COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina First Steps has announced the appointment of five new members to its Board of Trustees and the SC Early Childhood Advisory Council.

The new members of the 22-member board are Representative Shannon Erickson, House District 124 (Beaufort County); Representative Terry Alexander, House District 59 (Florence County); Matthew Ferguson, Deputy Superintendent of Education; Wes Wooten, President of The Sunshine House; and Constance Holloway, Interim Director of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.

Rep. Shannon Erickson joins the board in the position reserved for the chair of the House Education and Public Works Committee. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education and is the President of Lowcountry Building Blocks, Inc., which manages three preschool and child development centers in Beaufort.

Rep. Terry Alexander was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to represent the House of Representatives on the board. Rep. Alexander has served as an elected official for over 26 years. He is a member of the SC Education Oversight Committee and the longest-serving member of the House Education and Public Works Committee.

Matthew Ferguson is State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver’s designee to the board. He currently serves as Deputy Superintendent of Education and Chief Academic Officer for the state. He has worked in education for over 15 years and previously served as the Executive Director of the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee.

Wes Wooten was appointed by Senate President Thomas Alexander to a board position reserved for medical or child care and development providers. He is the President of The Sunshine House, one of the country's largest early education and childcare companies, and brings almost 30 years of experience in early childhood education to the board.

Constance Holloway joins the board as the Interim Director of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, having previously served as the agency's chief lawyer.

All members of the SC First Steps Board of Trustees serve concurrently as members of the Early Childhood Advisory Council, a collaborative body representing the state’s early childhood system.

Topics: ECAC, Service