Charles D. Beaman Jr., CEO of Palmetto Health

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Charles D. Beaman Jr., CEO of Palmetto Health, has been selected as the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce 2012 Ambassador of the Year. Beaman will be honored for his work with the hospital system, the Columbia Chamber and the Greater Columbia Region during the Columbia Chamber's Annual Gala on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

"I'm honored to join the ranks of the many distinguished business leaders that have been previously named Ambassador of the Year. To make a difference for those we serve, we rely on our business and community partnerships," said Beaman. "I'm humbled to represent the more than 10,000 employees, physicians and volunteers of Palmetto Health who are dedicated to providing the care and compassion we would want for our families and ourselves."

The Columbia Chamber Ambassador of the Year is the Chamber's highest honor presented to a local individual. The Ambassador of the Year not only exemplifies outstanding business ethics but also has taken responsibility for influencing the positive promotion and preservation of the Greater Columbia area. The title is conferred annually on a leader who serves as a role model for business involvement in the community and who has contributed to the image of the local community. Previous Ambassadors of the Year have included Ray Tanner, Ed Sellers, the late Dr. Andrew Sorensen, Cathy Novinger and Jim Apple.

As a leader of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Beaman served as chair of the Chamber and founding chair of the Navigating from Good to Great Foundation, the chamber-initiated community development and prosperity initiative. He continues to serve on both boards of directors. Beaman serves as Chief Executive Officer of Palmetto Health, the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in South Carolina. Prior to his appointment in 2007, he served as the founding President of Palmetto Health at its inception in 1998. He was the president and CEO of Baptist Healthcare System of South Carolina, Inc., from 1987 to 1998 and began his career in healthcare with the Baptist Healthcare System of South Carolina, Inc., formerly South Carolina Baptist Hospitals, Inc., in 1973.

He serves as chairperson of both the South Carolina Hospital Association board of trustees and Health Sciences South Carolina board of directors, and is a diplomat of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a member of the American Hospital Association, and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Beaman received the 2004 South Carolina Hospital Association's Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor presented to individuals who have contributed significantly to health care in South Carolina. In 2010, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Public Administration, the first honorary doctoral degree ever conferred by the USC School of Medicine.

Active in the community, Beaman has served as a member of the Columbia Community Advisory Board for HomeWorks of America, Inc., the PSARAS Foundation Board, the South Carolina Bank and Trust Advisory board, the City Center Partnership board, the Midlands Business Leadership Group, the SC Chamber of Commerce board, the Benedict College Board of Trustees, and as chair of the Midlands Technical College Foundation board. He is a founding director of the Midlands Housing Alliance, which was created to help develop a comprehensive approach to services and programs for the homeless in the Midlands.

He received the Boy Scouts of America's 2010 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award in recognition of his unselfish service to the youth of America. He was inducted into the Richland School District One Hall of Fame in January 2009 as a district alumnus in recognition of his significant contributions to the school district, his communities, the healthcare profession, and society as a whole.

A native of Columbia, Beaman earned his bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and his Master of Science Degree in Hospital Administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala will be held on Sept. 27, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The event is open to the public and members of the media. For ticket and sponsorship information, please visit www.columbiachamber.com/gala.htm.