On Saturday, September 24, Dr. Annie Andrews - candidate for South Carolina’s First Congressional District - and Lisa Ellis - candidate for SC State Superintendent of Education - will be joining us at the Unitarian Church for a conversation on children. They will be sharing their expertise on issues ranging from education to gun safety to healthcare.
With the election fast approaching, there is no better time to educate yourself on the issues that matter and engage with the people who are at the forefront of making change happen.
Doors for the event open at 4:00 pm. Discussion to begin at 4:30 pm.
Please come out, bring a friend or relative, and be ready to ask questions!
This is a FREE event, but registration is required! Register here! This conversation will also be simulcast live from the Unitarian Church. If you’d like to have a link emailed to you to tune in live to the event, select the “Simulcast Registration” option during registration.
For those of you who will be joining us in person, we recommend parking at Queen Street Parking Garage (93 Queen St) or Majestic Square (corner of Archdale and Market streets).
ABOUT DR. ANNIE ANDREWS:
Dr. Annie Andrews is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston and has been a pediatrician at MUSC since 2009. She cares for children and adolescents from all over the Lowcountry at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. There she also developed and directed the Advocacy Curriculum for the Department of Pediatrics.
She is a gun violence prevention researcher and community advocate working to reduce the frequency of pediatric firearm injuries with a focus on secure storage counseling and gun safety education in the community. She is an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots gun violence prevention organization in the country. She is a frequent invited speaker at Children’s Hospitals and Medical Schools across the country on topics related to child health advocacy and gun violence prevention. She is a member of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Charleston County Medical Society. She serves on the Charleston County Medical Society School Health Committee which advises the Charleston County School District on matters related to child health. She is an appointed member of the City of Charleston Mayor’s Health and Wellness Committee and a member of the Fall Lowcountry cohort of the Furman University Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative.
She received her MD from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and went on to complete her residency training in Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
She is married to Dr. Charlie Andrews, a Neurological Critical Care doctor at the Medical University of South Carolina. They have three incredible kids – Gracie, Henry, and Evelyn. They reside in Mount Pleasant.
*Dr. Annie Andrews is an Associate Professor in the department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) where she also performs clinical work as a Pediatrician at MUSC Health - Charleston. MUSC, neither directly or indirectly, endorses the campaign of Dr. Andrews and the views expressed by Dr. Andrews do not represent the views of MUSC or its affiliates.
ABOUT LISA ELLIS:
Born and raised in South Carolina, Lisa Ellis has focused her professional impact on empowering students, teachers, and families. Through her career in education, she’s developed innovative ways to engage with and improve the public education experience for South Carolinians for over 20 years. She is also the Founder and a Board Member of SC for Ed, an organization of South Carolina teachers advocating on behalf of students and themselves to put the best teachers in every classroom in the state.
Since its founding, Lisa and SC for Ed have:
Built a community forum of over 29,000 South Carolinians to discuss educational improvement.
Advocated for a minimum 4% salary increase.
Developed relationships with key educational stakeholders, including parents, students, teachers, district officials, and policymakers.
Rallied over 10,000 public education supporters outside the SC Statehouse to demand change for improved teacher salaries.
Garnered legislative support for a guaranteed daily planning period for elementary and special education teachers to coordinate lesson plans for each day.
With a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of Charleston, Lisa holds both a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Columbia College and a Master of Science in Forest Resource Management from Clemson University. Lisa began teaching in 2001 and has since taught English, Leadership, and communications courses to high school and middle school grades.
As Director of Student Activities for two separate schools during her career, Lisa has consistently engaged students in their school activities. In this capacity, she’s had more than a front-row seat, playing an active role in fostering student participation in extracurricular activities, student councils, and community service projects – all critical to a young person’s development.
Lisa knows that while students are both part of and a result of the education equation, prepared teachers and curriculum are critical to student outcomes. As a teacher and Instructional Facilitator, Lisa has managed collaboration for best teaching practices, implemented school-level real-world professional development, and analyzed school and state data to implement data-driven improvements.
Lisa is acutely aware of the social, behavioral, and mental health challenges facing our students today. In 2016, she secured school-wide grants to promote teaching the whole child. These grants created an outdoor classroom and garden and a school recycling program, which granted access to real-world learning experiences. It is this same motivation to ensure the health of students that drives Lisa’s commitment to empowering student activities and student councils.
Advocating for students, teachers, and families is why Lisa has remained so involved with each educational community she serves. It is why she’s developed curriculum and whole-person programs for students. It is why she initiated a Teacher Advocacy Group to enhance shared leadership skills. It is why she is running to serve as South Carolina Superintendent of Education.
Lisa has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and educational professions. She has earned the accolades of Honors Student Teacher of Excellence, Student Council Advisor of the Year, Staff of the Month, Columbia Business League Phenom, and more. She is also a proud CERRA Mentor and member of the Junior League of South Carolina.