SCDSS Names New Oconee and Anderson County Directors

February 8, 2018 – Officials with the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) recently named Stephanie Gentry as Oconee County Director and Gayle Vickery as the Director of Anderson County DSS. Mrs. Gentry started her new position on December 18, 2017 while Ms. Vickery transferred from Oconee to Anderson County on January 17, 2018.

Stephanie Gentry is a 2003 graduate of Clemson University where she majored in Sociology and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science. She began her career with the DSS in 2006, as a family case manager with a First Steps grant program called the “Principle of Parenting Successfully.” Mrs. Gentry later became a Foster Care case manager in 2007 and was promoted to Foster Care Supervisor for Oconee County in 2008 and served in that role for 5 years.

In 2013, Mrs. Gentry was promoted to a regional Performance Coach for Region One and worked closely with the Human Service staff for the Upstate counties of Anderson, Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, and Spartanburg. In August of 2016, she accepted the position of Program Coordinator for the Anderson and Greenville County Intake Hubs until her recent promotion of County Director on December 18, 2017.

Ms. Vickery began her career with SCDSS in 2002 as a Children’s Service Coordinator with the Intensive Foster Care and Clinical Services division and continued in that role until she was promoted in 2009 to serve as the Anderson and Oconee County Program Director for Intensive Foster Care and Clinical Services.

In 2013, Ms. Vickery transitioned to Pickens County DSS as the Human Services Program Coordinator served as the interim County Director from April 15, 2016 until her appointment as Pickens County Director on August 2, 2016.  She has more than 20 years of experience working within child welfare and a combined 15 years of leadership and management experience with SCDSS.

Ms. Vickery is a graduate of Clemson University with a B.A. in Psychology and has been a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker for the State of South Carolina since May 9, 1989. Ms. Vickery is also a Certified Addictions Counselor II in the State of South Carolina and received her initial certification in August of 2011.

 Anderson County Director Gayle Vickery

Oconee County Director Stephanie Gentry