5 incumbents reelected to USC board a year after legislators griped about them

After almost a year of uncertainty, the makeup of the University of South Carolina’s board of trustees has finally been settled.

The South Carolina state legislature voted eight members, including six incumbents, to the board during a joint assembly on Wednesday.

Alex English, Charles Williams, John von Lehe, Eddie Floyd, former board chair Dorn Smith and current board chair Thad Westbrook will remain on the board. They will be joined on the 20-member board by newcomers Henry Jolly and Reid Sherard. Jolly and Sherard replace former board members Toney Lister and Mack Whittle Jr, who did not seek re-election. Two board seats will remain vacant.

“I appreciate the General Assembly re-electing us and doing it by acclamation,” Westbrook said. “We continued our work throughout the past year and we’ve got a lot of great work to do.”

This round of USC board of trustees appointments had become unusually contentious. The legislature initially considered the appointments last year but didn’t act after the College and University Trustee Screening Commission failed to vote on the reappointments of Williams, von Lehe, Floyd, Smith and Westbrook. Some legislators expressed unhappiness over the multi-million dollar buyouts of former football coach Will Muschamp and former men’s basketball coach Frank Martin. Some legislators also were upset about the hiring of former USC president Robert Caslen, who resigned during a plagiarism scandal in 2021.

The screening commission did approve English’s appointment last year.

After holding a “carry-over” status for months, Williams, von Lehe, Floyd, Smith and Westbrook were approved by the screening commission earlier this year.

New board members will serve their terms until 2026.