Auditor: Paul Brawley

Paul Brawley was elected the Auditor of Richland County in November 2006. A Columbia businessman, Brawley is a graduate of Limestone College, earned dual master’s degrees in business and management from Webster University and is a graduate of the S.C. Executive Institute. Brawley is a lifelong resident of Richland County and an active community advocate in Lower Richland where he and his family reside.

He serves on numerous professional and community boards in the Midlands. In 1995 he was the recipient of the Order of the Palmetto from Governor Carroll A. Campbell. He is also the recipient of the Smithsonian Institute Computerworld Medal for Innovation in Technology in the Public Sector. Brawley’s previous public service includes a senior staff member in the Governor’s Office, an executive staff member at the Department of Social Services and an adjunct professor in the business department at Midlands Technical College.

Brawley says his focus as the new county auditor is to work with organizations within the county to ensure citizens understand their entitlements regarding their taxes and to provide a citizen-friendly environment within the auditor’s office for the people of Richland County.

Clerk of Court: Jeanette McBride

Jeanette McBride is a life-long resident of Columbia, graduating from C.A. Johnson High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Voorhees College along with a Master Teacher’s Certification in Career and Technology Education.

Prior to being elected Clerk of Court in 2008, Mrs. McBride was a member of the Richland School District One Boards of Commissioners, serving as Secretary-Treasurer and a member of the South Carolina School Boards Association Level 4 Board Institute. She is a retired educator, who was named Teacher of the Year at Heywood Career & Technology Center as well as being selected and an Outstanding Teacher by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Mrs. McBride also served as a member of the Richland County Conservation Commission.

When not overseeing the operations of the Richland County Judicial Center, Mrs. McBride can be found volunteering. She is a member of the 100 Black Women of the Midlands and active in supporting the United Black Fund of the Midlands, Inc. Mrs. McBride also is the Past President of the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods and Midland Terrace Neighborhood Association and serves as President of Ward 18 Precinct.

Mrs. McBride is married to Frank E. McBride and is a proud mother of their three children and a member of Second Nazareth Baptist Church.

As the Richland County Clerk of Court, Mrs. McBride pledges to insure that prompt, accurate and courteous service is provided to our legal professionals, the public and court officials. We stand united in our commitment to ethically maintain the highest level of integrity and honesty in all of the work we perform. Her vision is to utilize cutting edge technology in carrying out the responsibilities of the Clerk of Court’s daily operations, thereby improving quality and efficiency.

Coroner: Gary Watts

Gary Watts, the Richland County Coroner, is no stranger to public service. Prior to being elected as Coroner, he served as the Deputy Coroner in Richland County for more than 15 years and was involved in over 7,500 death investigations. His professional experience also includes having served as a police officer, an Emergency Medical Technician, and an investigator with the Richland County Public Defender’s Office.

Gary Watts’ education prepared him for a career in public service. He is a graduate of the Institute of Police Technology and Management, University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. (This included traffic, homicide, investigations, advanced traffic and traffic accident reconstruction). He also attended the SC Criminal Justice Academy.

In addition to his experience and education, Gary Watts is also active in professional organizations, providing another avenue for supporting his community. He is a member of the SC Division of the International Association for Identification. He also serves as the President for the SC Coroner’s Association and as Chairman for the Richland County Child Health and Safety Council Child Fatality Review Committee. Gary Watts also served as the former Chairman for Midlands Safe Kids.

Gary Watts’ objective for his tenure as Richland County’s Coroner is to create the most experienced and modern office to work with law enforcement, the legal system, and our citizens. This will ensure that each case is quickly and fairly resolved, and always with respect to those involved. He also endeavors to develop a proactive approach to help reduce injuries and deaths by using new and innovative ideas in the community, with special attention to traffic and other accidental causes.

Probate: Judge Amy McCulloch

Judge Amy McCulloch graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1987. She attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, graduating in May of 1990.

She was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in November of 1990. Judge McCulloch began her legal career clerking for Judge Tom Ervin, State Circuit Judge and Judge William Catoe, Federal Magistrate. In 1991, she became an Assistant Solicitor for Richland County. She remained at the Richland County Solicitor's Office, supervising other attorneys and prosecuting cases, until December of 1996.

Prior to her election as the Probate Judge for Richland County in November of 1998, Judge McCulloch had been in private practice with her husband, Joe McCulloch. During this time, she handled a general practice, including probate matters, personal injury, and worker's compensation while managing the firm. Judge McCulloch was also an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College teaching courses in business law, civil law, criminal law, and ethics.

Judge McCulloch was sworn in as the Richland County Probate Judge in January of 1999. Since that time, she has created a web site for the Richland County Probate Court allowing public access to information and forms needed to probate estates through the Internet. She served as President of the South Carolina Association of Probate Judges from October of 2003 through 2004. She is also a member of the South Carolina Association of Counties and the National College of Probate Judges.

Judge McCulloch has been an instructor for the South Carolina Court Administration, Mandatory School for Magistrates and for the South Carolina Bar Bridge the Gap mandatory sessions for new lawyers. She serves on the Board for Midlands Technical College Legal Division.

Sheriff: Leon Lott

Born in Aiken, South Carolina, in 1953, Sheriff Leon Lott attended the University of South Carolina - Aiken, earning an Associate Degree in Police Administration. He went on to attend the University of South Carolina - Columbia, earning a Bachelor Degree in Sociology and continued with graduate study for a Masters in Criminal Justice. Later, Sheriff Lott graduated from the FBI National Academy, FBI National Executive Institute, and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Sheriff Lott came to the Richland County Sheriff's Department in 1975 as a patrol officer. He advanced thereafter to various positions, including Criminal Investigator, Narcotics Agent, Lieutenant and Captain of Narcotics Division, Administrative Captain, Uniform Patrol Captain, and Watch Commander. In 1993, Sheriff Lott took the position of Chief of Police of St. Matthews, SC.

In 1996, he made a successful run for Sheriff of Richland County. Upon taking office, Sheriff Lott turned the direction of the Department to Community Oriented Policing.

Solicitor: Daniel E. Johnson

The Honorable Daniel E. Johnson is the 15th solicitor elected to serve as Solicitor for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina.

He served as Legal Counsel and Deputy Chief as well as Chief Deputy for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked for eight years. While there he assisted the Sheriff in directing the county’s law enforcement programs and performing various legal and administrative duties to ensure the strict enforcement of state and local laws relating to the public’s safety and welfare. Johnson worked closely with Richland County Council and organizations throughout the community, managing the department’s annual budget of 30 million dollars.

A former prosecutor in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Johnson served as the Special City Prosecutor for the City of Columbia while serving on the Violent Crimes Task force. In 2008, he was one of three finalists for the Chief of Police of the City of Columbia.

Solicitor Johnson, a Captain and Judge Advocate in the United States Army Reserve, is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While serving in Korea in the summer of 2010, he received the United States Army Reserve Commander’s Coin and Certificate for outstanding performance.

He is a graduate of The Citadel, the University of South Carolina School of Law, the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, and the Police Legal Advisors Training program. Johnson is a member of the South Carolina Bar and an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law. In 2004, he was selected as a member of the Rotary Group Study Exchange Team, traveling to Sweden and engaging in a six-week speaking tour about community policing.

He currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Centura College, the Domestic Abuse Center, The Citadel Brigadier Foundation and the Youth Corps. He is also a recipient of The Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian award issued by the Governor. He received The Order of the Palmetto for bravery and acts of heroism at the age of twenty-two.

Solicitor Johnson was born in Washington, D.C., and attended high school in Laurel, Maryland.

Treasurer: David Adams

Richland County Treasurer David Adams was first elected in November 2002. He was sworn in to service on July 1, 2003.

As Treasurer, his priorities are to shorten lines and response times for our citizens, increase payment options, and to work toward instituting a system of installment tax payments. The ultimate goal is to allow citizens choices in how to best meet their tax obligations. He is working to ensure appropriate and prudent checks, balances and internal controls for Richland County government’s finances. Finally, David is intent on creating office policies that treat each taxpayer equally.

Prior to being elected Richland County Treasurer, David was the Director of Information for the South Carolina State Treasurer’s Office. In that role, he was responsible for interaction on treasury issues with citizens, media, state and local government agencies, and the General Assembly. He was on the committee that created the college savings program, FutureScholar, with Bank of America. And, he helped create Big Money Monday with WLTX-TV in Columbia to return money held by the state to its rightful owners around South Carolina.

County Council:

For information on elected Richland County Council Members, please visit County Council.