It’s all about business. Pamela Evette was preaching to the choir when she spoke at the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce luncheon in August. From student apprenticeships to scholarships at technical colleges to an online database for youth employment and outreach targeting at-risk youth, South Carolina’s lieutenant governor connected the dots that impact businesses in the state.
This was not Evette’s first visit across the Cooper River this summer. In July, she joined Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie and others in the SC7 Expedition walk across the Ravenel Bridge, part of an endeavor to promote the state’s natural wonders and inspire people to protect them. Evette urged people to “get outside, enjoy all South Carolina has to offer and to do our part to keep our state strong, free and beautiful.”
The granddaughter of Polish immigrants, Evette said she learned from an early age just how blessed she is to have been born here in the land of opportunity. As her life has unfolded, she has seen firsthand how determination and hard work can lead to success. From starting her own business to becoming lieutenant governor and now making her bid for governor, she believes that “God had a bigger dream for me than I could ever dream for myself.”
An Ohio native, Evette earned a degree in accounting and began her career in business with a professional employer organization (PEO), a firm that enables companies to outsource administrative duties such as payroll, employee benefits and recruiting. She later became comptroller for the company. Little did she know then that one of her co-workers would later become her husband. She quipped, “We figured as long as we could work together, we could be married!”
“It’s inspiring to see youth getting involved in politics, not just the issues, but how it actually works.”
The two established their own PEO, Quality Business Solutions Inc., in Ohio and later opened an office in Upstate South Carolina. The original plan was for Evette to stay in Ohio while David ran the operation in Greenville, but they saw immediate growth there and, after deciding to get married, she joined him in Travelers Rest.
Evette’s parents had told her from a young age that she should always be mindful of her blessings, and they instilled in her a sense of duty in public service. “I had been an armchair quarterback (in politics) for most of my adult life,” she explained. So when then-governor Nikki Haley appointed her to the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee established to encourage small business growth, she felt she’d stepped into a role that was a perfect fit. Evette acknowledged that the worlds of politics and business are vastly different, but in this role, she merged the two.
When Henry McMaster ran for governor in 2018, he asked Evette to be his running mate. With their subsequent win, she became the state’s first female Republican lieutenant governor.
As lieutenant governor, Evette has attended conferences with other lieutenant governors and Republican leaders and believes “learning from peer groups is important and insightful.” When she is in Columbia, she champions issues that reflect her own and the administration’s priorities in public policy. Those regarding the elderly are particularly poignant for Evette, whose grandmother lived with her family when she was a child. “People who don’t have older relatives nearby may not realize that older people don’t always have the support they need, especially in this fast-paced world driven by technology. So, helping them is crucial,” she asserted. But by the same token, she acknowledged how important the members of a previous generation can be to a family, and she credits her own mother with helping and supporting her to get to where she is today.
Evette is also passionate about education and tries to be available when young leadership groups visit the Capitol. She said she wants to be a role model for them. “It’s inspiring to see youth getting involved in politics, not just the issues, but how it actually works.”
Evette has faced the challenge that all mothers do when they work outside the home: balancing work and family. “I’ve been doing this my whole adult life, so I’ve learned to make time for family,” she said. During the last seven years, she has driven home to Greenville most nights to eat supper with her family. She acknowledged the team effort which required the support of her husband and her mother, whom she credits with being there for all three of her children – especially during her early business career when she travelled regularly. “But my free time has always revolved around my children – watching movies together, taking family vacations, attending their sporting events,” said Evette. When she first became lieutenant governor, Evette said, “If I want to take up something new for myself, there will be time for that later.” Now, with her daughter married and her youngest child attending Clemson, that time appears to have arrived as she campaigns for governor.
Evette has received many prestigious awards in the world of business, among them the ATHENA Leadership Award, honoring individuals who help women reach their leadership potential. She has also been the recipient of the Women’s Presidents Organization/American Express 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned-and-Led Companies Award and has been honored as a member of the Impact 50, an annual ranking of the most powerful women leaders of Inc. 5000 companies. In 2018, she was an Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast finalist and in 2016 she received Business Black Box’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Evette’s company, QBS, has also received numerous awards, including being listed as one of the 50 Fastest Growing Women Owned/Led Companies. It’s also been the recipient of a SC Excellence in Business Award and was named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. Additionally, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce recognized QBS with its Small Business Award, and it has received the Roaring Twenties Award honoring the fastest-growing companies in South Carolina. QBS was also a Grant Thornton South Carolina 100 winner, recognizing the accomplishments of South Carolina’s privately-held companies, which are ranked by revenue in the previous year.
Evette believes society needs businesses to thrive and it’s necessary for the government to create an atmosphere where that can happen. “Business leaders need to feel comfortable with public policy,” she asserted. “Having political leaders that have business experience enables them to know we feel their pain. For the last 25 years, my professional life has been helping business growth. And that’s why the governor chose me.”
Evette is one of several candidates vying for election in the governor’s race set for Nov. 3, 2026.
By Mary Coy
Leave a Reply