A Lexington, South Carolina businessman and attorney has been named the new director of the Business & Organizational Leadership program at Columbia International University.

Dr. Scott R. Adams has nearly three decades of experience in law and business management for major corporations including Dow Corning Corporation, Insignia Financial Group, Inc., Prysmian Group North America and most recently with TrioIP Group, Inc. in Lexington.

Adams earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from Brooklyn Law School in New York City and a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Allied Legal Services (double major) from University of Central Florida in Orlando, the area where he grew up.     

Adams has been very involved in community affairs in the Midlands of South Carolina, serving in key leadership positions with several civic organizations. He has also garnered several honors, including “South Carolina Ambassador for Economic Development” awarded by Gov. Nikki Haley and State Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt in 2012.  

Dr. Bryan Beyer, the dean of the CIU College of Arts & Sciences, says he is pleased to have Adams join the faculty.

“Dr. Adams rose to the top of a strong pool of candidates, and we look forward to seeing continued growth in our program through the very capable leadership he will provide," Beyer said.  

Adams becomes program director on July 1. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of International Business at CIU.