Ham named to state Business Development Corporation

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Bank of Clarendon President J. Barry Ham has been named to the Board of Directors of Business Development Corporation of South Carolina. Ham began his career with the Manning-based bank as a part-time teller in 1984. He became president in 2006 and, since then, the bank has increased by 60 percent in assets to $265 million. Founded in 1932 as the Clarendon Cash Depository, the Bank of Clarendon now has five full-service offices in Manning, Summerton, Santee and Sumter. Ham has held leadership roles with the Independent Community Banks of America, the South Carolina Bankers Association, the Clarendon County Development Board, Santee Lynches Regional Development Corporation, Clarendon School District Two Foundation and BDC's associate company, Certified Development Corporation of South Carolina (CDC). "Community banking has been my passion and lifelong career and it's been exciting to be part of the Lake Marion and surrounding area's vibrant and diverse growth in recent years," Ham said. "Being able to serve with a statewide organization like BDC is an added bonus." The Manning resident is a graduate of Clemson University, along with the South Carolina Bankers School, American Institute of Banking, ABA National Compliance School and the South Carolina Economic Developers School. He was named Outstanding Young Banker by the South Carolina Bankers Association in 2003 and South Carolina Independent Banker of the Year in 2012. "Barry Ham has long been a leader in commercial lending and economic development in his home community and beyond," said BDC CEO and Board Chairman Edwin O. Lesley. "We're honored to have him on the BDC Board of Directors." Since 1958, the Business Development Corporation has been financing small businesses in South Carolina, ultimately creating new jobs for the citizens of the Palmetto State. "BDC and its associate company, Certified Development Corporation, which was founded in 1994, have approved more than 2,625 loans on projects in excess of $1.5 billion, making us leaders in economic development lending and job creation in South Carolina," said Lesley. "Now that BDC has been approved by the state and SBA to operate in seven Southeastern states, we are able to bring these benefits to a much larger market area."