The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association (SCWCEA) announce the newly elected 2016 Officers and new members to the Board of Directors at its annual business meeting on December 11, 2015.
President Andrea C. Roche, Esq., Mickle and Bass, LLC, Columbia, SC
Vice President Lana H. Sims, Jr., Esq., Adams and Reese, LLP, Columbia, SC
Secretary Denise Godwin, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Treasurer A. Mundi George, Esq., McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC, Columbia, SC
Andrea C. Roche, Esq., is a partner with the firm of Mickle and Bass, LLC in Columbia, SC. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Roche served as a Commissioner of the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission for eight years, including a term as chairman. Before serving on the Commission, she was a partner in the law firm of Barnes Alford Stork and Johnson, practicing primarily workers’ compensation defense and appellate advocacy. She is a graduate of Yale Law School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following graduation from Yale, Ms. Roche clerked for the Honorable Robert F. Chapman on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She also clerked for the Honorable Carol Connor of the South Carolina Court of Appeals and served as staff attorney for the court. Ms. Roche was manager of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum in New Orleans before entering law school. She has served on the Board and as Vice President of the SCWCEA for several years and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Kids’ Chance of South Carolina.
Lana H. Sims, Jr., Esq., joined Adams and Reese in 2013 as a Partner following the firm’s expansion into Columbia. He received his BA degree from Davidson College and his juris doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Practicing law since 1982, Lana is a certified mediator recognized by the Supreme Court of South Carolina, and has experience in state and federal litigation, workers’ compensation, long shore and harbor worker matters. He has experience in workers’ compensation cases in circuit court or federal court actions, and cross-over claims like workers’ compensation claims with third party liability liens, assisting litigants with the resolution of a myriad of disputes, and his depth of experience is a valuable asset both to clients and to the litigants he assists in mediation throughout South Carolina.
Denise P. Godwin, CWCC, CPIW is the Deputy Risk Manager for Clemson University Office of Risk Management, where she has managed claims for the past seven years. Denise holds the Certified Workers’ Comp Counselor (CWCC) and the Certified Professional Insurance Woman (CPIW) designations. She is a member of the International Association of Insurance Professionals, University Risk Management and Insurance Association, Risk Management Society and the Public Risk Management Association. Ms. Godwin currently serves as President of the Western Carolina RIMS Chapter. She served on the URMIA Southeastern Regional Conference Planning Committees during 2012, 2013 and 2014. During a competition at the IAIP International Confidence While Communicating (2012) in Dallas Texas, Ms. Godwin was named the International Speak-off winner. She serves on the board of directors of The Presentation Literacy Initiative Foundation. Ms. Godwin holds an associate degree in General Education from Emmanuel College, a Bachelor of Arts from Holmes Bible College and an associate degree in General Insurance from the Institutes.
A. Mundi George, Esq., is a member at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, a regional insurance defense firm. She focuses on workers’ compensation in the firm’s Columbia office. Ms. George is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in marketing. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she was Chief Justice of the USC Moot Court Bar and a member of the USC Environmental Journal. Prior to joining MGC, Ms. George served as a law clerk to the Honorable E. S. Swearingen, United States Magistrate Judge. This will be Ms. George’s second term on the SCWCEA’s Board of Directors; additionally, she has also served as Co-Chair of the Medical Seminar Committee and Chair of the One Day Seminar Committee. She is also a member of the South Carolina Bar Association and the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association’s Workers’ Compensation Substantive Law Committee. Ms. George has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for workers’ compensation since 2010.
Two new Board of Directors were also elected and they are Lucinda Fountain, Honda of South Carolina Manufacturing. Inc., Timmonsville, SC and Steven A. Yuhas, The Directions Group, Inc., Mt. Pleasant, SC. Re-elected to the Board for a second three year term were Mark T. Arden, Esq., Chappell Smith & Arden, PA, Columbia, SC, Linda Maass, Key Risk, Columbia, SC, Jo Lee MacLeod, GENEX Services, LLC, Charlotte, NC, Ann Margaret McCraw, Arcis Healthcare, LLC, Columbia, SC and Benjamin M. Renfrow., Esq., Willson Jones Carter & Baxley, PA, Greenville, SC.
“New talent continues to emerge from within the SCWCEA membership and we could not be more pleased to welcome these two new members to the SCWCEA Board”, says Andrea Roche, President Elect. “The additions of these professionals and the potential brought by our new emerging leaders will allow us to achieve the kind of lasting programs to advance the mission of the association. The Board, in partnership with it’s members, looks forward to the opportunities that lie ahead for the SCWCEA.”
Lucinda Fountain, a native of Hartsville, South Carolina, graduated from Hartsville High School and attended Coker College. Lucinda joined Honda of South Carolina in November 1997 as a Coordinator in the All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Manufacturing Department. Ms. Fountain has worked in several departments within Honda and was assigned to Market Quality. She was instrumental in implementing ISO 9000 Quality Standards and document retention.
During 2008, Ms. Fountain began managing Honda of SC’s Health Services Department which includes Medical, Administration of Workers’ Compensation, Restriction Placement and Leave Coordination, where she was influential in reducing Workers’ Compensation loss time and claims cost. She has served on several of the SCWCEA’s Planning Committees and currently serves as Honda of SC’s Diversity Leader and Workers’ Compensation Advisor.
Steven A. Yuhas, M.Ed., CRC, NCC, CCM, CLCP, CBIS is currently President of The Directions Group, Inc., a rehabilitation consulting and case management company serving the Southeastern United States. Since 1985, Mr. Yuhas has been providing catastrophic case management and consultation services to individuals, families, employers, insurance companies, and attorneys. He is especially proud of his team’s involvement in the return to work program for the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge construction project completed in 2005. Mr. Yuhas is experienced in providing vocational rehabilitation evaluations, job placement assistance, catastrophic rehabilitation, and life care plans. He has special interest in working with clients with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations and chronic pain. Mr. Yuhas has been qualified as an expert in State and Federal court. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP). Mr. Yuhas received his BA in Secondary Education and Psychology and his Masters of Education degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Carolina. He acquired his Post Graduate training in life care planning/advanced catastrophic case management through the University of Florida and Rehabilitation Training Institute in 1995.
About the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association
The SCWCEA is a non-profit organization of over 800 workers’ compensation professionals from throughout the United States. It conducts educational programs and provides educational resources for its members and the general public pertaining to the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act and its administration by the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. These programs and resources keep our members up-to-date on the very latest on medical and legal issues related to workers’ comp. For information, visit http://www.scwcea.org.
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