Pamela Evette

Pamela Sue Evette (née Gajoch; born August 28, 1967) is an American politician and businesswoman and the 93rd lieutenant governor of South Carolina since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Upstate South Carolina before her election as lieutenant governor. She is the first lieutenant governor to be elected on the same ticket as the governor. She has been in office since January 9, 2019, when Henry McMaster began his first elected term as governor.

Background

Evette is the granddaughter of Polish immigrants. Born in Ohio, Evette earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in accounting from Cleveland State University. Evette worked as an accountant until returning to Travelers Rest, South Carolina in 2005, where she founded and acted as CEO of Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR and back-office solutions software firm.

Evette was the first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Before the 2018 election, South Carolina lieutenant governors were elected independently of the governor. She defeated Mandy Powers Norrell in the gubernatorial election on November 6, 2018. Evette took office as South Carolina's second female lieutenant governor (the first being Nancy Stevenson from 1979 through 1983 under Richard Riley) on January 9, 2019.

Lieutenant governor

Evette took office as lieutenant governor on January 9, 2019. Behind Nancy Stevenson, Evette is the second woman to hold the role of lieutenant governor, and first Republican woman to hold the office.

In South Carolina, the duties of the lieutenant governor are to focus mainly on the initiatives of the executive branch. Evette has spent much of her time in office traveling the state to meet with businesses and constituents, giving speeches and addresses that support Governor Henry McMaster. Evette said in an interview with the Associated Press that she has "doubled the potential footprint" of the governor's office through hosting various events across the state and communicating with lawmakers.

Evette has also focused her attention on education, school choice, promoting business, and protecting South Carolina's natural resources.

In 2019, Evette was asked to join Cohort 6 of the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program.

In 2019, Evette launched the annual Grab A Bag SC, a statewide litter pick-up initiative wit
PalmettoPride
to encourage South Carolinians to grab a bag and clean up their communities.

In 2020, Evette served as chair of the South Carolina Governor’s Complete Count Commission for the 2020 Census.

In 2020, Evette attended and helped lead th
accelerateSC
initiative.

In 2020, Evette participated in th
SC7 Expedition
to raise awareness for floodwater prevention and the importance of protecting South Carolina’s natural resources.

In 2023, Evette joined thousands of students at a State Rally Celebrating School Choice at the Capitol.

Evette is South Carolina's first lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket as the governor. Her predecessor, Kevin L. Bryant, was a political enemy of Governor McMaster, and the two consequentially did not have the same political agenda.

In October 2019, Evette was involved in a car collision in Greer, South Carolina when her driver inappropriately activated his flashing blue and red lights to go through an intersection. Evette's driver was cited, and Evette was uninjured.

In 2022, under the McMaster-Evette administration, South Carolina saw its largest tax cut and taxpayer rebate in state history through the passage of Act 228, the Comprehensive Tax Cut Act of 2022.

In November 2022, McMaster and Evette won reelection.

On June 9, 2023, Evette joined McMaster in establishing the PowerSC Energy Resources and Economic Development Interagency Working Group (PowerSC) to work with the state's energy stakeholders to develop strategic plans to ensure South Carolina has the energy capacity to meet the needs of the state's record-breaking economic development and population growth.

On December 12, 2023, McMaster underwent a minor outpatient heart procedure to correct paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, an intermittent irregular heartbeat. Evette served as acting governor for two hours. The South Carolina Constitution provides that the lieutenant governor may take executive action in case of emergency if the governor is temporarily disabled.

On May 6, 2024, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce and Evette announced Lt. Governor Evette's youth employment initiative "Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders" Youth Employment Initiative. This initiative promotes the importance of youth employment and a brand-new job board made for teenagers.

In 2024, Evette advocated for the expansion of home visit programs for SC moms and babies. In July, $500,000 was allocated in the state budget for Children's Trust home visiting services. These dollars were matched 3-to-1 by the federal Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting grant.

Beginning October 9, 2024, Evette attended every single Team South Carolina County Day event held in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. These events offered South Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene a one-stop opportunity to discover available relief resources.

On January 9, 2025, McMaster and Evette asked legislators to increase teachers' minimum pay to $50,000. A $50,000 salary floor for first-year teachers in 2025 would reach his goal a year ahead of schedule and represent a 66% increase in starting pay since 2017, when he became governor.

On January 29, 2025, McMaster shared in his State of the State Address that under the McMaster-Evette administration "South Carolina's law enforcement officers have received substantial pay raises – some as high as 52% in the last three years," and proposed continued for pay raises and the hiring of new law enforcement officers.

Awards and honors

In 2015, Evette was ranked the #3 top female entrepreneurs in the United States by Inc. Magazine, noting that as CEO, she grew her business to a one-billion-dollar enterprise in the 15 years since its inception.

In 2016, Evette received the Who's Who Award "The Boss" from Upstate Business Journal.

In 2016, Evette received Business Black Box Entrepreneur of the Year award.

In 2016, Evette was named an Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women.

In 2017, Evette received the ATHENA Leadership Award.

In 2018, Evette was a EY Entrepreneur Of the Year Southeast Finalist.

In 2019, Evette was named one of the 25 Most Beautiful Women in the Upstate by TALK Greenville.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Evette's business, Quality Business Solutions, was named as one of the nation's 50 Fastest Growing Women Owned/Led Companies by Women Presidents Organization.

In 2020, Evette was named Patron Emeritus from Horry Georgetown Technical College.

In 2020, Evette was named the Transportation Association of South Carolina's Elected Official of the Year

In 2021, Evette received the Global Eco-Adventures Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2021, Evette received the Great American Award from Greenwood County Veteran's Center.

In 2021, Evette was inducted into the 50 Most Influential People in the Upstate Hall of Fame.

In 2022, Evette was named a Women of Distinction by Girl Scouts of SC Mountains to Midlands.

In 2023, Evette was a GSA Business Report Woman of Influence Honoree.

In 2023, Evette was named a SC Women in Business Honoree by Integrated Media Publishing.

In 2023, Evette received the Recycling Impact Award from ISRI and NLGA.

In 2024, Evette received the Christian Woman of Distinction Award by She Leads Carolinas.

In 2024, Evette received the Joseph H. Rainey Empowered Leadership Award.

In 2024, Evette was named a 2024 Christian Woman of Distinction by She Leads America.

Electoral history

Personal life

Evette is married to David Evette, with whom she has one son. She also has one son and one daughter from a previous marriage.

Evette and her husband attend Catholic Church in Taylors, South Carolina.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Evette, Pamela
1967 births
21st-century South Carolina politicians
21st-century American women politicians
American politicians of Polish descent
Businesspeople from South Carolina
Catholics from South Carolina
Cleveland State University alumni
Lieutenant governors of South Carolina
Living people
People from Travelers Rest, South Carolina
South Carolina Republicans
Women in South Carolina politics