H 5698

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5698
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A house RESOLUTION
TO HONOR AND
RECOGNIZE JAMES T. HAM FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE
UNITED STATES FEDERAL SERVICE AND HIS UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO HIS COMMUNITY.
Whereas, James T. Ham
was raised in South Carolina and educated in the Darlington County school district.
He began his career of service after high school as a petty officer in the
United States Navy, VA-65 at the Naval Air Station Oceana; and
Whereas, he earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Education from North Carolina Central University, a Master of
Arts degree in International Education from American University, and is
currently a doctoral candidate in the executive leadership program at the
University of Charleston. He is also bilingual in English and French; and
Whereas, Mr. Ham
retired from the United States Federal Service in 2023, after an extraordinary thirty-four-year
career spanning the United States Navy, the Peace Corps, and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Throughout his career, he provided
strategic leadership for international programs across public health,
education, agriculture, and small enterprise development, overseeing policy
implementation, crisis response, and mission advancement throughout Africa and
beyond; and
Whereas, during his
distinguished career, he directed programs in Africa, Europe, and the
Caribbean. He served as the country director for the Peace Corps in South
Africa, Uganda, and Cameroon, and later led public health initiatives for the
CDC in Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Zambia. Building on his service as a returned
Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea from 1996 to 1998, Mr. Ham became a respected
global leader known for advancing international volunteerism, cross-cultural
partnerships, and servant leadership. He also played key leadership roles in the
Ebola response efforts in West Africa and directed multiple emergency
evacuation missions across the African continent; and
Whereas, Mr. Ham is the
founder of Koba Leadership, an executive leadership coaching firm focused on
developing principled, globally minded leaders. A proud veteran and passionate
advocate for servant leadership, Mr. Ham has been consistently recognized for
his dedication to international volunteerism and ethical leadership; and
Whereas, he is an
alumnus of several prestigious leadership development programs, including the
University of Denver International Career Advancement Program in 2004, the
Harvard University Senior Executive Fellows Program in 2018, the African
American Federal Executives Program in 2019, and the American University Key
Executive Leadership Program in 2020; and
Whereas, Mr. Ham is a
2026-2027 Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) Awardee. This
prestigious award, specifically designated for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCU) leaders, recognizes his dedication to international
education and cross-cultural leadership; and
Whereas, the members of
the South Carolina House of Representatives value the dedication and service
that James T. Ham has given to his community, to the United States Navy, to the
Peace Corps, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and to the
Palmetto State. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the
South Carolina House of Representatives,
by this resolution, honor and recognize James T. Ham for his many years of
distinguished service to the United States Federal Service and his unwavering
dedication to his community.
Be it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to James T. Ham.
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This web page was last updated on May 13, 2026 at 11:03 AM