Claiborne Livill

County Councilwoman, Pickens County, SC

Claiborne Linvill has lived in Clemson since 2005. During that time, she served as PR and Marketing Director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden, where she was involved in the Lake Hartwell Tourism Alliance. She also taught public relations classes at Clemson University. She is the founder and president of Rock Creek Communications, a marketing consultancy that serves several clients at Clemson University as well as many Upstate-area businesses. She is also a senior strategist and writer for ALINE, based in Spartanburg. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Claiborne has a B.A. in Communication from Wake Forest University and an M.A. in Professional Communication from Clemson University. Claiborne has dedicated time and energy to several nonprofit organizations in Clemson and Pickens County. She is on the Executive Board of the Community Foundation of Greater Clemson and was appointed to the Keep Pickens County Beautiful committee by Pickens County Council in 2020. She ran an arts program for the PTA at Lakes & Bridges Charter School, and previously chaired the International Festival and served as Vice President of the PTA at Clemson Elementary. She has volunteered as a Girl Scout Daisy Leader, a Cub Scout Webelo Den Leader, and as a Clemson-Central Rec assistant softball coach. Claiborne served on the PTO and board of the Episcopal Day School, and served on the Communications Committee for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

Along with a group of retired teachers, Claiborne joined the founding committee of Lakes & Bridges Charter School, the first public, tuition-free school in the Southeast for children with dyslexia. Starting a new nonprofit school in the Upstate required working with government officials, local business and education leaders, city employees, and charitable organizations. Thanks to the committee’s hard work and a unique partnership with Pickens County Schools, Lakes & Bridges opened in 2018 and now serves 120+ children in Easley. Claiborne is a member of the City of Clemson’s Leadership Clemson Class of 2015 and a member of the South Carolina Democratic Party’s James E. Clyburn Political Fellowship Class of 2021. Claiborne is married to Darren Linvill, associate professor of Communication at Clemson University. They have two daughters, Sylvia and Amelia, and a rescue dog, Cosmo. When not running lots of carpools, Claiborne enjoys going on hikes throughout the Upstate, taking dance classes, traveling, reading, and playing board games.

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Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
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The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

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Planning
The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
Design & scoping
Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
Construction & implementation
Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

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Funding (grants)
A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
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A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
Technical assistance
Assistance from the government in the form of services — such as project planning, engineering and design support, data analysis, training, capacity building, or collaboration through a cooperative agreement — instead of direct funding.

Some programs provide extra support for specific project types or communities. Do any of these apply to your project?

Small or rural communities
Programs that set aside funding, offer loan forgiveness, or adjust cost share requirements for communities with smaller populations.
Small or low-cost projects
Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
Regional or watershed focus
Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.
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