Bernice G. Scott

Bernice Scott has had a long and outstanding career as a public servant in Richland County and for the state of South Carolina. Mrs. Scott served for more than 20 years as Richland County Council member for Lower Richland County. During her time, she became the first African American to serve as the Chairperson for Richland County Council. She also served 4 years in the office of Governor of Jim Hodges as his Director of Community Relations. Among Mrs. Scott’s notable achievements were her early identification of the value of preserving the historic Harriet Barber House, itself a winner of the 2023 Stewardship Award, her advocacy and work on County Council to provide dedicated grant funding for preservation through the Richland County Conservation Commission, her support of the Southeast Rural Community Outreach nonprofit in its preservation activities, and her establishment of the Lower Richland Heritage Corridor, which includes Kensington Mansion in Eastover and the Congaree National Park.

For her quiet but effective leadership for often neglected historic places, and for recognizing the economic importance of historic preservation, we are pleased to recognize the Honorable Bernice G. Scott with the 2025 Elected Official Preservation Honor Award.