Meet Tina

MEET TINA HERBERT

Who is Tina Nicole Herbert?

The Short Story

In short, Tina is a Columbia native who has lived in North Columbia, specifically in District One, most of her life. She began her legal career in 2000 and represents injured workers with Mickle and Bass, LLC. Tina has a long history of public and community service in Columbia, including working for the City of Columbia from 2010 to 2017.

While at the city, Tina worked in the Community Development Department and the Office of Business Opportunities (OBO). Tina worked on many policies and initiatives, however she believes her work with the following had the greatest long-term impact on the city:

  1. Implementing the Main Street Façade Program,
  2. Increasing the portfolio performance rate of the commercial revolving loan program for small businesses,
  3. Developing the Minority Business Opportunity Conference to connect minority businesses with city departments, and
  4. Developing the Columbia Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program.

However, creating the Real Business Women of Columbia for Women’s Empowerment was by far THE MOST FUN!!

Tina has strong family ties to North Columbia and District One. Tina proudly credits public schools in Richland School District One for her education, graduating from W. J. Keenan High School in 1992.

Tina received her Bachelor’s in Accounting in 1996 from St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC. She graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC in 2000 with a dual degree, Juris Doctor/Masters in Business Administration (JD/MBA).

After living in Raleigh, NC for 8 years while in school, Tina chose to come back home to Columbia, SC.

The Long Story

Family

Tina is the daughter of Isaiah B. (“Herb” or “Ike”) Herbert (deceased) and Bernadette C. Herbert.

Her father attended Richland One public schools and was a truck driver/warehouse worker. Her mother retired after over 30 years of service from Telamon Corporation working with migrants and seasonal farm workers.

Tina’s roots in District One are deep. Her paternal grandparents, Rev. Isaiah B. Herbert and Willie Mildred Herbert, now deceased, purchased their home on Gary Street in College Place in 1965 and it remains a family home. Tina’s maternal grandmother, Rev. Bernice P. Crumlin, has lived in District One most of her last 50 years, and still resides in the District off Monticello Road.

Tina is the mother of one child, Assatta H. Williams, who also attended public schools in Richland School District One (Arden Elementary, W.G. Sanders Middle, and (the new) W. J. Keenan). Her daughter is also a lawyer.

Education

Tina lived in 29203 all through grade school. After attending V.V. Reid for Kindergarten, Tina attended Richland School District One schools, primarily Satchel Ford Elementary, W. G. Sanders Middle, graduating from (the old) Keenan High School in 1992. In addition to excelling in academics, she also played the violin and participated in the Richland One Strings program under the legendary Freddie E. Grace (deceased). Mr. Grace would ultimately connect Tina to an emerging strings program at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC, resulting in her receiving a full four year scholarship (half music and half academic). After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Accounting, Tina stayed in North Carolina and earned a dual degree – Juris Doctor/Masters of Business Administration - from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC before coming back home to Columbia in 2000 to take the SC Bar.

Legal Career

Tina passed the SC Bar in 2000 and has practiced law in the following areas: civil rights, criminal, family, business transactions, and workers compensation. She clerked for The Honorable Alison Lee, the state’s first African American female circuit court judge. Tina has the vast experience of representing indigent clients in criminal matters with the Richland County Public Defender Office on one end and representing Fortune 500 insurance companies in insurance defense matters with McAngus Goudelock & Courie on the other.

Community Service

While working with the Benjamin Law Firm, she coordinated its Wills for Seniors Program. Through this program, the firm partnered with several churches to provide their seniors with free simple wills. As a result, the Benjamin Law Firm received the SC Bar Pro Bono Award in 2006. Tina chaired the Minority Pre-Law Conference hosted at Benedict College for several years and was ultimately named the SC Bar Young Lawyer of the Year in 2007. Tina went on to become the President of the SC Bar Young Lawyers in 2010. As president, she created several new initiatives for the bar, including the Minority Clerkship Program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, and the Color of Justice Program.

Tina’s other community service includes:

  • Arden Elementary and Sanders Middle SIC
  • Midlands Fatherhood Coalition
  • Columbia Writers Group
  • Women In Philanthropy
  • Christmas in November (Family Worship Center CDC)

City of Columbia

Tina went to work for the City of Columbia in 2010 as the Deputy Director of Community Development. At that time, Community Development housed the functions of both Community Development and the Office of Business Opportunities in one department. Community Development is responsible for, among other things, the administration of the City’s entitlement funds (CDBG, HOME, & HOPWA) and the City’s Affordable Housing Loan Programs. The Office of Business Opportunities provides assistance to small, minority and women owned businesses located in or wishing to do business with the City. Tina became the Director of the Office of Business Opportunities when the two departments were separated.

During her time at the city, Tina was responsible for overseeing either a part or all of several programs and initiatives, including:

  • Façade Program for Downtown, North Main, Two Notch Road, and the beginning of Farrow Road.
  • Commercial Lending Program
  • COC Contracting Programs: Subcontracting Outreach Program, Mentor Protégé Program, Local Business Enterprise Program
  • Annual Small Business Week Conference (new)
  • Minority Business Opportunity Conference (new)
  • Mayor’s Minority Business Advisory Council (new)
  • Real Business Women of Columbia (new)
  • Columbia Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (new)
  • Women’s Empowerment with Alpha Media (new)
  • City Manager’s Mentor Protégé Advisory Council (new)
  • Bull Street Development Baseball Stadium & Workforce Development Program (new)

Additional Public Service:

  • Richland County Election Commission
  • City of Columbia’s Design Development and Review Commission