Haley selected for Clemson University Board of Trustees

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Former United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley has been named to the Clemson University Board of Trustees, effective immediately.

Haley, who served as South Carolina’s governor before being nominated by former President Trump to the U.N., graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Clemson in 1994. After leaving Clemson, she worked for her family business and served as its chief financial officer.  

Haley’s career in public service began in 2004 with her election to the S.C. House of Representatives. In 2010, Haley was elected as the first female and first minority governor of South Carolina and was the youngest governor in the country at that time. She was reelected governor in 2014.  

In 2016, Trump nominated Haley to be the 29th U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. Haley continued to serve as governor until her confirmation by the U.S. Senate in January 2017. Haley served as the ambassador until January 2019. During that time, she was also a member of the president’s cabinet and the National Security Council.

At the United Nations, Ambassador Haley worked to introduce reforms to make the organization more efficient, transparent, and accountable. Ambassador Haley was also a champion of human rights and challenged human rights violators. In the U.N. Security Council, she sought to defend America’s interests and safety.  Those efforts included spearheading negotiations resulting in the strongest set of sanctions ever placed on North Korea for its nuclear weapons program.  

Since 2019, Haley has led the Stand for America advocacy group, with stated objectives to promote public policies that strengthen America’s economy, culture and national security.

“Ambassador Haley’s love of country, leadership skills, commitment to education, and passion for Clemson University will serve the board well,” Kim Wilkerson, board chair said in a news release. “She will be a tireless advocate for the university and all of its constituents.”

Haley succeeds David H. Wilkins of Greenville, who is retiring as a trustee after serving since 2007, including six years as chair. Wilkins, a former speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives and ambassador to Canada, will become a trustee emeritus, the release said. He has chaired the public policy and international law practice group at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.