District Director, Office of U.S. Representative William Timmons (SC-04)
Former Spartanburg County Clerk of Court
Hope Blackley defines leadership as “making other leaders.” “It’s really that simple. I’m only as good as my team. And if my team isn’t good, then I’m not good,” she said. Hope Blackley served as Spartanburg County Clerk of Court for almost nine years. At the outset, she inherited numerous issues including a building with mold issues. She successfully championed a new building, slated for completion in several years. She began her career as a preschool teacher before becoming a child victim advocate. In 2004 Governor Mark Sanford appointed her as the Crime Victims’ Ombudsman for the state. More recently she joined Congressman William Timmons’ office as District Director.
Her advice to young people: “No matter the obstacles, work hard. Never let anyone put limitations on your life. … You are the determining factor on what you can do. And although efforts or initiatives may be very hard and they may look bleak, if you’re doing it for the right reasons and not being self-serving, they’ll be a lot of positives that will come out of that.”