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Leadership program

SynTerra toxicologist contributes to an energetic outlook in Anderson County.

By Kaleigh Sims (Posted August 28, 2020):

Leadership Anderson Class 36 in downtown Anderson, SC promoting Mural on Main.

My time with Leadership Anderson has been one for the books, especially going through this class during the time of COVID. Leadership Anderson is a 10-month program with a focus on strengthening the skills of community leaders in Anderson County. Participants are nominated by program alumni and then accepted based on leadership experience in the county.

During my time with Leadership Anderson, I learned a lot more about the growing county in which I live — from the area economy to education to local government. Part of our 10-month program involved planning and implementing a group project that would benefit the community overall. Our class decided to bring a little more color to our beautiful county by hiring Herman A. Keith Jr. an artist, who is originally from Anderson County, to design and install a mural in downtown Anderson. The purpose of the mural was to capture the history of this great county, with one of the focal points being around Portman Shoals, which had one of the longest high-voltage electricity lines in the country. That line is why the City of Anderson is known as the electric city! In order to embrace our community, Leadership Anderson (Class 36) and the mural artist worked with schools, people who live in Anderson, and mural sponsors, including SynTerra, to paint each panel of this enormous mural. Inclusion of the community in painting the mural panels brought a true sense of pride and beauty for years to come.

It’s electric! One of the artists adding final touch-ups to the mural.

Not only did this program help me grow as a leader in Anderson County and develop long-lasting relationships, it also brought a completely new meaning of community to this Georgia peach transplant now proudly living in this incredible county and state. One of the most important things I learned in the program is that if you have a group of passionate and driven leaders, you will overcome any obstacle, including a pandemic, to achieve your goal in a safe and effective way.

The mural is in downtown Anderson, at the corner of Orr and Main St. So go take a look, and let the captivating and electric colors suck you in, through the power of art!

For more information, visit https://www.muralonmain.com/.