A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO CONGRATULATE Edith McClary Redden UPON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT, TO COMMEND HER FOR HER forty-seven YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE, AND TO WISH HER MUCH HAPPINESS AND FULFILLMENT IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to recognize Edith McClary Redden upon the occasion of her retirement; and

Whereas, Mrs. Redden was born to parents Oscar and Mary Mention McClary. She is an alumna of Limestone College in Gaffney, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 1998. She also received her Master of Organizational Management in 2003 from the University of Phoenix; and

Whereas, Mrs. Redden began her career as a teacher for the Williamsburg County School District for six years, from 1977 to 1983. She was appointed as clerk to the Williamsburg County Voter Registration Office in September, 1984. The clerk position was later reclassified to Director of Voter Registration in July 1994, and finally Director of Voter Registration and Elections in 2014; and

Whereas, a leader in her profession, Mrs. Redden is a Level I, Level II, and Advance graduate of the South Carolina Institute of Government from the University of South Carolina and a member of the South Carolina Association of Counties. She is certified by the South Carolina State Election Commission. She has also worked as an instructor for the South Carolina State Election Commission, and she served on the committee for implementation of the Statewide Uniformed Voting System in South Carolina; and

Whereas, over the years, Mrs. Redden has received a number of honors and awards, including "Director of the Year" by the South Carolina State Election Commission and the Moore Award from the South Carolina Association of Registration and Elections Officials Inc. In 2002, her office was awarded the most "Outstanding Office" in South Carolina by the South Carolina State Election Commission; and

Whereas, during her over forty-year career of public service, Mrs. Redden has worked tirelessly in the voter registration and election process. She has seen the election profession go from hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots, to hand-marked optical scan paper ballots, to all digital iVotronic voting machines, and finally to the current hybrid system using electronic ballot markers, digital scanners, and voter verified paper ballots; and

Whereas, Mrs. Redden has also seen the many changes in the voter registration process: from registering to vote exclusively in-office and through voter registration drives, to allowing mail-in voter registration applications, implementing Motor Voter and DMV voter registrations and related motor voter agencies, and most recently allowing online voter registration; and

Whereas, a civic leader, Mrs. Redden served as president of the South Carolina Association of Registration and Elections Officials Inc. (S.C.A.R.E.) from 2006 to 2009. She is the only S.C.A.R.E. president who has served for three years in the history of the organization because all others have served a single two-year term. In 2010, she was appointed to the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission Standards Board in Washington, DC; and

Whereas, a devout Christian, she is a member of Beulah AME Church, where she serves as church secretary, lay organization president, gospel choir director, Sunday School teacher, stewardess, chairperson of Moms in Prayer at Beulah, and chairperson of the pastoral committee, among other duties; and

Whereas, Mrs. Redden is married to Larry Redden, and together, they have three children, Ursula, Charnel, and Jaki; and three grandchildren, Tristen, Ian, and Kensley; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate appreciate the passion and dedication that Mrs. Redden has shown in serving the people and the State of South Carolina.  Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, congratulate Edith McClary Redden upon the occasion of her retirement, commend her for her forty-seven years of dedicated service, and wish her much happiness and fulfillment in the years ahead.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Edith McClary Redden.

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