The South Carolina State University board voted to oust trustee Lumus Byrd as its chairman and to elevate trustee Jonathan Pinson to the position during a special called meeting Tuesday afternoon.

Although no specifics were given by trustees for the action, The Times and Democrat learned that one complaint against Byrd involved a letter altering the payment plan for President Dr. George Cooper’s $55,089 supplement salary, an action taken without board approval.

In a letter dated June 16, 2009, Byrd wrote S.C. State Advancement Foundation Chairman Charlton Whipple asking the foundation for assistance in paying Cooper four $13,772 installments. Those payments would begin on July 1, 2009, and end in April 2010, the letter said.

Reached by phone after the meeting, Whipple said he couldn’t comment on the matter at this time.

Byrd had no comment following the meeting. As the session adjourned, he did say openly, “That’s that.”

He had been elected board chairman last September.

After a 40-minute closed session, the board voted 9-4 to remove Byrd. Trustees Dr. John Corbitt, Dr. Walter L. Tobin, Linda Edwards-Duncan and Byrd were the dissenting votes.

Tobin said the board will never be an effective governing body if trustees continue to constantly fight with each other. Pinson was elected as the new chairman by a 9-to-3 vote with Corbitt abstaining. Trustees Robert Nance, Earl Bridges, Reggie Gallant, Lance Wright, Karl Green, Matthew Richardson, Martha Smith and Maurice Washington and Pinson voted for the new chairman. Tobin, Byrd and Edwards-Duncan voted against Pinson.

Trustees also voted unanimously to pay Cooper’s supplemental salary in full immediately.

“Hopefully we can all get on one accord and move this university forward,” Pinson said.

Asked why the board ousted Byrd, Pinson said, “It was just the board looking to move in a different direction. Lumus has done a lot of good things for the university. The majority of the board felt it was time to move in a different direction.”

Pinson said he is elated his colleagues elected him to serve as chairman. Pinson will serve out the remainder of Byrd’s term, which ends in September 2010.

Pinson is the president of Professional Staffing Solution in Greenville. He is also part owner of Travinia’s Italian Kitchen and the Hilton Columbia Center Hotel in Columbia.

Trustee Robert Nance said the change in leadership was made because the board wanted to see “a sense of urgency.”

“I think in Chairman Pinson you will see a sense of urgency. He’s an established entrepreneur, a successful businessman and I think he will bring those talents to the chairmanship. The university faces some challenges. Those are challenges I’m confident we will overcome,” Nance said.

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