John T. Garman

Born and raised in Upstate New York, Garman earned a B.A. in history and oriental studies and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from Columbia University. In 2003, after completing a thirty year career as a chamber of commerce president serving communities in Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina, Garman retired, and worked for a number of years as a consultant and instructor for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), with assignments in Russia, Bosnia, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, and Jamaica.

His professional achievements include Lifetime Member Awards with the Carolina Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association (ACCE); South Carolina Chamber Executive of the year in 2003, state president of Commerce Executives Associations in Kentucky and Indiana; appointed board member for the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association (ACCE) and the Accreditation Policy Board Member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In 2004 he became active with the South Carolina Humanities Council, serving as a board member, vice-chair, and chairman. Each year, Garman represented the council at the National Humanities on the Hill program in Washington, DC. Garman has been active in Friendship Force International where he was named a National Mission Representative for the People’s Republic of China Exchange and a Commonwealth Delegate for the Governor’s Kentucky Professional Leadership Exchange to Moscow.

Garman’s past community involvements includes service with local Free Clinics, Community Centers, and Salvation Army board of directors.