John M. Greene
John M. Greene and his family have been part of the Foothills Community Foundation’s story since its earliest beginnings—when the idea of a community foundation was still a conversation taking shape across the region. John and his late wife, Sue Greene, not only joined that conversation, they helped transform it into reality.
Sue Greene became one of the Foundation’s earliest Board members and later served as Chair of the Foothills Community Foundation Board of Directors. Continuing this remarkable legacy of service, their daughter, Theresa Knoepp, M.D., also served on the Board and as Chair, making them the only mother–daughter duo to hold that role in the Foundation’s history.
While John chose a less formal path of service, his impact has been no less significant. From the Foundation’s earliest days, he served as a dedicated community volunteer on the Finance and Investment Committee, helping guide the Foundation’s stewardship and long-term sustainability. John and Sue also established their own family fund at the Foundation and were instrumental in encouraging and assisting others in creating meaningful charitable funds.
Beyond his commitment to the Foothills Community Foundation, John has devoted decades of service to the Methodist Church. A longtime member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Anderson, he served as Chairman of Minister Retirement for the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and has been a consistent supporter of the South Main Chapel and Mercy Center. During time spent in Highlands, North Carolina, John became an associate member of the First Presbyterian Church of Highlands, where he shared his love of music as a member of the church choir.
In his professional life as a respected CPA, John exemplified service and leadership within the accounting profession. He served as a Board Member and Chairman of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, where he played a key role in advancing CPA licensure reciprocity, helping establish standards that allow qualified CPAs to practice across state and international lines while protecting the public interest. For these and other public-service contributions, he received the Van Rensselaer Public Service Award. Over the course of his career, John was a partner with Greene & Co. and Elliott, Davis & Co., and he continues to serve as an associate with Greene Heeney & Co.
John also invested deeply in education, serving as Professor of Accounting at Southern Wesleyan College and Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Clemson University, mentoring countless students who went on to successful professional careers. He further served as President of the South Carolina Association of CPAs Education Fund. Earlier in his career, John served three years as an auditor with the United States Air Force, attaining the rank of Captain and serving as Acting Resident Auditor at Donaldson Air Force Base.
John earned his BBA in Public Accounting from the University of Georgia, where he received the first scholarship awarded by the Georgia Society of CPAs. While his list of civic involvement and professional honors is extensive, it is surpassed only by the enduring impact he has had on those he has served.
The Foothills Community Foundation is proud to recognize John M. Greene as the 2025 recipient of the Robert M. Rainey Philanthropy Award, honoring a lifetime of generous service to the Foundation, his church, his profession, his alma mater, and the broader community. The Foundation is stronger because of his vision, stewardship, and unwavering commitment, and we are grateful for the lasting impact he continues to make throughout the region.