TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE WEST COLUMBIA CITY ADMINISTRATOR JENNIFER CUNNINGHAM UPON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT AND TO WISH HER MUCH SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN ALL HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

Whereas, Mrs. Cunningham plans to retire on March 1, 2016, after serving the city of West Columbia for thirty-seven years; and

Whereas, born in San Antonio, Texas, and raised in Irving, Texas, Mrs. Cunningham moved to South Carolina in the tenth grade and attended AC Flora High School and the University of South Carolina; and

Whereas, Mrs. Cunningham worked in mortgage banking before going into community development for West Columbia in November 1978. During her time in community development, Mrs. Cunningham worked on three multi-year projects in housing rehabilitation, including the Brookland Mill Village and Lake View School; and

Whereas, Mrs. Cunningham was appointed clerk/treasurer of the City of West Columbia in October 1983 and under her direction, the city received its first Governmental Financial Officers Association (GFOA) Excellence in Financial Reporting Award; and

Whereas, in 1990, Mrs. Cunningham was promoted to deputy city administrator and to city administrator in April 1998. Mrs. Cunningham was the recipient of the International City/County Management Association (IMCA) Award for programs for the disadvantaged in memory of Carolyn Keane, for the West Columbia Community Empowerment Center; and

Whereas, during her time with the city, Mrs. Cunningham has been instrumental in developing and beautifying West Columbia. She oversaw the building of the West Columbia Riverwalk, which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the state and country. She was instrumental in the purchase of property and development of the West Columbia City Hall, and was responsible for the expansion of the Lake Murray Water Plant. Most recently, she oversaw the acquisition of the property at State and Meeting Streets, and the development of the FLOW property on Sunset Boulevard; and

Whereas, Mrs. Cunningham is known statewide and is an admired and professional city administrator. She has always loved West Columbia and is proud of the progress that has been made there; and

Whereas, Mrs. Cunningham is married to Ron Cunningham and the two have one daughter and a son-in-law, Amber and Jonathan Burrows, and two grandchildren, Garrison and Hampton; and

Whereas, grateful for the years of dedicated service given by Mrs. Cunningham to the City of West Columbia, the members of the Senate take great pleasure in wishing her all the best as she enters a much-deserved retirement. 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, recognize and congratulate West Columbia City Administrator Jennifer Cunningham upon the occasion of her retirement and wish her much success and happiness in all her future endeavors.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Mrs. Jennifer Cunningham.