Meet Rita Allison

dscf0008Rita Allison, a lifelong resident of Lyman, South Carolina, is a wife, mother, grandmother, former small business owner, and respected community and state leader.Rita is the daughter of Raymond Allen and Jessie Caldwell Nichols. She is happily married to Ron Allison, the former owner and President of Tri-State Chemical Company. Ron and Rita have one daughter, Katina Degler, husband Ron and grandsons, Nichols, Jacob and Wren. Rita and Ron are both members of Lyman First Baptist and active community volunteers.Rita was completely educated in South Carolina public schools, which has allowed her to have a keen understanding of the public school system. Today her experiences help guide her policy beliefs and her understanding of the educational needs of all South Carolina children. Rita during her professional and public career has fought for better education both at the county and state levels

Rita is the daughter of Raymond Allen and Jessie Caldwell Nichols. She is happily married to Ron Allison, the former owner and President of Tri-State Chemical Company. Ron and Rita have one daughter, Katina Degler, husband Ron and grandsons, Nichols, Jacob and Wren. Rita and Ron are both members of Lyman First Baptist and active community volunteers.Rita was completely educated in South Carolina public schools, which has allowed her to have a keen understanding of the public school system. Today her experiences help guide her policy beliefs and her understanding of the educational needs of all South Carolina children. Rita during her professional and public career has fought for better education both at the county and state levels

SMALL BUSINESS BEGINNINGS

After graduation, Rita opened a small business which focused on assisting people with self-development, self-improvement, and retraining in their business skills. She also assisted her husband in building his 21 year chemical business. Rita’s passion for seniors showed through her work for Springs Industries in Education and Recreation, where she helped meet the needs of the elderly and retirees for over 30 years.

PUBLIC SERVICE

dscf0014Rita served as a leader in the S. C. House of Representatives for 10 years, from 1993 to 2002. As a conservative reformer, Allison has worked tirelessly on many reform committees, including:

  • Education Accountability;
  • Tax Reform;
  • Higher Education Reform;
  • Reform of Children’s Code;
  • Domestic Violence Reform;
  • Child Abuse Reform; and
  • K-12 and Special Schools, of which she was Ways and Means Sub- Committee Chair.

Rita quickly rose to the post of Assistant Majority Leader of the Republican Caucus, where she helped push conservative policy forward in our state. This important leadership role allowed Rita to remain a strong, proven voice for her district and constituents of House District 36. She organized and chaired the SC Republican Women Caucus and she chaired the General Assembly Woman’s Caucus. Currently, she serves as chair of the SC House Education and Public Works Committee. She is the first Republican woman to chair one of the six major committees in the SC House.

In addition to her House service, Rita was an 8 year elected member of the District Five Spartanburg County School Board, which serves the western Spartanburg County communities of Duncan, Lyman, Wellford, Reidville and a portion of Greer. She also served on the Board of the RD Anderson Technology School. Rita served 5 ½ years with Governor Sanford in the Executive Branch and 10 years with the Commission on Higher Education. Rita understands the needs of our children and families and has proven that she will work endlessly for them.

Finally, for her service to her community and to South Carolina, Rita was awarded the prestigious Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian award given in South Carolina.