Local Leaders You Should Know

A Network in Action – Power Team Carolinas Series

One of the things I appreciate most about Fort Mill is that its history quietly punches way above its weight.

This town didn’t just grow overnight. It was shaped by people who thought long-term, understood stewardship, and cared more about legacy than headlines.

A perfect example of that is Anne Springs Close.

Most people around here recognize her name because of her impact on land preservation, philanthropy, and helping shape Fort Mill into the community it is today. What a lot of people don’t realize is that she was also part of a remarkable moment in world history.

As a child, Anne Springs Close traveled across the Atlantic aboard the Hindenburg during its operational years in the mid-1930s, well before the tragic disaster that made the airship infamous. At the time, the Hindenburg represented innovation, global connection, and big-picture thinking. Not exactly small-town living.

When Anne Springs Close passed away in 2021, she was widely believed to be the last living person who had ever flown on the Hindenburg.

That detail isn’t just trivia. It’s perspective.

She began life at a time when the world was rapidly changing, and she carried that same forward-thinking mindset throughout her life. Her work in conservation, philanthropy, and community investment wasn’t about quick wins. It was about protecting what mattered and making sure Fort Mill remained a place worth calling home for generations.

That kind of leadership still matters.

At Network in Action – Power Team Carolinas, we believe strong business communities are built the same way Fort Mill was built: through relationships, long-term thinking, and people who understand that what you build today should still matter years from now.

This series will continue highlighting local leaders who helped shape our community long before growth became trendy and before Fort Mill showed up on everyone’s radar.

Because understanding where we came from matters just as much as where we’re going.

Network in Action – Power Team Carolinas brings together local business leaders who believe in relationships, long-term thinking, and building something that lasts.

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