Growth of Southern Wesleyan University, a growing town infrastructure and public transportation enhancements were among the highlights of the annual State of Central Address March 10 on the campus of Southern Wesleyan University. Pictured from left are Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce president/CEO David Lane, Clemson Area Transit executive director Al Babinicz, Central mayor Mac Martin, SWU president Dr. Todd Voss and SWU vice president for advancement Dr. Lisa McWherter, board chair of the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce.

CENTRAL — Growth of Southern Wesleyan University, a growing town infrastructure and public transportation enhancements were among the highlights of the annual State of Central Address March 10 on the campus of Southern Wesleyan University.

The Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce and the Central Area Business Council held the event, whose attendance of more than 80 represented an increase over last year.

The David J. Spittal Award was presented to Bobby Ballentine for his service to the town of Central and involvement in the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ballentine retired from Mayfair Mills after 36 years of working at their locations in Lincolnton, Ga., Easley and Spartanburg. At Mayfair Mills, he served in several roles that included plant manager and corporate director of quality. Since his retirement, Ballentine has chaired and been actively involved in the Central Area Business Council. He has also served on the Pickens County Zoning board of appeals and is currently a member of the Pickens County Planning Commission. Ballentine was instrumental in reviving the Central Railroad Festival.

Attendees heard updates from Central mayor Mac Martin, SWU president Dr. Todd Voss and Clemson Area Transit executive director Al Babinicz.

David Lane, president and CEO of the Clemson Area Chamber, shared remarks about the energetic leadership of Voss.

“He has no inclination of slowing down, for which this community is very grateful,” Lane said.

Martin outlined infrastructure improvements in Central that included a sidewalk to connect Southern Wesleyan to the town, a streetscape project, and street and parking improvements. He also mentioned Central’s disc golf course and its growing reputation as a top facility throughout the disc golf community. Central recently hosted an intercollegiate competition earlier in March, attracting teams from Georgia Tech, Alabama, the University of South Carolina, Gardner-Webb and the University of North Carolina. Martin shared a proposal to develop a new entrance to the disc golf course to make it more easily accessible.

“You’ve improved all aspects of SWU. I don’t think anybody in this room thought it would happen so quickly,” Martin told Voss and Dr. Lisa McWherter, Southern Wesleyan’s vice president for advancement.

“Everything we build and everything we do, we try to think about how this impacts the community and how the community can engage in what’s happening here,” Voss said in his update of Southern Wesleyan.

He pointed out growth taking place on the Central campus and how enrollment goals are being exceeded, stating that in fall 2015 the university anticipates 680 full-time traditional students on its Central campus with a headcount of more than 700 students.

Other highlights Voss shared included national reaccreditation from NCATE with no conditions for the master’s degree in administration and supervision. He also spoke about growth in online degree programs and the new MBA with Health Care Concentration launching this month. He also outlined ongoing plans to improve athletic facilities on campus as well as a collaboration with the town of Central to improve the university’s entrance along S.C. Highway 93.

“We have moved forward not just because of me or any of us. We’ve moved forward because of all of us,” Voss said. “It is not about individual progress, it’s about collective progress. It is about all of us doing these things together to better our community, to better our family situation and to better our future. God’s behind all of it. You can sense it every day.”

Babinicz said that over the past two years, CAT buses have carried nearly four million passengers, with the best route being the Red Route, which runs between Clemson University, the city of Clemson and Southern Wesleyan University. Babinicz noted trends that younger adults are driving less and riding Catbus more and that more SWU students are using the buses.

“We have the highest ridership in the Upstate,” Babinicz said. “We’re three times bigger than Greenville Transit Authority. We’re the second largest transit system in the entire state of South Carolina, only behind Charleston.”

“There is so very much to celebrate,” McWherter said at the conclusion of the event.

Event sponsors were Southern Wesleyan University, Trehel Corporation, Clemson Area Transit, First Citizens, Duckett Robinson Funeral Home and Crematory, Wealthy Woman Dy, the town of Central and Central Heritage Society.