The City of Columbia is proud to announce the establishment of the Columbia Town and Gown Advisory Committee. This committee will work to bring together educational, industry, community, and government partners to ensure all groups are represented in discussions surrounding key topics that affect Columbia and students alike.
The City established this committee to provide a space for open communication and collaboration amongst partners as the City continues to grow and develop. By working together, the City and its partners can foster a positive, cooperative environment that benefits students, residents, and businesses, ultimately leading to a more vibrant and cohesive community.
The committee members are as follows:
- Six college and university representatives
- Ernest C. McNealey, President, Allen University
- Roslyn Clark Artis, President, Benedict College
- John Dozier, President, Columbia College
- Rick Christman, Executive Vice President of Student Services and Online Services, Columbia International University
- Greg Little, President, Midlands Technical College
- Steve Cutler, Vice President for Economic Development, University of South Carolina
- Five City of Columbia representatives
- Major Chris White, Columbia Police Department (CPD)*
- Krista Hampton, Director, Planning and Development*
- David Hatcher, Director, Code Enforcement*
- Elle Matney, Director, Parking*
- Payton Lang, Policy and Programs Advisor, Mayor’s Office*
- Four neighborhood representatives
- Chris Harris, Neighborhood 1
- Bambi Gaddist, Neighborhood 2
- Michael Anzelmo, Neighborhood 3
- Robby Thomas, Neighborhood 4
- One transportation representative
- Maurice Pearl, Executive Director, COMET
- One hospitality sector representative
- Andrew Thompson, Saludas
- Two Students: One representative appointed from the Mayor’s Collegiate Engagement Council and One representative appointed by City Council
- Breanna Harris, Collegiate Engagement Council representative
- Kyle Brantley, City Council appointed
- Two co-chairs
- Daniel J. Rickenmann, Mayor
- Michael Amiridis, President, University of South Carolina
Committee members marked with asterisks are non-voting members.
The committee first held a strategic planning session on May 16th, 2024, to create a shared vision for the inaugural year. The vision includes addressing topics such as planning, safety, transportation, parking, graduate retention, off-campus life, and community engagement.
During the strategic planning session, the committee also adopted a meeting schedule for the upcoming year with the first meeting taking place on October 2nd, 2024 at Richland County Library Main (1431 Assembly St. Columbia, SC 29201):
- Fall 2024
- Winter 2024
- Spring 2025
The Columbia Town and Gown Advisory Committee was inspirited by the work accomplished by the International Town and Gown Association (ITGA). In July 2024, two city representatives attended the annual ITGA conference. At the conference, the City of Columbia was presented an award for being intentional and proactive in the establishment of a committee that includes all institutions of higher education in the City.