herald-Sun.Durham, North Carolina.p. C10 – viaNewsBank.
  30. ^abGraham, Lindsey(February 2, 2004)."Bill Workman".Vote Smart.RetrievedFebruary 1,2022.
  31. ^"Piedmont Natural Gas Names P.M. (Mike) Forrester Vice President-South Carolina Operations W.D. (Bill) Workman Announces Retirement"(Press release). Piedmont Natural Gas Company.PR Newswire.December 12, 2003.RetrievedFebruary 9,2022– viaGale.
  32. ^"Business Briefs".The State.March 18, 2004. p. A16 – viaNewsBank.
  33. ^Chebium, Raju (June 30, 2005). "Appalachia's Greenville region prospers amid economic uncertainty".USA Today– viaNewsBank.
  34. ^"William D. Workman III Receives John D. Whisman Vision Award"(Press release).Appalachian Regional Commission.March 15, 2004.RetrievedFebruary 13,2022– viaMaryland State Archives.
  35. ^Stice, Allison (October 8, 2012)."Former Bluffton police officer settles age-discrimination suit for $150K".The Beaufort Gazette.RetrievedFebruary 7,2022.
  36. ^"Moorhead-Workman Marriage is Solemnized in Atlanta Ga".The State.Columbia, SC. April 24, 1966. p. 7B.RetrievedFebruary 14,2022– viaNewspapers.
  37. ^"For the Record: Divorces".The Greenville News.January 9, 1996. p. 3D.RetrievedFebruary 14,2022– viaNewspapers.
  38. ^"Property Transfers".Homes.The Greenville News.October 20, 1996. p. 26.RetrievedFebruary 14,2022– viaNewspapers.
  39. ^"Local Leaders Named S.C. Economic Ambassadors".Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance.April 4, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2014.
  40. ^Wilkie, Ella (May 13, 2019)."Bill Workman, former Greenville mayor, passes away at 78".WHNS.RetrievedMay 14,2019.
Political offices
Preceded by 33rdMayorofGreenville, South Carolina
1983–1995 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Clifford Gaddy, Jr.
 At-large member of the Greenville City Council
1981–1983 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Stephen M. Creech (Sumter)
 President of the Municipal Association of South Carolina
1994–1995 		Succeeded by
Lessie B. Price (Aiken)
Preceded by
Joshua Martin
 3rd Town Manager ofBluffton, South Carolina
2006–2009 		Succeeded by
Anthony Barrett
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Workman&oldid=1194409670"