The Crescent Society, a group of South Carolina women in public and professional leadership, featured new Columbia College president Beth Dinndorf at its professional development lunch event. Dinndorf’s topic title was “Creating our Next Generation of Women Leaders.” Now in its second year of existence, the Society offers personal and professional development lunches with insightful speakers, connections and networking with other women in leadership, and peer-to-peer engagement on problem-solving and dealing with the challenges of public leadership. Dinndorf, who assumed leadership of Columbia College in July of 2012, is a former senior vice president and manager of student banking services at U.S. Bank and served as senior vice president and national sales manager of education financial services at Wells Fargo Bank.

Led by an eight-member board, The Crescent Society’s strategic vision is “to develop a community of women who pursue personal and professional leadership excellence in an environment of professional equality, interaction, and encouragement.” Board members include: President, Margaret Pope of Pope Flynn; Treasurer, Dottie Hofmann of the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority; Secretary, Jennifer Barrington of the Anderson Regional Joint Water System; Jennifer Cunningham of the City of West Columbia; Judy Davis of Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina; Catherine Love of the SCANA Corporation; Rebecca Rhodes of the City of Cayce; and Susan Williams of Richland County School District One.

“We saw a need for a state-wide organization for SC women in public and professional leadership to be together and encourage one another as a group of peers,” says Margaret Pope, President of the Board.  “So we’ve started simply – we offer six events a year with informative speakers on issues of personal and professional development, as well as some time for group participation and interaction. This year we are doing five lunchtime events and an evening social.  We all know that we’ll learn from one another—and we have a great time together, too.”

The nomination-only group membership criteria include women in either the public or private sector who have reached an executive level in an organization and who are well-recognized as community leaders. Past lunch speakers have included Deb Sofield, speaker and executive speech coach; Ann Kulze, physician and nutrition and wellness expert; Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus, Clemson College of Business and Behavioral Sciences; Caroline Avinger, the President of the Buckley School and CEO of Protocol; Richard Bogan, Chairman and Chief Medical Officer of SleepMed; and Sheri Callahan, CEO of Horizon Consulting and Conflict Management Coach.

In building a network of alliances with women in professional and community leadership, members of The Crescent Society encourage, advise, mentor, inspire, and learn from one another through forums, seminars, and other events.  With members from the Upstate, Midlands, and Lowcountry of South Carolina, The Crescent Society seeks to develop a community of women who pursue personal and professional leadership excellence in an environment of professional equality, interaction, and encouragement.