July 2010. . . Back to News

Significant community involvement, success in their chosen field and a commitment to improving South Carolina characterize the newest class of Liberty Fellows. Dan Ballou is among the 22 out of 400 candidates spread across the state selected to the Class of 2012, representing business, government, and nonprofit sectors of South Carolina.

“The class of 2012 is extremely capable of meeting the challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities in the lifetime Fellowship program,” said Hayne Hipp, founder of Liberty Fellowship. “More important to our state, not one of them is satisfied with the status quo. Each has a deep desire to take action to improve South Carolina.”
The integrity of each Liberty Fellowship class depends largely on the blend of differences and diversity of perspectives of the individual leaders. Finding the right mix is a key focus of the Liberty Fellowship.

“The members of this class span a broad and interesting spectrum. They are established leaders who represent a mosaic of backgrounds, skills and experiences,” said Jennie Johnson, Executive Director of Liberty Fellowship. In addition to attending four seminars over the two-year period, including one Aspen Institute global seminar with leaders from around the world, each class member commits to completing a personal project that will have a positive impact on the state. “The Fellow projects and collaborative leadership approach truly have an impact at the state level,” continued Hipp. “The vision of Liberty Fellowship is to identify leaders who are respectful of other points of view so they can work together to move the state forward.”

Dan is a founding member of Hamilton Martens Ballou & Sipe, LLC, a law firm in Rock Hill. A litigator focused on business and civil cases, he was previously a partner with Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, LLP. Dan is board member of Keystone Substance Abuse Services of York County and is vice chair of the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Task Force. He previously served on the Lake Wylie Marine Commission, chaired the Rock Hill/York County Martin Luther King Task Force and is a board member of Common Cause of South Carolina. He was appointed by Governor Jim Hodges to serve on the South Carolina Real Estate Commission and is past president and board member of Pilgrim’s Inn. He also is past president of the York County Bar Association and a member of the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates and the Bar's Judicial Qualifications Committee.

Dan earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in History from Princeton University.

About Liberty Fellowship

Liberty Fellowship is a statewide leadership initiative founded by Hayne Hipp, Wofford College and The Aspen Institute. The program seeks to inspire outstanding leadership in South Carolina, empowering the state’s leaders to realize their full potential. Fostering a values-based approach, Liberty Fellowship exposes rising leaders, ages 30-45, to diverse perspectives, critical thinking, and intellectual and personal development through an intense two-year program. For more information: www.libertyfellowshipsc.org.
Hamilton Martens & Ballou, LLC provides a wide range of legal services to individuals and businesses including commercial and consumer litigation, corporate and real estate transactions, construction law, land use, employment law, estate planning and administration and tax law.