For those of you still under the illusion that the FITS girls exist only in our founding editor’s over-active and admittedly uncouth imagination, allow us to introduce you to Nancy Mace.
If that name sounds familiar, it should. She’s a woman whose stamp on the Palmetto State (and beyond) was indelibly affixed long before she began babysitting … err, managing the media destiny … of this website and its temperamental creator.
Seriously, people. Nancy Mace is famous for something the vast majority of us wouldn’t have ever had the guts to contemplate, let alone pull off. And if you don’t believe us, just check out the front-page of the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution …
From the AJC:
Ten years ago, (Mace) became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel. A new scholarship fund for military school-bound women has just been founded in honor of Mace, who graduated in three years, and 2000 Citadel graduate Petra Lovetinska.
“She has written her name in lights in the history of The Citadel,” author and 1967 graduate Pat Conroy said of Mace, who stopped by his recent talk at the Carter Center. “I’m as proud of her as I can possibly be.”
A Charleston native, Mace now lives in metro Atlanta. The mother of two (son Miles is 2) works part-time designing Web sites and advising clients in crisis communications.
“The Citadel really prepared me for that one,” she said.
She wrote a memoir in 2001 , but generally keeps quiet about her role in the school’s timeline. That’s partly a security concern. Threats started pouring in the summer before she started, there was a bomb scare at her graduation, and angry e-mails or phone calls have cropped up after public appearances. But Mace’s reticence is mostly about modesty. Her goal was to join the Long Gray Line, not stand apart from it.
Way to go, Nancy!
In addition to making history at The Citadel, this daughter of a retired General is making her mark in the corporate world as well. In just two years, Mace has transformed FITS from an insider blog read by a few hundred people into a news website read each day by tens of thousands (yeah, girrrrl!!!). She says she was drawn to FITS because of its willingness to tell it like it is and take on the state’s entrenched “good ole boys.”
Of course, Mace’s Atlanta-based firm (website here) has been active in South Carolina political circles beyond just its role with FITS. The Mace Group has recently designed new websites for the the S.C. Policy Council and State Sen. Tom Davis, in addition to serving a variety of non-political clients.
WEB EXTRA
Pics: AJC, Bita Honarvar
By Steve August 30, 2009 at 5:01 pm
The standing joke among older alumni is that we spent 4 years trying to figure out ways to get girls into the barracks and then the rest of our life trying to figure out ways to keep them out. Despite the dire predictions, The Cid adapted and overcame and is still strong today. This story shows the ladies made good cadets and alums. I do miss Dixie at parades and after touchdowns however. At least you can’t blame that one on the girls.
By Laura Campbell August 30, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Dear Nancy:
God Bless You. I was a College of Charleston student when you entered the Citadel and know about the flack you got.
Here’s to you and your bravery and for help making FITS one of the most trusted, humorous, and timely political sites on the web. And kudos for keeping the good ole boys in check.
By Mande Wilkes August 30, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Go Nancy!!!
By Nancy Mace August 30, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Thanks for the props Slick Sic…And thanks for the compliments guys. Much appreciated!
I’ve enjoyed helping take FITSNews “up a notch.” It’s been exciting to see the site explode with coverage and traffic and to average above 30k a day now is remarkable. FITS is unparalleled in the SC blogosphere and it’s continuing to grow…so, we’ll keep at it… :)
By Palmetto Pulse August 30, 2009 at 9:46 pm
You forgot to mention the whole natural childbirth thing! :) No really, Nancy you are not only smart and sassy… You’re a force to be reckoned with! I look forward to big things from her! I wish I was half the woman she is.
By shiya August 31, 2009 at 12:02 am
congrats Nancy! a great role model for all.
By Todd August 31, 2009 at 7:50 am
Your fans and relatives on your Thomas and Mace family sides in Hampton County, SC, send our congratulations.
By Jeffy01 August 31, 2009 at 10:12 am
30k hits a day…thats like 30k more than BIN?! Wow
By Longshot August 31, 2009 at 10:39 am
Nancy, It is a pleasure to read this site as you are digging up more on MS than The State. Go get’em girl! ! !
By mjb August 31, 2009 at 10:55 am
Fits and its illustrations are the best. You should be published world-wide!
By CNSYD August 31, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I was impressed until I saw the words “Sen. Tom Davis”. But I guess business is business.
By BIN News Funding Editor August 31, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Ohh, good heavens.
A stay at home mom with a computer. Trying to act like a player. Trying to earn few extra bucks in a bad economy by pimping political propaganda for misfits like sic(k) willie and the SC Policy Scam Council.
Looks like she has 5 (maybe even 6) clients! Wow. And they include the SC Policy Scam Council and Tom (riding sandfrauds’s coat-tails) Davis.
How much of Howies’ voucher scam money is she taking under the table?
Branch out Nancy. Your current sources of revenue are not reliable.
Vouchers are dead. sanfraud is toast along with TomTom and Nikki. sic(k) willie is just a soft-core porn-master, and everyone knows it.
BIN News Funding Editor
Wetting My Depends at the Thought of the “Long Gray Line”
By Nancy Mace September 1, 2009 at 7:51 am
BIN,
You can’t even let a fluff piece fly by without commenting nonsense about Howie Rich.
And knocking mothers with computers is not really a way to earn fans now is it? Being a mom is my number one job, it is my goal to raise my two children, whom I adore, to be the best individuals they can be…And it ain’t an easy job.
I have never met Rich, hell I wouldn’t know him if he came up to me and slapped me in the face. I am not a wannabe “player” as you say.
My website pretty much says what I do: PR, Websites and Design… What you see on my site are examples of work. I’m pretty sure its industry standard to show a few of those. And I’m pretty sure I don’t have a client roster on my site.
So, stop talking voucher nonsense. Sic was in a rare mood Sunday and wrote a nice piece about the article in the AJC. Maybe you can be nice and stop talking shiat about something (in this case someone) you don’t know.
Whenever you want to update your crap website call me. :)
Nancy
PS Maybe you should buy more Depends that line is pretty long…