Dr. Mike Fanning, a native and lifelong South Carolinian, holds degrees from Wofford College, Benedict College, and the University of South Carolina (where he holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy). He is an active-service veteran of the US Army.

Mike is a former teacher. He has taught high school students (Social Studies) at Estill High School (Hampton School District #2) and Columbia High School (Richland School District #1).

Mike currently serves as the executive director of the Olde English Consortium, an educational collaborative that seeks to promote excellence through collaboration, where he has been for 24 years. Located in Rock Hill, the OEC is a non-profit dedicated to promoting efficiency and cooperation among eight school districts and four universities in North Central South Carolina (including Rock Hill, York, Fairfield, Lancaster, and Chester).

Mike lives on a small farm just outside of Great Falls with his wife, Stephanie. They have one son, Markell, who is a Coastal Carolina University graduate – now working in the healthcare field in Colorado. Stephanie is a paralegal at the Kassel & McVey Law Firm in Columbia, South Carolina.

On November 8, 2016, Mike was elected to a seat in the South Carolina State Senate – serving as the Senator for District 17 (representing Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, & York Counties). Senator Fanning currently serves on the following Senate Committees: Agriculture & Natural Resources; Family & Veterans Services, Finance, and Fish, Game, & Forestry.