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Donald G. “Ike” McLeese

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Donald G. “Ike” McLeese

Birth	:	15 Aug 1944 Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina, USA
Death	:	29 Oct 2013 Columbia, Lexington County, South Carolina, USA
Burial	:	New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery, Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate	:	34.5161018, -82.7391968
Description	:	Donald G. "Ike" McLeese, 69, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, died Tuesday, October 29, 2013, after a brief illness. Mr. McLeese was born August 15, 1944, in Anderson to the late Joe Valentine and Wilma Glen McLeese. Mr. McLeese had an extensive career in public and government relations, administration, fiscal management and crisis management planning. He had been president and CEO of the Columbia Chamber since September 1994 and was widely credited with helping the chamber out of a fiscal crisis and building a major regional chamber of commerce of wide influence. McLeese saw... Read More	Donald G. "Ike" McLeese, 69, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, died Tuesday, October 29, 2013, after a brief illness. Mr. McLeese was born August 15, 1944, in Anderson to the late Joe Valentine and Wilma Glen McLeese. Mr. McLeese had an extensive career in public and government relations, administration, fiscal management and crisis management planning. He had been president and CEO of the Columbia Chamber since September 1994 and was widely credited with helping the chamber out of a fiscal crisis and building a major regional chamber of commerce of wide influence. McLeese saw his role at the Chamber as a catalyst in helping the Chamber refocus, retool, and re-engineer itself in order to better serve its membership in the 21st Century. During his 19 years at the Chamber, membership and non-dues income grew, long-term debt was retired. He had announced in early October that he would retire from the chamber at the end of 2013 but planned to continue to serve as a consultant to the chamber for military affairs. A strong proponent of bringing the region together, McLeese helped lead a business community driven effort to create the Navigating from Good to Great Foundation and provided chamber staff and resources to help accomplish its mission. He also helped start the MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition to provide the region a voice on public affairs at the state level. Known as a tireless advocate for the U.S. military, one of Mr. McLeese's major accomplishments was leading the effort to preserve the region's two military bases -Fort Jackson and McEntire Joint National Guard Base - during the 2005 round of federal Base Realignment and Closure. Not only did the bases remain open, but they also received new missions. Mr. McLeese was first appointed a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army in February of 2007, and was currently serving his fourth term. As civilian aide he served as the Secretary's personal representative throughout South Carolina, representing the Secretary of the Army at protocol events and memorial services and serving as a liaison between the Army and the civilian population. Mr. McLeese made it a particular point of pride to be plane-side to welcome home any fallen warrior. He strived tirelessly to make Columbia the most military friendly community in the nation. Mr. McLeese began his career as a staff member for U.S. Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings. While on staff for the senator, he secured federal funding for many community oriented programs. In 1971, Mr. McLeese became one of the youngest commissioners in the state's history when S.C. Gov. John West appointed him Commissioner of Narcotics and Controlled Substances. In this capacity, Mr. McLeese developed one of the nation's first comprehensive statewide plans for drug abuse treatment enforcement, education and rehabilitation. At the conclusion of the West administration, Mr. McLeese again made history as the only state agency head to recommend disbanding his agency because its mission had been achieved. After serving as vice president for marketing and government relations for the architectural and engineering firm of LBCandW, Mr. McLeese joined the Columbia/Washington, D.C.-based advertising and public relations firm of Cook Ruef, Inc. As senior vice president and managing partner of the agency, he utilized his skills from the public and private sector, developing media strategy for more than thirty political campaigns. In 1988 he was instrumental in the merger of two of the three leading advertising and marketing firms in the Columbia area. From that time until September 1994, Mr. McLeese was vice president for public relations and public affairs for Newman, Saylor and Gregory, now Chernoff Newman. Mr. McLeese supervised many of the firm's major accounts including South Carolina Electric and Gas, the University of South Carolina Athletic Department, the South Carolina Council on Child Abuse and Neglect and one of South Carolina's leading law firms, Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough. Mr. McLeese was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor bestowed in South Carolina by two different governors. Gov. John West presented Mr. McLeese with his first award in 1974, in recognition of his work as Federal State Liaison for the Commission of Narcotics and Controlled Substances. His second Order of the Palmetto, presented by Gov. Mark Sanford, honored his work in ensuring the continuing operation of both Fort Jackson and McEntire Joint National Guard Base during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure proposal. He served on the boards of directors for the Veterans Policy Academy, Midlands Technical College Foundation, Midlands Business Leadership Group, Midlands Housing Alliance and the Board of Visitors of Anderson University. Mr. McLeese's passions were numerous including his lovely wife, family and friends, baseball and Carolina football. Most nights he could be found on his back deck with a bag of popcorn and his dogs by his side. Mr. McLeese graduated from Anderson University in 1964 and from the University of South Carolina in 1967 with a degree in political science. He had served as a lecturer at USC's College of Journalism and Mass Communications and at the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government at Clemson University. Surviving are his wife, Sue Smith McLeese of the home; four daughters, the Rev. LeDayne McLeese Polaski (Dr. Tom) of Charlotte, N.C., Kelly Curran Johnson (Eric) of Atlanta, Ga., Dr. Susan Curran Satterfield (Dr. Bryan) of Greenville, Heather Anne Curran of Denver, Colo.; one son, Dr. William Daniel Curran (Michelle) of Greenville; six grandchildren, Kate Polaski, Caleb and Luke Johnson, Sylvie and Maeve Satterfield and William Curran; and beloved dogs, Zona and Max. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 noon Friday, November 1, 2013, at First Baptist Church, Columbia. A private family burial will be held at a later date. Published in Anderson Independent-Mail on Oct. 31, 2013

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Donald G. “Ike” McLeese's memorial?
Donald G. “Ike” McLeese's memorial is located at: New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery, Anderson, Anderson County, USA.
When did Donald G. “Ike” McLeese death?
Donald G. “Ike” McLeese death on 29 Oct 2013 in Columbia, Lexington County, South Carolina, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Donald G. “Ike” McLeese's memorial?
Latitude: 34.5161018
Longitude: -82.7391968

Family Members:

Parent

Joe Valentine McLeese

(1903 - 1995)

Wilma Glenn McLeese

(1907 - 1981)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5161018, -82.7391968

2. King David Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5144440, -82.7575810

3. Anderson Memorial Gardens
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5043983, -82.7074966

4. New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4826570, -82.7504690

5. Old Salem Baptist Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5519380, -82.7224860

6. Deep Creek Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5146667, -82.7859167

7. Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5524700, -82.7197300

8. Asbury Clark United Methodist Church Cemetery
Pendleton, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5391998, -82.7804031

9. Gray Cemetery
Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4743996, -82.7478027

10. Brown Family Cemetery
Centerville, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5243480, -82.6862090

11. Salem Baptist Church Cemetery
Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5475640, -82.6954840

12. Peter Keys Family Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4878500, -82.6911500

13. Poor Farm Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5373550, -82.6763400

14. Fairview African Methodist Episcopal
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5718900, -82.7335300

15. LaBoon Family Cemetery
Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4991989, -82.6735992

16. Andersonville Cemetery
Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4838982, -82.8041992

17. Old Welcome Baptist Church Cemetery
Sandy Springs, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5814018, -82.7221985

18. Piney Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
Sandy Springs, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5849571, -82.7428131

19. Roberts Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4584820, -82.7876320

20. First Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5042800, -82.6542000

21. Westview Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4921989, -82.6575012

22. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Columbarium
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.5166600, -82.6519400

23. Mountain Creek Baptist Church Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4443510, -82.7190230

24. Orr Mill Cemetery
Anderson, Anderson County, USA
Coordinate: 34.4906006, -82.6544037