Pamela Evette
Pamela Sue Evette (born August 28, 1967) is an American politician and businesswoman and the 93rd and current lieutenant governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, she was the CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Upstate South Carolina prior to her election as lieutenant governor, and she is the first lieutenant governor to be elected on the same ticket as the governor. She has been in office since January 9, 2019 when Henry McMaster began his first elected term as governor. Background. Born in Ohio, Evette earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in accounting  from Cleveland State University. Evette worked as an accountant until returning to Travelers Rest, South Carolina in 2005, where she founded and acted as CEO of Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR and back-office solutions software firm. Evette was the first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Prior to the 2018 election, South Carolina lieutenant governors were elected independently of the governor. She defeated Mandy Powers Norrell in the gubernatorial election on November 6, 2018. Evette took office as South Carolina's second female lieutenant governor (the first being Nancy Stevenson from 1979 through 1983  under Richard Riley) on January 9, 2019. Evette is the first Republican woman to hold the office. Lieutenant Governor. As lieutenant governor, a largely ceremonial role in South Carolina, Evette has spent much of her time in the role giving speeches and addresses that support Governor Henry McMaster. Evette said in an interview with the Associated Press that she has "doubled the potential footprint" of the governor's office through hosting various events across the state and communicating with lawmakers. Evette is South Carolina's first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Her predecessor, Kevin L.  Bryant, was a political enemy of Governor McMaster, and the two consequentially did not have the same political agenda. Evette has declared that she will seek reelection as Henry McMaster seeks an additional term as governor in 2022. In October 2019, Evette was involved in a car collision in Greer, South Carolina when her driver inappropriately activated his flashing blue and red lights to go through an intersection. Evette's driver was cited, and Evette was uninjured. Awards and honors. In 2015, Evette was ranked #3 top female entrepreneurs in the United States by Inc. Magazine, noting that as CEO , she grew her business to a one-billion-dollar enterprise in the 15 years since its inception. Personal life. Evette is married to David Evette, with whom she has one son and one daughter from a previous marriage.