Propel Your Business Forward with Expert HR & PEO Solutions

I was born and raised in Easley, SC and graduated from Wofford College with a degree in Economics. After college I spent seven years working as a Commercial Realtor for The Furman Company in Greenville, SC.

I founded The Cutchin Company in 1970, specializing in retail development and management. The Cutchin Company developed approximately 25 shopping centers and handled the ground leases for the land surrounding Haywood Mall, Greenville’s primary enclosed mall.

During the 80’s, three partners and I started Surf Associates and developed resort condominiums along the Eastern Seaboard from Maryland to Florida. Surf was responsible for the construction of approximately 2000 units and developed several golf courses.

I decided to change my life’s endeavors in 1990 and started a PEO (Professional Employment Organization). Personnel Resources operated primarily in South Carolina and Georgia. During this time my daughter, Lee Yarborough, joined the business. With Lee’s help our business grew to serve over 2,500 employees.

In 2007, Paul Garrigan joined the management team and together we founded Propel HR, Inc. Since that time, Propel has expanded throughout the United States, experiencing growth of 15 to 20% each year, and we now serve over 15,000 client employees.

Outside of work, I have a terrible golf habit and I don’t like to miss a Wofford College home football game. I like cooking and grilling out and seeing friends around Greenville. But most of all, I love to spend time with my three grandchildren.

I’ve been involved in the payroll and human resource outsourcing industry for the majority of my 28-year career. I helped start two companies from the ground floor and helped them grow to over 150 employees each.

The bulk of my career has been spent working specifically with small- and medium-size companies to improve their efficiency from hire to retire, reduce potential compliance liability risk, and improve gross profit margins. I’ve helped design service models to meet the unique needs for business owners to outsource non-profit functions more efficiently and cost effectively.

My goals are to serve and to empower those I work with through teaching, role modeling, and training so they are well equipped to do their job. Empowering the employees produces a more efficient team and allows us to serve our clients needs better.

Away from work my wife and I volunteer in our community and serve in our church. I enjoy boating in freshwater and saltwater, and I like to fish, snorkel, and scuba dive. I love reading biographies and history, especially American history. My wife and I have four children—two finishing college and two settling into their careers—and we continue to stay active in their lives.

I began my career in the restaurant industry and spent 21 years in corporate restaurant administrative management. When I went to work with Chi Chi’s Mexican Restaurant group in Louisville, Kentucky, they had just opened their second location, and over the next 13 years I helped them grow to 262 locations. In 1992, I relocated to Florida and joined a seafood chain, Leverock’s Seafood House. While I was working there, I had the opportunity to become a client of a PEO and worked closely with them on payroll, benefits and workers’ compensation services for five years.

I joined the PEO industry in Florida in 2000 and served in various Executive Management roles for three different PEO’s. My husband and I relocated to Greenville in 2011 to enjoy the mountains and lakes and I had the opportunity to join the Propel management team. I enjoy working with our operations staff and our clients on a daily basis, ensuring that we are meeting our clients’ needs and expectations as a team.

Away from the office, I love gardening and working in our yard. My husband and I enjoy playing a round of golf, spending a day on the lake, exploring new towns and cities and attending an exciting NASCAR race. Our daughters and grandson are still in Florida, so it’s special every time we get to return to the Sunshine State!

After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Media Arts degree, I moved to Los Angeles and began working in television. My love of music led me to start a production company and I spent the next 20 years writing songs, producing records and performing around the country.

I earned a Masters of Fine Arts from Antioch University of Los Angeles in 2011 and began working for Propel HR in 2015 (fun fact: I helped Propel build their very first website in 1996).

When I’m not working I like to go to the beach with my son or spend the weekend hiking in Joshua Tree National Park. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro as a fundraiser for charity: water and have been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. I still enjoy playing music, taking photographs, traveling and reading.