Advancing civil discourse with Liberty Fellowship and the Aspen Global Leadership Network

In 2025, Liberty Fellowship celebrated its 20th Anniversary as South Carolina’s premier leadership program and one of the longest-standing members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Over that 20-year history Liberty Fellowship has undergone a series of changes, most notably to establish itself as an independent 501(c)3 in 2023 and transition to a fully Fellow governed Board of Directors. Throughout, Liberty Fellowship has sustained its core mission, cultivated a network of over 350 diverse, high-impact, values-based leaders who have achieved a long list of remarkable accomplishments and fulfilled two-decades of remarkable service to our state and country.

In the summer of 2025, led by CEO Tycely Williams, Liberty partnered with Openfields to help cast a network-expanding vision for the next twenty years and develop a focused strategic plan for the next three. More than defining priority strategic objectives, the work involved establishing new vision, mission, and values statements and re-connecting with dozens of alumni who were engaged in the process. Central to the process, the planning committee wrestled with a set of critical questions about the role Liberty would play, not just in developing values-based leaders, but in taking an active leadership role in advancing civil discourse in the state and beyond.

We were particularly motivated by the set of values Liverty Fellowship adopted:

Enduring hope
‍From our state motto Dum spiro spero, “While I breathe, I hope.”

‍Courageous leadership
‍Taking personal and professional risks to advance the common good. ‍

Discourse across differences
Pursuing open, honest, and respectful dialogue across differences – personal, political, and generational – to expand perspectives, cultivate relationships, and generate more creative, lasting solutions. ‍

Timeless wisdom
Drawing from historic works of literature, letters, arts, and culture to expand and deepen our understanding of the shared human experience and our modern moment.

"The strategic plan is clear, concise, and compelling. It spells out specific roles and a path for getting there. I loved it."

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You can read the full strategic plan online: The Next Chapter: Increased Impact & Sustained Success  A foundation for the next twenty years, a strategy for the next three 2026-2029

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