Rotary District 7770

On Monday, June 8, 2015, Columbia Rotary will welcome South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to the podium.  Columbia Rotary meets on Mondays at 12:30PM at Seawell’s in Columbia.  Guests are welcomed and encouraged.  We’re expecting a large attendance so get there early for some lunch and Rotary fellowship.   Alan Wilson was elected South Carolina’s 51st Attorney General on November 2, 2010, and took office on January 12, 2011, becoming the nation’s youngest Attorney General. During his first term, Alan has focused on keeping South Carolina’s families safe, defending their freedom and protecting their futures. PROVEN LEADERSHIP He has assembled an unprecedented coalition consisting of the Attorney General’s office, the State Law Enforcement Division, every sheriff, the Police Chief’s Association, and all 16 solicitors. Together, they are actively advancing legislative priorities to ensure South Carolina is the safest place to live, work, and raise a family. This coalition has been successful in passing crucial public safety legislation, such as the Ashley Hall bill and Emma’s Law. As Attorney General, Alan has defended the Constitution and the laws of this state even if it means challenging the federal government. He has protected South Carolina’s right-to-work; helped lead the 26-state challenge to the federal health care mandate; and successfully safeguarded South Carolina’s voter identification and immigration laws in court. Alan works closely with other Attorneys General across the nation to protect the rule of law and defend the constitution on issues such as Obamacare, Dodd Frank, EPA overreach, Yucca Mountain, MOX Facility, Religious Freedom and many others. In 2012, Alan worked tirelessly with local legislators to strengthen South Carolina’s human trafficking laws. During that process, a Human Trafficking Task Force was established, which is chaired by the Attorney General’s office. Because of these efforts, South Carolina has gone from having one of the worst statues in the country, to one of the best. In November 2013, Alan was elected as Chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA). FAMILY VALUES Alan and his wife, Jennifer, have a six-year-old son, Michael, and a four-year-old daughter, Anna Grace. As a father and a family man, Alan’s desire to keep South Carolina safe is both personal and part of a values system instilled in him by his parents at a young age. As a member of Columbia’s First Presbyterian Church since his childhood, duty to God and country have been paramount to Alan and the entire Wilson Family. Alan is the grandson of two World War II veterans – his paternal grandfather flew planes over the Pacific as a Flying Tiger, while his maternal grandfather survived a sniper’s bullet in Okinawa. Alan’s mother Roxanne and his father Joe, who is a retired member of the South Carolina National Guard with 31 years of service, have passed the family tradition of serving a cause greater than one’s self onto Alan and his three brothers. Each brother is an Eagle Scout and currently serves in the military. MILITARY SERVICE Immediately following his graduation from Francis Marion University in 1996, Alan joined the South Carolina National Guard where his first assignment was as a platoon leader, commanding 36 fellow soldiers and millions of dollars worth of firepower as a field artillery officer. Today, he continues his military service by providing legal support for soldiers and assisting in the prosecution of military crimes as a Lt. Colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps. Prior to his election, Wilson served as an Assistant Solicitor and as an Assistant Attorney General before entering private practice with the Columbia firm of Willoughby & Hoefer, P.A. He began his legal career working for the late Judge Marc H. Westbrook. Picture and bio courtesy of www.wilsonforag.com