SC Teacher of the Year to Use BMW in Educational Endeavors

Newly-named South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Ann Marie Taylor, will be riding in style during her year long sabbatical from the classroom to represent the 50,000 teachers in the state. For the eighth consecutive year, BMW Manufacturing is donating the use of a Z4 to the winning teacher to use for traveling and fulfilling the duties accompanying the prestigious award.

Taylor, a special education teacher from Pine Tree School in Kershaw County, was named South Carolina's top teacher by State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex at a banquet that honored the state's 83 district teachers of the year. Additionally, she will also participate in a year-long residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA), receive a $25,000 cash award and a SMART board, an interactive whiteboard that turns a computer and projector into a teaching and presentation tool. She will participate in Leadership South Carolina and attend Notre Dame's prestigious three-day Excellence in Teaching Symposium.

New Production Suspends BMW Plant Tours Until ‘08

BMW Manufacturing Co. has announced that it will suspend tours of its Spartanburg facility beginning June 1 as the plant prepares for new product production. "This is standard operating procedure and is the same action we took when we began working on the Z4 Roadster and the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle," said Bobby Hitt, Department Manager of Public Affairs. "There is a lot of extra activity that takes place on the floor when we ramp up for a new model."