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N O V 2 0 1 7 D E C
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Billy served as Director of Public Safety for the Town of Chester-
field South Carolina for one year. For the next sixteen years he worked
at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy; starting as the Field
Training Director and moving positions up to the Academy Director
position before retiring December 31, 1999.
In l994, the National Academy secured office space at the FBI
Academy and employed its first Executive Director, Les Davis a re-
tired FBI special agent. One of Les’s first tasks was to select people
for the role of Secretary/Treasurer to take care of the day-to-day busi-
ness in the respective sections of the Association. Billy was selected to
serve for Section III. The four secretary/treasurers were responsible for
running the daily operations of their section. They collected annual
dues, distributed annual membership cards, and wrote newsletters to
each Chapter, as there was no Association Magazine at that time. They
maintained their own bank account's to deposit the dues collected and
to pay all bills received from their Section representative and other
board members. They also played an important role in the Annual
Conference preparation as well as provide support for all board meet-
ings at the Academy.
The four secre-
tary/treasurers served
in those positions
for a four year term
and were then re-
appointed to another
term with the goal
of working them-
selves out of a job.
This would happen
two years later, and it
was at the 2001 NA
Annual Conference
conducted in Char-
lotte, NC where they
had accomplished
their mission and the
positions were abol-
ished. Recognition for
their outstanding contributions to the National Academy Associates
consisted of a proclamation, engraved NA rings and a gold lifetime
membership card.
It was during this conference that the Executive Board rec-
ognized the need for the Association to have a chaplain and Billy
was tapped to develop and implement that program. He gladly ac-
cepted that assignment and over the next thirteen years we enjoyed
reading his articles (Chaplain's Corner) in each issue of our Associate
Magazine.
During his tenure as Chaplain, he conducted memorial services
for 1,104 NA graduates at our Annual Conferences and is so grateful
that only five of those deaths were by adversarial action. He fondly
recalls the many times that he had the opportunity to offer counsel to
NA members and, in most cases, was able to assist them with whatever
matters they were experiencing. In 2013, Billy retired from the Execu-
tive Board and assisted with the selection of his successor, Chaplain
Dan Bateman.
As he looks back over his career in law enforcement, he proudly
feels that he made a difference by his contributions. One of which,
was assisting people in avoiding prison, my guess is he did this
through counseling and example. He considers the highlight of his
career as attendance at the National Academy which contributed
greatly to his professional success. He cherishes the many friends he’s
made through the NAA and stays in contact with many of them on
a regular basis.
Billy and Phyllis continue to live in Columbia, South Carolina
and maintain and operate the family farm in Mt. Croghan; the couple
also owns and operates a travel agency and has many opportunities to
travel the world.
In October of 2016, Billy had quadruple by-pass open heart
surgery from which he has recovered fully. He feels very strongly
that what failures he has experienced in life were of his own mak-
ing and his successes are attributed to his faith in and service to
God.
Addendum: Since drafting this Spotlight, I have learned that the South
Carolina legislature enacted legislation to create a Law Enforcement
Hall of Fame to be housed at the Criminal Justice Academy. 2017 is
the first year for inductees and Billy was nominated and approved to
be a member of the inaugural class of seven inductees. Others in the
group include: Chief J.P. Strom the long- time Chief of the South
Carolina Law Enforcement Division who was a graduate of the 37th
Session of the National Academy and served as National President in
l964-65; Sheriff I. Bird Parnell, a graduate of the 53rd Session who
served as our National President in l981. Both men have long been
deceased but, Billy states “I felt so honored to be selected among this group
of special leaders and to still be alive to receive this honor; the NA did good
in this first class.”
Patrick Davis, Session 152
FBINAA Historian
Historian's Spotlight continued from page 22