“Colonial has always believed strongly in the value of corporate-community partnerships, and part of that history is thanks to the commitment of the past leaders of our company,” Duke said.” Averyt is chairman emeritus of Colonial and served on the company’s board of directors for nearly 40 years before it merged with Unum Corporation in 1993. He is the son of Edwin F. Averyt, who co-founded Colonial with partner J. Clifton Judy in 1939.

Averyt has decades of active participation in industry, business and civic organizations to his credit. He served on the Central Carolina Community Foundation Board of Trustees, the Junior Achievement of Central South Carolina Honorary Advisory Board, and the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School Foundation Board of Trustees. He has been a board member of NationsBank, the S.C. State Ports Authority and the Health Insurance Association of America. He is past president of the Carolina Research and Development Foundations, past secretary of the S.C. Insurance Commission, and past trustee of the University of South Carolina Business Partnership Foundation.

His many honors include being named S.C. Businessman of the Year in 1989, The Order of the Palmetto in 1994, and the S.C. Business Hall of Fame in 1998.

Averyt is a graduate of Davidson College and earned an MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

The University of South Carolina and Colonial announced the new name of The Colonial Center at a joint news conference last week at Colonial’s national headquarters in Columbia. Colonial has been a founding sponsor of the arena since it opened last November and stepped up its commitment to the naming rights.

That step represents a major commitment by Colonial to the community, Duke said. “We recognize the important of this tremendous facility as an athletic and cultural venue for people across the state. It’s a landmark our customers, our producers and the community will easily identify and remember.”

Colonial Supplemental Insurance is the marketing brand of Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. Colonial is a market leader in benefits communication, enrollment and customer service while providing supplemental insurance to employees and their families at the worksite. A subsidiary of UnumProvident Corporation, Colonial is based in Columbia, S.C. and operates in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Colonial underwrites a broad line of insurance coverages, including accident, hospital confinement indemnity, disability, life, cancer and critical illness insurance policies. Similar products, if approved, are underwritten in New York by a Colonial affiliate, The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company. “Colonial Supplemental Insurance” and “for what happens next” are registered service marks of Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. The logo, separately and in combination with “Colonial Supplemental Insurance,” is a service mark of Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

For more information about Colonial’s products and services or opportunities with the company, call (803) 798-7000 or visit www.coloniallife.com.