Derek Lewis receives the Ruth Nicholson Award for volunteer efforts
The Ruth Nicholson Award is presented by Community Foundation of Greenville.
He grew up in a family that believed in giving back — his dad, a deacon, “was always the first to raise his hand” — and it’s a tradition Derek Lewis carries on with enthusiasm.
But there’s a balance.
“My wife and I have an agreement: I can only be on three boards at a time,” Lewis says, laughing. “I do love to say yes.”
Saying yes has meant serving a variety of local nonprofit organizations and state commissions over the years, from Communities in Schools to the United Way to the South Carolina Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children, just to name a few. He sat two terms on the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees and is currently on the vestry at Christ Church Episcopal and the board of the Community Foundation of Greenville. All this, in addition to his day job as the long-time executive director of Greenville First Steps, working to ensure every child in the county enters kindergarten ready to thrive.
Lewis has a passion for supporting public education and improving the lives of children. With a wife, a mom, and a mother-in-law who are all teachers, he says, it really couldn’t be any other way.
And it hasn’t gone unnoticed. For his persistent service on behalf of others, Lewis was tapped for the Community Foundation’s 2026 Ruth Nicholson Award.
This annual award—the Community Foundation’s highest honor—recognizes significant contributions to the community on behalf of the organization or to one of its projects, programs, or areas of emphasis. The award honors the memory of Ruth Nicholson, who was known for her tireless volunteer work for the Foundation.
Lewis is humbled to be included among the luminaries who’ve earned this award in the past. “These are all people who’ve influenced my career,” he says. And while he never met Ruth Nicholson, she’s always been an inspiration as well. “Her name is synonymous with excellence.”
His work with the Community Foundation includes heading the organization’s Capacity Building Grants committee. These grants maximize philanthropic resources to provide a “transformative shot in the arm” to established nonprofits as they grow to the next level.
“I’m really proud of the work that we do at the Community Foundation,” says Lewis, noting the organization’s 70-year tradition of making charitable giving simpler and more powerful. “We help donors leverage their resources to make a real difference. We help local organizations move their missions forward.”
Lewis and his wife, Hedrick, are working parents to an active teenage boy. Despite the busyness of work, school, and life, they all make time for service to others. His son, in fact, is working toward the Eagle Scout rank, continuing a multigenerational family tradition.
“It’s a privilege to do work that makes our community a better place,” Lewis says.
A Gift for Giving
Ruth Nicholson Award winner Derek Lewis has volunteered over the years with a varieties of nonprofits and programs, including:
- Communities in Schools
- Community Foundation of Greenville
- Greater Good Greenville
- Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees
- Leadership Greenville
- Leadership South Carolina
- South Carolina Children’s Theatre
- South Carolina Education Policy Fellowship
- South Carolina Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children
- United Way of Greenville County
