Embarking on its twelfth season of giving, Greenville Women Giving (“GWG”), a local women’s collective philanthropic and grantmaking organization that serves Greenville County, recently announced with great excitement a planned leadership transition. GWG founders Sue Priester and Frances Ellison completed their final terms on GWG’s Board of Directors and will now join founder Harriet Goldsmith as Chairs Emeritae and active members under a new leadership team comprised of four co-chairs: Maggie Glasgow, Diane Perlmutter, Emelia Stephenson and Janet Sumner. For a full list of the 2017-18 Season’s Board of Directors, click here.

“While our founding mothers will continue to lend their vision and direction to Greenville Women Giving, the organization’s day-to-day operations will be entrusted to us. This is a great honor and a privilege for each of us, and we are truly grateful to the firm foundation and incredible mentorship Sue, Frances and Harriet have given and will continue to give us. It is no small feat to grow an organization such as this from three women to more than 550 having given a total of $4.8 million in grants in eleven short years. We are eager, expectant and excited to grow our giving in the years ahead,” said a joint statement by GWG’s co-chairs.

"We leave the leadership of GWG amazed and gratified by the growth of the organization, and fully confident that its new leaders will take it to new heights. We can't wait to see its many contributions to our community in coming years,” said a joint statement by GWG’s co-founders.

GWG’s New Leadership Team

Maggie Glasgow grew up in western North Dakota, the oldest of six children. She attended and graduated from the University of North Dakota with degrees in English and Journalism, followed by a Masters and Ph.D. in Sociology from Duke University. Maggie taught sociology at Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va. and retired as chair of the Social Sciences Division. She moved to Greenville in 2006 and joined Greenville Women Giving in 2008. Maggie has chaired GWG’s Education Committee and Strategic Planning Committee, and has served as Leadership Development chair on GWG’s board prior to becoming a co-chair.

In 2006, Diane Perlmutter moved to The Cliffs at Glassy from New York City, where she lived and worked for nearly forty years. Diane’s career included being vice president of marketing and advertising at Avon Products, Inc., chief operations officer of communications giant BursonMarsteller, and chief executive officer of Gilda’s Club Worldwide, the cancer charity inspired by Gilda Radner. She served on the boards of directors of YMCA of Greater New York, Columbia-Greene Hospital Foundation, Hudson Opera House Community Center, Women’s Forum Inc. and Cancer Support Community. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio, Diane is in her first term as a National Trustee on the University’s Board of Trustees. Since moving to South Carolina, Diane has continued her community engagement by serving on The Cliffs at Glassy Property Owners Association board; GHS Capital Campaign Steering Committee and the Cancer Institute Advancement Council; as secretary of The Warehouse Theatre board; and as a member of Greenville Women Giving’s Class of 2012, co-chair of GWG’s Tenth Anniversary and chair of the Endowment Committee.

A Virginia native, Emelia Stephenson has lived in Greenville since 1980. She spent her career as a speech language pathologist working with children and adults in the public and private sectors. An active community volunteer, Emelia has held leadership positions with a number of local organizations. A founding member of Greenville Women Giving, she has served on the board as Grants Review chair and as Grants Assessment chair. Emelia is a graduate of Davidson College and has a Masters Degree from the University of Virginia.

Janet Sumner grew up in Greenville and graduated from Rhodes College in 1982. She worked as a copywriter and account executive for several Greenville firms including Liberty Life’s marketing department, Henderson Advertising and The Eison Goot Group (now Brains on Fire). She served as vice president of marketing for the Peace Center for the Performing Arts for eight years before opening Benetz, a retail store in downtown Greenville. After leaving Benetz, Janet began directing marketing efforts for her husband, local attorney Steve Sumner, and joined Greenville Women Giving in 2009. She has served on the Grants Committee, as Membership chair for three years, and co-chair for three years.