Alumni Spotlight is a website series that highlights College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management graduates.



To submit an outstanding graduate for recognition in Alumni Spotlight, or for any alumni-related questions, please contact Tina Weaver, Director of Alumni Relations, at 803-777-6721.

Carl M. "Mel" Pennington IV
'99 Retail Management

What do you do professionally? I'm the funeral director and a partner at Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home in Hartsville, S.C., the mayor of Hartsville, and a partner in Pennington & Bailes, an apparel company. On a typical day I'm balancing family, the City of Hartsville, funerals, and an apparel factory in China.

What led you to work in the funeral service business?
My family has been in the funeral business in Hartsville for the past 100 years. It has allowed me the flexibility to launch my other business, Pennington & Bailes, and work at night managing production at our factory in China.

What kind of apparel does Pennington & Bailes sell?
We make a line of college-themed clothing for men, women, and children--everything from pants and skirts to shorts, polos, and accessories. You can find the online store at penningtonandbailes.com.

Do you feel that the College of HRSM prepared you for your current career? I'm a firm believer that I gained more experience than any MBA program by jumping in headfirst and being forced to learn quickly. However, I cannot deny that a strong foundation is what helped pave the way for my success. Most of the tools that I needed to succeed came from the Department of Retailing, namely Prof. Katherine "Kitty" Strickland.

What classes did you most enjoy at USC? I loved the fashion classes and textiles. I wish I had double majored in fashion and retail. Most of the things that I had to learn the hard way I would most certainly have learned in school. It's funny: my sister Elizabeth Pennington majored in fashion and is currently managing some of the Coplon's boutiques on the east coast. I call her on occasion to pick her brain about the things she learned as a fashion major.

Tell us about your family. My wife keeps a great blog, www.babypennington.com. She was a journalism major at Carolina. We met while working for Sen. Saleeby in the State House. The blog is interesting, mostly about our family and some of the trials of dealing with my crazy life. Our youngest daughter, Mary Clare, was born with half of a heart, and we have folks from around the globe that track her life through the blog.

What are the high points thus far in your life? Marriage, the birth of my two kids, and finally making grades to get initiated into Kappa Alpha Order. I think I was the longest pledge in known history! Being elected mayor of Hartsville was pretty emotional, as well.

How did you choose USC? Most of my family attended Carolina, including my father and grandfather. I attended Heathwood Hall Episcopal School for my preparatory education, and it was just a few miles from the Carolina campus.

What attracted you to the College of HRSM and the retailing program? I wasn't ready for college to be honest. I attended Presbyterian College for a year and transferred a few credits to USC. I started in computer science and realized that I wasn't very strong in math. My advisor mentioned that retail was more like small business management. That's where I met Kitty Strickland, and my college career got started for real. She cared for me like I was her son, advised me like her employee, and I still see her occasionally at clothing shows. Kitty has since retired from the University, but I know that there are others just like her there.

Anything you would change about your college experience?
I would have studied a little more. Life is about balance. I truly believe that your social life can get you to places that grades alone can't get you. The balance is what makes or breaks you, though. I loved my experience, was glad to leave, and ready to go back all in the same breath.

What advice do you have for students going into your field? Specialize, build strong relationships early, learn everything you can about your field, and remember it like you will need it next week. It's so much easier to learn these things when you can ask for guidance from a professor than to be in the middle of a production run and do something that ends up costing you a few hundred thousand dollars for a simple mistake.

Where did you complete your internship/practicum?
I did my internship at a T-shirt shop here in Hartsville, which gave me the tools I needed and the confidence I needed to believe that I was capable of launching my business with no real experience. It's a rather long story but it sets up the entry into Pennington & Bailes. That experience gave me the confidence that I could do absolutely anything I set my mind to, and that it would work, and it may take more time--but I could do anything.

What other jobs did you have? I worked at Bird's On A Wire [a now defunct Columbia restaurant] in college. A fraternity brother at Carolina owned the restaurant and let me wash dishes. I also worked in the kitchen and waited tables. Working during college is a great thing: you network, start a serious work ethic, and are forced to manage your time.

Where would you like to live, other than where you live now?
St. Barths--blue water, small island. I bet they need a young mayor.

Any last memories of your time at USC? I cherish my time spent there. I still enjoy riding through campus and listening to my father talk about the Honeycombs. I hope that my daughters have an opportunity to experience the guidance, love, and support that I received during my stay. It's a big university, but it's really a very small place.