Dana Yow Appointed Executive Director of the EOC

Columbia, SC – Dana Yow has been named Executive Director of the SC Education Oversight Committee. Yow’s appointment was confirmed by a unanimous vote at the June 12, 2023 EOC Full Committee Meeting. Yow currently serves as the EOC’s Interim Executive Director.

On behalf of the Search Committee who interviewed the applicants, Subcommittee Chair Neil Robinson, Jr. recommended Yow’s hiring following an extensive national search. EOC member Patti Tate stated that as a full-time teacher, she is particularly confident in the Subcommittee’s choice.

“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to lead the talented team of individuals at the agency,” stated Yow. “The EOC’s partnership with agencies and groups from across the state has created positive changes in accountability and I look forward to the opportunities it creates for early intervention to help students succeed. We have truly exciting, challenging work ahead of us.”

Yow has worked with the EOC for over eighteen years, serving first as Director of Public Engagement and Communications and next as Deputy Director. She held this position until her appointment as Interim Executive Director following the November departure of former Executive Director Matthew Ferguson. In May, Yow received the SC Certified Public Manager (CPM) credential from the SC Department of Administration. The CPM credential is a nationally accredited management development program for managers and supervisors in South Carolina state government.

Yow was born and raised in Columbia and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received her undergraduate education and a Masters of Library and Information Science (School Library Media). She and her husband Maxwell reside in Blythewood. Her son Joshua is a rising sophomore at Clemson University studying mechanical engineering. Prior to working with the EOC, Yow served as Director of Communications at the SC Medical Association, where she also served as the Managing Editor of the prestigious Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association.

The SC Education Oversight Committee is an independent, non-partisan group made up of 18 educators, business persons, and elected leaders. Created in 1998, the committee is dedicated to reporting facts, measuring change, and promoting progress within South Carolina’s education system.

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