Donald Gist
Donald Gist | |
|---|---|
| Commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind | |
| In office 1990–1999 | |
| Governor | Carroll A. Campbell Jr. David Beasley |
| Preceded by | William K. James |
| Succeeded by | Nell Carney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1950 (age 75–76) Jonesville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Adrienne R. Gist |
| Relations | Stephen K. Benjamin (son-in-law) |
| Children | 2, including DeAndrea G. Benjamin |
| Education | Benedict College University of South Carolina |
Donald Gist (born c. 1950) is an American employment attorney who served as the commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and as vice chair of the South Carolina State Ethics Commission. He was the first Black American to serve as head of the commission, and as head of any blindness agency in the United States.
Early life and family
Gist was born and raised in Jonesville, South Carolina.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree from Benedict College in Columbia in 1972. He went on to earn a master's degree in history and a law degree from the University of South Carolina, graduating from the university's School of Law in 1978.[1]
He is married and has two children, including federal judge DeAndrea G. Benjamin. His son in law is Stephen K. Benjamin, former mayor of Columbia, South Carolina and Senior Advisor to the President.[2][3] In December 2013, Gist's son, Donald Gist Jr. was shot and killed in a parking lot of a Queens Mini-Mart store in Charlotte, North Carolina.[4]
Career
South Carolina Department of Labor
Before entering private practice, Gist spent 18 years with the South Carolina Department of Labor, where he served as Director of Labor Conciliation and later Director of Labor Management Services, functioning as the agency's deputy commissioner over all labor-management employment matters.[1][5] Gist also served as chairman of the South Carolina Opportunities Industrialization Council and on the Governor's blue ribbon panel to study challenges facing the aging population in South Carolina.[1]
South Carolina Commission for the Blind
In March 1990, Gist was appointed to head the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, the state agency serving blind and visually impaired residents.[6][7][8] He was the first Black American to serve as head of the agency, and of any blindness agency in the United States.[9]
Gist led the agency through much of the 1990s, overseeing its vocational rehabilitation, employment, and disability-advocacy programs and working on issues related to the newly-enacted Americans with Disabilities Act and the federal Rehabilitation Act.[10][11] In 1994, he attended the White House National Disability Policy Conference.[8] In 1996, Gist led activities celebrating the agency's thirtieth anniversary.[12] During his tenure, Gist worked closely with the Food and Drug Administration as an advocate for blind and visually impaired vendors and business owners.[13][14]
State Ethics Commission
In 2018, the South Carolina Senate confirmed his appointment to the State Ethics Commission.[15] Gist served as vice chair of the commission during his tenure, and his term ended in 2022.[16]
Private practice
Gist founded the Gist Law Firm, P.A., where he continues to practice as senior partner on high profile cases.[17] His practice centers on employment law, primarily representing plaintiffs in disputes with employers before federal and state courts.[18][19][20] He also handles matters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission, the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, among other bodies, and has litigated personal injury, medical malpractice, and criminal cases. He has appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and in federal and state courts outside South Carolina, including in Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.[21][22]
Gist served as co-counsel for the appellant in Dawkins v. Union Hospital District, a 2014 South Carolina Supreme Court case in which the court unanimously reversed a lower court's dismissal of a negligence claim.[21]
Gist has served as president of the South Carolina Black Lawyers Association and is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association and American Bar Association.[21] He has also served as board chairman of Wateree Community Actions, Inc.[23][24]
Awards
In 1990, Gist was recognized with a resolution by the South Carolina Legislature.[25] He is a member of the Super Lawyers program for South Carolina.[26]
In 2023, Gist was honored as a Legal Elite recipient by Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly, and Charleston Business Magazine.[27] In 2024, Gist was named as a recipient of The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr. Civility Award from the Richland County Bar Association.[28]
In 2024, Gist received the Distinguished Lawyer Award from the South Carolina Bar.[29]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Braille Monitor, July 1990". nfb.org. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ "Judge DeAndrea G. Benjamin". Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ↑ "Judicial Merit Selection Commission – Personal Data Questionnaire" (PDF). Retrieved August 11, 2022.
- ↑ "SC mayor's brother-in-law killed in Charlotte". AP News. December 7, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ↑ Bierman, Leonard; Youngblood, Stuart A. (1985-03-01). "Resolving Unjust Discharge Cases: A Mediatory Approach". Arbitration Journal. 40 (1): 48. ISSN 0003-7893.
- ↑ Capace, Nancy (2000-01-01). Encyclopedia of South Carolina. Somerset Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-0-403-09347-2. Search this book on
- ↑ Consumer's Resource Handbook. U.S Office of Consumer Affairs. 1991. Search this book on
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Operation People First: Toward a National Disability Policy. United States President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. 1994. Search this book on
- ↑ Felder, James L. (2012-05-22). Civil Rights in South Carolina: From Peaceful Protests to Groundbreaking Rulings. History Press. ISBN 978-1-61423-515-6. Search this book on
- ↑ South Carolina Legislative Manual. South Carolina General Assembly. 1996. Search this book on
- ↑ Hispanic Times Magazine. Hispanic Times Enterprises. 1994. Search this book on
- ↑ "1995-96 Bill 4992: Blind Commission, 30th Anniversary - South Carolina Legislature Online". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ McDonough, Molly. "Commission seeks answers for blind cigarette vendors". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ "Gist says he can lead state blind commission". The Item. 1999-06-22. pp. 5A.
- ↑ Prabhu, Maya T. (2017-06-06). "Senate approves new South Carolina Ethics Commission members". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ "January 20, 2022 Open Session Meeting Minutes" (PDF). South Carolina State Ethics Commission. 2022.
- ↑ "Black employee sues Boeing after finding noose at desk". NBC News. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ "Columbia fire chief sues firefighters association; group says claims 'without merit'". WLTX. 2026-06-23.
- ↑ Frazier, Herb (2026-03-26). "Gullah Geechee Corridor marks milestone, new leader". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ "READ IT: Deon Jackson, attorneys file lawsuit against Berkeley County School Board members, interim superintendent". WCBD News 2. 2022-12-13. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Donald Gist". Gist Law Firm. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ Duncan, Charles (2019-06-14). "Black man says white coworkers hung noose, urinated on his chair at Boeing, suit says". The State.
- ↑ Turner, Dakarai (2015-02-13). "Wateree Community Actions Asking for City, State Money". WLTX.
- ↑ "Wateree Community Actions chairman requests extension to repay $115,000 loan from city of Columbia". Cola Daily. 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Rogers, T. F. (1990-05-22). "A Concurrent Resolution congratulating Mr. Donald Gist". South Carolina Legislature.
- ↑ "Top Rated Columbia, SC Employment & Labor Attorney | Donald Gist | Super Lawyers". SuperLawyers.com. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Walker, Donna Isbell (2023-08-04). "2023 Legal Elite". Greenville Business Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ "Annual Awards". Richland County Bar Association. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ "Employment and Labor Law Section - South Carolina Bar". www.scbar.org. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
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