Mr. J. Allard (Al) Young

J. Allard (Al) Young of Honea Path was appointed to the Commission in February 2011 and served as chairman from 2020 – 2022.

Young served as president and CEO of The Commercial Bank in Honea Path from 1996 until his retirement in 2014.  Prior to that he was senior vice president of BB&T in Belton for 12 years and served as president of Latta Bank and Trust Company from 1977 to 1984. He began his career in banking with First Citizens Bank and Trust in Dillon, SC.

In 2010 Young was elected president of the Independent Banks of South Carolina at the organization's annual convention. In 2013 he was recognized as the" Independent Banker of the Year" by the same organization.

A native of Florence, he studied heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology at Florence Darlington Technical College and later graduated from the University of Alabama, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in administrative sciences. He also is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, the National Commercial Lending Graduate School at the University of Oklahoma, the Graduate School of Bank Investments at the University of Oklahoma and the South Carolina Bankers School at the University of South Carolina. In addition, Young served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves.

He is active in his community and was instrumental in bringing the Watkins Community Center to Honea Path by initially serving as chair of the organizing committee.

Young is a member of the board of directors of the Jennie Erwin Library, past president of the Watkins Community Inc., and the Honea Path Civitans. In 2000 and 2006 he was recognized as the Civitan of the Year by the Honea Path Civitan Club.  In 2014 Governor Nikki Haley presented him with the Order of the Silver Crescent.  

He is a member of Belton Presbyterian Church, where he serves as an elder.  He is married to the former Judith Allen. They have a son, Carl, and a daughter, Carrie.