Upstate businessman appointed to EOC

COLUMBIA, SC, November 25, 2020 - Sidney Locke, Vice President, Human Resources and Communication for Sage Automotive Interiors in Greenville, has been appointed the newest member of the SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC). Locke was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to serve as his business appointee to the committee; his term will begin immediately.

Locke received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1998, and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University in 2005.
 
Locke’s professional career began in 1998 when he joined Milliken & Company as a Production Manager, managing the efficiency and output of a department manufacturing textile products for the automotive and apparel industries. He served in a number of roles at Milliken until 2009 when he joined with a number of colleagues in a management buyout of the automotive operations of Milliken & Company, creating Sage Automotive Interiors. Sage is currently the largest global manufacturer of automotive interior surface materials with operations in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Locke’s current responsibilities include working to standardize and globalize Sage’s support and development of its nearly 4,000 employees. 
 
Currently, Locke is the Chair of the SC Future Makers Board, a group that is working to close the STEM skills gap in SC and ultimately retain talent for future economic development and regional prosperity. He is also Vice President of the Fine Arts Center Partners, which works to promote, encourage, recognize, and sponsor the Fine Arts Center of the Greenville County Public Schools. Locke previously served as a board member of the SC Chamber of Commerce.

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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