This week’s spotlight is on Cliff Warren. Mr. Warren is native to Walterboro. He attended Forest Hills Elementary School, went to middle school at Colleton County Middle School Campus A and B, and graduated high school from Walterboro High School in 1987. Sport of choice: soccer. Warren played soccer during a time when it wasn’t as popular as it is now. He recalls when he was playing the school didn’t quite know where to place soccer and what to do with it in the sports lineup. The school didn’t want to put it in fall sports to compete with football. They didn’t want to put in the spring line up to compete with existing spring sports. It ended up being placed in winter sports with basketball. Warren recalls it did make for some brutally cold matches, but it was eventually moved to the spring lineup. The football coaches used to give the soccer team a hard time telling them not to mess up their field. Cliff loves sports but he felt his stature wasn’t big enough for football, and on a whim tried out for soccer. He played 10th-12th grade mostly as a forward with a little bit of midfield mixed in, and fell in love with the sport. Warren recalls it was one of the best decisions he made, because it led him to college through scholarship, and provided him with opportunities he may not have had otherwise. He acknowledges that soccer may not be as exciting to watch as it is to play, but the sport will always be something he loves. Soccer ended up getting Warren to Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C. He didn’t quite have everything figured out as far as what he wanted to do after college. His advisor helped him navigate that and Cliff credits her with doing a good job helping him with “what do I want to be when I grow up?” The advisor ended up suggesting teaching reasoning he liked kids, education, and sports, so it seemed like a natural fit. Warren ended up majoring in physical education. It must have been fate, because when he graduated an opportunity arose for him to come back to Walterboro to apply for a teaching position and to coach soccer. He remembers how exciting it was to come right out of college and be the head coach of a team at a 4A school; the Walterboro High School Bulldogs. He knew a lot of players on the team and a lot of the parents too being from the area which probably helped make the transition from the proverbial broke college student to responsible adult head coach a little easier.
Head coach at WHS is not the only position Warren has held in the Colleton County School District. He has taught at Black Street Elementary and Forest Hills Elementary (where he went to elementary school). He worked for the district for five years as a physical education teacher before he decided to further his education. Cliff went to The Citadel, where he earned his Master’s Degree in Administration. As soon as he finished getting his MS, he was hired as the Assistant Principal at what was then Forest Circle Middle School and had previously been Colleton Elementary. Then the principal at Forest Circle Middle was moved to Ruffin High School and he was named as interim principal at FCMS for one year. He was eventually made principal at Forest Circle Middle and remained there for five years. Then his path took him to Walterboro High School as an associate principal for a couple of years. When the principal retired the district approach Warren about becoming the principal at WHS, and he accepted. His tenure carried over from the transition from Walterboro High School and Ruffin High School to Colleton County High School. He was excited about having some input in the process of building a new school. “Having the opportunity to start from scratch, to be in the design phase, the planning phase, and then actually getting to move in and be a part of that building was really rewarding for me,” he recalls. He next position in CCSD was assistant superintendent for HR and Operations where he worked for six or seven years. After those six or seven years he had put in 32 years and thought maybe it was time for a change. He said, with a grin, his wife wasn’t going to let him just sit at home and do nothing after retiring and there was a good opportunity at Palmetto Rural Telephone in an HR position. He applied and got the job. It was bittersweet to leave CCSD, but he heeded the call for change and took a new path. He has been at PRTC for two years this past June and compliments the company on its community involvement. Warren has always been civic minded and appreciates the opportunities to get involved afforded by PRTC. He has historically been involved in organizations such as the Recreation Commission, has served on the Chamber of Commerce, part of the Sertoma Club when it was active in Colleton County, and any other organizations he could be a part of for fundraising helping the community. He is part of the Rotary Club through a corporate sponsorship. The Rotary Club raises money for Alzheimer’s Disease research. This is a cause near and dear to Cliff’s heart because his mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and unfortunately passed away due to the disease. He complements what is called the CART fund the Rotary Club organized. The South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and maybe Texas puts buckets on their tables at each meeting. Members drop their loose change in the buckets and it goes to the CART (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust). 100% of the CART funds goes toward Alzheimer’s research. As of this year the fund has exceed of $13 million. The Rotary Club also has a scholarship for USC Salkehatchie. They also give to Colleton First Steps to help them buy Christmas gifts for children who may not get gifts for Christmas. Mr. Warren will begin his first year in 2024 as the President of the Rotary Club, and he looks forward to the opportunities to continue to assist the community.
Personally, Cliff is married to his wife Hope for almost 30 years and they have a daughter who also played soccer. She is currently attending Augusta University working on her Master’s Degree. She wants to be an occupational therapist and she should be finishing up the classes soon, and all that will be left is to pass her boards.
Going back to Cliff’s love of sports, I asked him who was his favorite college football team. Warren is a South Carolina Gamecock fan. He asserts, “let me tell you something, you have to have a strong heart to be a South Carolina fan, because they will put you through the ringer.” Fortunately for Cliff’s cardiac health South Carolina won over Oklahoma 35-9 on the weekend after we spoke.
When asked about what he would do if time and money were no object, his answer keeps in line with his willingness to serve his community and to help others. He is a man of faith and would do all he could do to spread the gospel. Secondly, he would devote time to trying to help finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. His concern is not only for the people who have the disease as his mother did, but also for the family members. Alzheimer’s is a hereditary disease, so the impact it has can be very far reaching.
It is always good to see those who grew up in the area come back to do what they can to help make that community the absolute best that it can be. Cliff Warren is one of those people who through his concern and willingness to be involved will help to make Colleton County a good place for all citizens. Thank you, Mr. Cliff Warren for all your contributions.
