208 Osborne Administration Building
803-777-9795
foundation@sc.edu

Russell H. Meekins CPA
Russ Meekins became Executive Director January 1, 2013. He previously served as as Director of the USC Educational Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of the USC Foundations. He came to the University in June 1995 from the private sector having served as corporate CFO of two companies for eight years. He was previously employed for five years by the public accounting firm now known as Ernst & Young, LLP.

Russ received a B.S. in Business Administration-Finance in 1981 and a B.S. in Business Administration-Accounting in 1983. Both degrees are from the University of South Carolina. He has been licensed as certified public accountant since 1985.

Since 1991, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of AllSouth Federal Credit Union and volunteers as a member of the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School Athletics Committee.

He and wife, Joanna, have two children: Ben, who is doing post-doctoral work in Texas and Catherine who graduated from USC Medical School and is a resident at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital in Columbia.

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Richard H. Rockafellow
Dick Rockafellow serves as Director of the USC Development Foundation. He joined the Development Foundation as Executive Secretary in 1992.

Prior to joining the Foundation, he was Vice President of Edens & Avant, Inc, North Inlet Corporation, and McTeer Real Estate Company. He was also a Trust and Real Estate Officer of First National Bank of South Carolina.

He graduated from USC with a B.A. Arts and Science degree in 1961 and received his law degree in 1964.

His professional associations include the South Carolina Bar, National Association of College and University Associations, South Carolina Association of Realtors, Lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Real Estate Club of Columbia, SC, Institute of Real Estate Management, Certified Property Manager and a former member of the Columbia Estate Planning Council.

He has been active with civic organizations including the South Carolina Nature Conservancy, Richland Sertoma Club, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Action Council and the Columbia Hearing and Speech Center.

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M. Sandra Bennett
M. Sandra Bennett joined University Foundations as assistant director on December 7, 1998 transferring from the Management Department of the Moore School of Business which she joined in February 1988.

She attended Newberry College prior to joining the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC in 1961. After living in El Paso, Texas and the Denver, Colorado area, she returned to South Carolina in 1988.

She is a member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, is secretary of the Lop Rabbit Club of America, chairs the election committee and serves as vice president of the Southern Lop Breeders Association, and secretary/treasurer of the SC State, Southern Pride Rabbit and Cavy, and Southern Flemish Breeders Associations.

She was a Girl Scout leader for a number of years and a Junior Achievement volunteer. She is a member of Bethany Lutheran Church.
She is engaged to Frank "Skip" M. Garrett and their families includes three daughters, two son-in-laws, and four granddaughters.