Ms. Knight was born in Conway, SC and attended schools in Loris, SC, Chicora HS in Charleston, SC; Fort Mill, SC and graduated from Harleyville-Ridgeville High School. She resides in Dorchester County, and has two daughters, a granddaughter, and a grandson. She was a United Methodist Minister’s daughter thus moved around in South Carolina. Rev. B. C. Gleaton, her father, a minister’s son was born in Smoaks, SC. After joining the Navy he met his bride, Margaret Anderson of Pasadena California. Moving back to South Carolina where Patsy was born and where her life’s journey started. Patsy learned from her father’s ministry it was very important to be of service to others. Assisting others came very natural to her. Since her father was an assistance surgery in the Navy, the medical field was foremost in her thoughts; she loved children and had a strong desire to be a nurse. On a minister’s salary, college was out of the question. BUT this did not stop her she applied herself to learning business courses, and math being her strong field, she put it to work and it has served her well.

She was the owner-operator of Knight’s Bookkeeping Service from 1973 to 1988. During these years she applied her business sense and accounting to her and now deceased husband’s successful convenience store business they built on I-26 outside of Harleyville, S.C. During that ownership the gas shortage hit the USA, but they were very successful in managing the hard times. She knows small business, the potential problems and how to succeed. Together they maintained and operated a family farm, while he worked full time with Giant Portland Cement Company, Harleyville, SC as an industrial electrician.

Patsy G. Knight is currently serving District 97, as a full-time Legislator. Ms. Knight served as Treasurer for Dorchester County from 1981 to 2006. During her tenure she took the County Treasurer’s Office from paper hand stamp receipts and manual calculation to distribute taxes, collected to the various taxing entities into the computer age. She set a high standard for DC Treasurer’s Office and for other SC County Treasurer’s Offices to follow.

Upon the request of Governor Sanford, she took the BIG Giant STEP with County Council’s support to work with SC-DMV Director Marcia Adams and history was made in Dorchester County Treasurer’s Office and SC-DMV. This helped bring the SCDMV out of the dark ages into the modern computer communication era.

Ms Knight worked diligently with; county and state IT Departments, computer programmers, Bell South, Oracle Software Designer located in California, and the treasurer’s personnel. The period of four years working with them all proved to be a GIANT STEP that was only a beginning in the state of South Carolina. The TAXPAYERS benefited immensely. This streamlined the taxpayers’ process when paying vehicles taxes, receiving their county tax receipt combined with DMV decal and registration all in one process. This proved that a one stop shop could work when partnering with Local and State Government.

In 2012, SC-DNR was to expand on this and issue Boat-Tax Receipt-Decal and Registration on a yearly basis, following the guides like the vehicle process.

Ms Knight’s working years from 1981-2018 has proven her dedication as a honorable public servant for Dorchester County Treasurer’s Office, now the State of South Carolina as House of Representative District 97 serving parts of Dorchester and now three partial precincts; (Maple Cane, Round O and Cottageville) in Colleton County. Her family, church and community have and continue to plays a vital part of her life.

Government and legislative experience

• Summerville/Dorchester Chamber of Commerce
• Tri-County Chamber Commerce
• House Democratic Caucus 2007-present (Treasurer, 2007)
• SC General Assembly Women’s Caucus
• Women in Government
• House Arts Caucus
• Rural Caucus
• Sportsman Caucus
• Honorary Member, Civil Air Patrol
• Member, House- Education and Public Works (EPW) Committee 2017-
• Sub Committee-Higher Education 2017-
• Sub Committee-Motor Vehicle 2017-
• Ad Hoc Committee on Competency Based Education and Education Reform 2017-
• Joint Legislative Committee to Study Services, Programs and Facilities for Aging 2017 – present
• House Operations and Management Committee (Blatt Building)
• Sub Committee: Legislative Aide (Blatt Building)
• Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee 2007-2016
• Sub Committee: Wildlife 2007-2012
• Sub Committee: Environmental Affairs II 2013-2016

Other experience

• Charter Member, St. George Rotary International District #7770
• Charter Member, American Business Women’s Association of St. George Chapter
• South Carolina Association of Elected Officials, 1981-06
• Dorchester County Chapter Outstanding Female State Employee, 1988
• Clemson University Palmetto Leadership Graduate
• Local Government Records Advisory Council
• SCATT-SC Association of Auditors, Treasurers and Tax Collectors Member 1981-2006
• SCATT Vice President 2000-2001
• SCATT President 2001-2002
• Prestigious SCATT L.H. “Sonny” Siau” Award of Excellence 2004
• South Carolina Association of Counties Member (SCAC), 1981-2006
• SCAC Executive Board member and Treasurer, 1984-2006
• Member of Indian Field United Methodist Church