William M. Webster, IV or the ascent of a business influencer

The climb of a business influencer : William M. Webster: William Webster has not only focused on growing successful companies, but also providing quality jobs. William M. Webster IV has a diverse knowledge of business and finance. Mr. Webster holds an Executive Masters Professional Director Certification, the highest level, from the American College of Corporate Directors, a public company director education and credentialing organization.

William M. Webster IV is a American business leader & entrepreneur that has served in government at the highest levels and is active in community and philanthropic endeavors. When he was a junior at Washington and Lee, Billy Webster, of the Class of 1979, ran in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. As it turns out, he was just getting warmed up. Currently chairman of the board of the Greenville (S.C.) Health System, Billy said he has no plans to slow down: “I’m going to run until I can’t do it anymore, and after that I guess I’ll still walk.” When Billy Webster runs in the Paris Marathon, he will be joined by two other Washington and Lee alumni: Rob George, a member of the Class of 2011 from New York, and Matt Gossett, of the Class of 2012 from Atlanta.

William M. Webster IV announced he had donated funds to The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina (TNC), before delivering a prepared address to the conservancy board and audience at this year’s fall meeting. “So what should we do? What can we do? Not surprisingly, my answer is to support the Nature Conservancy in S.C. That’s a real answer, not just a throw-away line and it’s the choice that my family made. Here’s why: First, TNC – celebrating its 50th anniversary in S.C. – has a long history of doing real and important and substantive work to protect our natural resources and special places from the mountains to the sea…” “From that beginning, TNC has led the way in conservation and environmental stewardship across the state… Basically what that means is that every state is developing a strategic plan similar to ours, one based on the four priorities of: Protect land and water, Tackle climate change, Provide food and water sustainability, Build healthy cities.”

Responsible for oversight of Department of Education management ($32 billion budget, 5,000 employees); political liaison to the White House; advisor to the Secretary on general education policy matters. Responsible for coordination and planning of all Presidential events: responsible for all Presidential meetings and briefings and for supervision and coordination of all Presidential travel. Management responsibility of staff of 25 full-time and 300 part-time employees. See more details on William M. Webster IV.

William M. Webster IV, 62, is co-founder and CEO of Advance America Cash Advance Centers, the rapidly growing Spartanburg-based company that celebrated its eighth anniversary Friday. As of last month, the company operated 2,595 stores in 35 states, and the number of stores continues to grow. In the first quarter of this year, Advance America made 2.6 million payday loans; its net income of $19.7 million was up 31 percent over last year. The Greenville native’s road to Spartanburg has been filled with ambitious jobs and achievements, any one of which might qualify for “career pinnacle” status. He’s held several high-profile Washington jobs — for a year in the mid-1990s, he was in charge of coordinating President Clinton’s schedule, from major events to daily exercise. Before that, Webster was president of Greenville-based Carabo Inc., the largest franchisee of Bojangles restaurants.

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