Russell Stall honored with Order of the Palmetto

GREENVILLE, SC – Community leader Russell Stall was honored with the Order of the Palmetto Wednesday night.

The Order of the Palmetto is awarded to South Carolinians who demonstrate extraordinary lifetime achievement, service, and contributions of national or statewide significance. State Representative Chandra Dillard honored Stall with the Order of the Palmetto.

“This is really an honor,” Stall said before a packed room including family and friends as well as his mother watching from a live social media feed. “I’m never at a loss for words, but right now I am at a loss for words.”

The current Executive Director of the Greenville County Historical Society, Stall has led a lifetime of service to the Greenville community. A Greenville native, Stall is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, holds a Master of Business Administration from Emory University, a Masters of City Planning from Clemson University, and a Ph.D. in Planning, Design and the Built Environment from Clemson.

In his professional career, he was the owner of ResearchWorks, a strategic marketing research firm focused on community revitalization, development, and advanced quantitative and qualitative methods. He then founded Greenville Forward, a nonprofit organization charged with facilitating and shepherding Vision 2025, a community-wide vision for Greenville County. 

In the community, he served two terms on Greenville City Council between 2017 and 2025. 

He also was the volunteer class facilitator for Leadership Greenville for 11 years and mentored young professionals through the Greenville Chamber’s Pacesetters program. He also helped to organize TEDxGreenville, the first TEDx event in South Carolina.

His many community leadership roles over the years include serving as president of the Rotary Club of Greenville and on the boards of organizations such as the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, Hispanic Alliance, Greenville Housing Authority, Greenville Housing Fund, the St. Francis Foundation, the Cancer Society and the Metropolitan Arts Council. He is a past recipient of the Leadership Greenville Alumni of the Year award.

During his acceptance of his honor, Stall recalled writing a letter as a teen in 1975 to then Mayor Max Heller. He thanked Heller for taking the time to listen to him, and said he was inspired to one day run for office because of it.

“And that is the message I want to share. If you want to make Greenville better, get involved,” Stall said.

About The Greenville County Historical Society:

The Greenville County Historical Society exists to preserve, protect, and share the history of Greenville County for future generations.  Formed in 1962, the Society is committed to ensuring that Greenville’s history is not lost. Learn more at greenvillehistory.org.