A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO SALUTE MRS. DIANE WHITAKER, COORDINATOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND CAMPUS DESIGN AT ANDERSON UNIVERSITY, AT THE CELEBRATION OF HER TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY AT ANDERSON AND TO EXTEND THE GRATITUDE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR HER TWO DECADES OF COMMITTED SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL.

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly is pleased to learn that this year marks the twentieth anniversary of Mrs. Diane Whitaker's service at Anderson University, her present service being as coordinator of external relations and campus design; and

Whereas, a gifted singer and communicator and a graduate of Belmont University, Diane earned a Bachelor of Music at that institution. As the wife of Dr. Evans Whitaker, president of Anderson University, she is active in the Anderson community, having served on several community boards, including the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium, Salvation Army, and United Way, and she sings at various churches and denominational events; and

Whereas, as a musician, Diane has had the opportunity to perform in over thirty-eight states and fifteen foreign countries. Her passion for excellence was honed as a young adult traveling the world with other gifted musicians. During this time, she was able to see that both music and God's love transcend all language and cultural barriers; and

Whereas, during her college years, Diane supplemented her educational expenses through the Miss Tennessee program, in which she won the talent competition, and by studio work. After college, she worked as a college admissions counselor. Diane's love of college students and her desire to see them grow both academically and personally led her to move into residence life, a job that required her to live in the residence halls, and it was during this time that she met and married Evans Whitaker; and

Whereas, Diane Whitaker now has worked in the field of higher education for more than twenty-three years, in admissions, residence life, donor relations, and campus design. In addition, she worked for several years in the new home sales and construction industry as her company's top producer. She has used the valuable knowledge and skills she developed working in that industry by serving as part of a design team that built several multimillion-dollar projects on the campus of Anderson University; and

Whereas, while her contributions to the Anderson University campus are numerous, she is most fondly known to students as the "cookie lady," as she and Dr. Whitaker prepare cookies for every student during exam time each semester; and

Whereas, the General Assembly counts Dr. Evans Whitaker a blessed man to share his labors with the gracious and lovely Diane Whitaker by his side as his wife. She is truly his helpmeet, her contributions to the school complement his own, and their strong teamwork sets a worthy example for Anderson's students to emulate. Now, therefore,

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

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, salute Mrs. Diane Whitaker, coordinator of external relations and campus design at Anderson University, at the celebration of her twentieth anniversary at Anderson and extend the gratitude of the South Carolina General Assembly for her two decades of committed service to the school.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Mrs. Diane Whitaker.

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