As I have reported before, I serve on the Richland County Airport Commission. Myself and two of my fellow members met with Dr. Carolyn Donelan, Lead Flight Director, of the Challenger Learning Center on Monday. We were thoroughly impressed with the facility as well as the programs available for students, both for Richland District One and other school districts as well. The center is operated adjacent to W. A. Perry Middle School and C. F. Bolden Stadium, a Richland County School District One sporting event venue. Carolyn has done a remarkable job expanding this program since she took helm. I got to take a sneak peek at two of the summer camps that were taking place while I was visiting. The Center has programs on robotics, hands-on science explorations, an aerospace education laboratory, an e-Planetarium, and continuing education programs for adults. They serve 7000 to 8000 students per year. There are even students coming from adjacent states. If you have children or grandchildren who may have the slightest interest in a career in aerospace – then this is the place to whet their appetite!

The Richland County Airport Commission which oversees Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport is exploring opportunities to assist the Challenger Learning Center and hopefully generate in the younger generation an interest in a career in aviation.

Although it has felt like summer for some time here in South Carolina the official kick-off for Summer 2021 was Sunday, June 20th. At my stage in life, I am thankful for all four seasons, but I especially love the fun of summer! I love anything around the water and plan to spend as much time as feasible in my Myrtle Beach office so I can take advantage of everything the Grand Strand has to offer. I have resumed playing golf and I am trying to work on my game in my spare time (it needs lots of work – LOL).

Since I have an inside job anything that gets me outside to enjoy summer, I take advantage of. I enjoy walking on the beach, golfing, and walking in my neighborhood in Columbia. These all remind me of God’s awesome creation for us here on earth. I hope to see you at one of the many attractions in Columbia and Myrtle Beach.

The Kelly family had a blessed event last week in the birth of my grand-nephew, Parker James Team. He is so adorable, and I hope by the time this KellyGram reaches your inbox I will have made my personal visit to pay homage to the latest member of the Kelly family! Parker James is the son of proud parents, Kelly Calamas Team, my niece and her husband, Ryan Team. I have already begun making plans to have him as a loyal disciple of Gamecock Nation. Although there will probably be a civil war in his household, and I wholly suspect his dad will prevail! I am rooting for you Kelly to do what you can to assist me in welcome him with open arms into Gamecock Nation. Seriously, I look forward to watching this young man grow and develop. Parker truly is yet another blessing in my life!

Every year around this time, I get excited and hopeful for the new graduates whether it be high school, college, or graduate school! There is something very liberating about receiving a graduate degree. We are so proud of this year’s graduates.

I would like to feature a member of the Mike Kelly Law Group family today who is graduating from Spring Hill High School, Reece Moorey. He has completed his high school career as an honor student in the engineering program. He is the son of our chief litigation paralegal, Michelle Moorey, who originally started working for me when she was 17 years old. She and her husband, Nate, are excellent parents and role models. They are raising two fine children. Reece plans to continue his formal education at South Georgia Technical College focusing on diesel technology. We wish him all the best in his future.

Congratulations Class of 2021!!!

Tuesday was a very special birthday for me. It was not a “milestone” birthday, but one is right around the corner! My birthday week started early with my office staff giving me a wonderful gift and celebrating with me before I left for a week at the beach. Then on my “born” day, I had an outpouring of best wishes on social media like I never have before!

While I have always dreaded birthdays, I was choked up by all the show of love and affection for me. I am so blessed by God above that I have lived this long. Even though I have had two serious health challenges in the last twelve months, I am still able to work and enjoy life like never ever before. Thanks be to God for this time here on earth!

May we all take the time to be thankful for all the blessings we have in life.

Earlier this week, I took my car in for a day’s worth of routine services at my dealership, Classic Ford. Ordinarily, I’d say that car maintenance is a mundane fact of life and certainly nothing to write home about, but this time around was quite the experience! My good friend, Dean Ray, is the Service Lane Manager at Classic Ford, and he asked if I needed a loaner car for the day. When I told him sure, Dean said he had a real treat in store for me, and he was not wrong! He took me out into the parking lot and set me up with a Mustang Mach-E that had recently arrived at the dealership. I must say, I’ve never had a more pleasurable driving experience than the 24 hours that I had that car!

The Mustang Mach-E is a first-class, all-electric vehicle that excelled across the board! I was impressed by its handling, acceleration, and amenities; the center monitor was truly state-of-the-art technology, and it didn’t hurt that the sound system was HD Dolby quality! Simply put, I fell in love with that car!

For anyone looking to buy a car, I’d highly recommend checking out electric vehicles. The Mach-E has a range of about 270 miles between charges, and its owners will not only save thousands of dollars in fuel costs over the lifespan of the car, but they will also reduce their carbon footprint. After this experience, I am sold on electric vehicles, and my next car is going to be all-electric for sure!

At the end of last year, I mentioned that throughout 2021, I’m going to periodically feature businesses I admire in the KellyGram. Several weeks ago, I lauded Nick’s House of Pizza for its delicious food and welcoming environment, and this week I want to talk about my appreciation for the folks at United Community Bank.

Through my good friends Chris and Doug Millar, Mike Kelly Law Group developed a banking relationship with United Community Bank at the beginning of last year, and we have been extremely impressed with their client service. We started off working with Market President of the SC Coastal Region, Christie Manning, and Vice President of Relationship Management, Nate Rohler, and continue to be very satisfied in our dealings with those two outstanding individuals.

Late last year, United Community Bank announced that it would be expanding its operations to Lexington and Forest Acres, and yesterday we were honored to attend the ribbon cutting of the Forest Acres location. We are delighted to be working with United Community Bank Midlands President, Shannon Stephens, Regional Banking Manager, Morgan Leath, and their first-class team in the Midlands!

I cannot emphasize enough the exceptional customer service that the folks at United Community Bank have shown to our firm. I highly recommend their services, but in case you don’t want to take my word for it, JD Powers has voted them best in customer satisfaction 7 out of the last 8 years!

Thanks to our friends at United Community Bank for such an exceptional customer experience!

As everybody knows, I am pretty proud of my Irish heritage, and our latest attorney hire, Dean Diamaduros, is equally proud of his Greek roots.

Dean grew up in Union, SC as the son of lawyer Sammy Diamaduros, who still practices with his brother Pete Diamaduros. Upon graduation from high school, Dean went to Wofford College and then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law. He has been an attorney for the last several years working in Spartanburg, SC for a fine firm, but feels that his skills and talents would be better suited to the plaintiff’s practice of law.

Dean is clearly a people person and wants to use his legal skills to help others on a daily basis. Dean moving to Columbia will bring him closer to his mother, sisters, grandparents, and girlfriend, all of whom live in this vicinity. His first day will be Monday, May 10, 2021, and we are beyond excited to have him join the Mike Kelly Law Group Family! Welcome Dean!

The University of South Carolina School of Music, ably led by its long-time Dean, Dr. Tayloe Harding, is one of the flagship programs at my alma mater. It is my privilege to support the School by serving on the Board of the Friends of the School of Music. For nearly 30 years, the Friends of the School of Music have provided $30,000 annually for scholarship support for students of music, and each year, the Musical Feast fundraiser has been a staple to help raise those funds.

This year, the Musical Feast will be hosted virtually due to the pandemic, but it is not to be missed! It will take place on May 5th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm and will feature performances by School of Music students. The event will also include a virtual silent auction where you can bid on some great items, such as a weekend stay at Kingston Plantation Resort in Myrtle Beach, a weekend at Wild Dunes, a private choral performance at your home or business, and — my personal favorite — the opportunity to guest-conduct the Carolina Fight Song with The Carolina Band!

Registration to the Musical Feast is only $5, and you can do so here. Register today to support the University of South Carolina School of Music scholarship fund and have some fun in the meantime!

At the end of 2020, I promised I was going to highlight in upcoming KellyGrams some of my very good friends and favorite local businesses. Today, I want to feature one of my go-to restaurants, Nick’s House of Pizza on Sunset Drive in West Columbia. Nick’s has fantastic food, great customer service, and the owners—Nick Gabriel and his son, Andrew—are very close friends of the Mike Kelly Law Group family. My culinary skills leave much to be desired, so you’ll find me dining there 2 to 3 times a week for lunch and occasionally for dinner. The firm also regularly uses Nick’s excellent catering services, and as a matter of fact, they catered Mike Kelly Law Group’s Administrative Professionals Day luncheon this past Wednesday!

It’s hard for me to recommend just one entrée from the Nick’s House of Pizza menu, as everything I have tried there has been excellent, but I have to say that their chicken tips, citrus-marinated salmon, and their pork chop are three of my favorites. They also, of course, offer pizzas, as well as pastas, strombolis, calzones, and other fabulous Greek, Italian, and American dishes. I encourage you to give Nick’s a try, and tell them Uncle Mike sent you!