Venyke Harley

Venyke Free Harley is a native of Union, South Carolina. She is the daughter of
Howard Free and Barbara Griffin Free. She is a graduate of Union High School and grew up in Corinth Baptist Church in Union, South Carolina under the leadership of Reverend Archie and First Lady Ruby Calhoun.

Professionally, Venyke has over 20 years of experience as a human resources’ professional in the private sector, non-profit and local government sectors. She is currently the Director of Human Relations and Organizational Development at 1890 Research and Extension with South Carolina State University. Prior to this role, she served as the loss control manager at the Municipal Association of South Carolina. In this role, she developed training and managed efforts to improve risk management, safety, and human resources for cities across South Carolina.

She is a graduate of Claflin University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Organizational Management. Venyke holds a Professional in Human Resources
certification and SHRM Certified Professional designation. She is currently
pursuing her master’s in business administration with a concentration in strategic
innovation from the University of South Carolina
Venyke and Warren T. Harley have two adult children, Brandon and Lauren.