Council 1 of 14 out of 271 in state to earn Elected Officials Institute Honor Roll status
Simpsonville, S.C. — The Municipal Association of South Carolina recognized Simpsonville City Council at the September Committee of the Whole meeting for achieving 2025 Honor Roll status with the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government.
Simpsonville City Council is one of only 14 councils out of 271 in the state to earn the distinction this year. Council members Lou Hutchings of Ward 6, Chad O’Rear of Ward 1, Tim Pinkerton of Ward 5, Sherry Roche of Ward 4, Aaron Rupe of Ward 2 and Shannon Williams of Ward 3 and Mayor Paul Shewmaker are all graduates of the institute.
The Municipal Elected Officials Institute of South Carolina is a training program designed to give municipal elected officials a foundational understanding of government operations, www.masc.sc said. Many first-term council members have little to no experience serving on a council or board and therefore require education and training to effectively perform in their new positions; additionally, as updates are made to state and local laws and communities face new and complex challenges, continuing education is important for the most seasoned of local legislators. The Municipal Elected Officials Institute offered by the Municipal Association of South Carolina makes this education and training available to municipalities in the state with one set of curricula in one place.
Field Service Manager for the Municipal Association of South Carolina Charlie Barrineaux congratulated Simpsonville City Council when he presented a plaque to Council at the Sept. 23, 2025 Committee of the Whole meeting.
