H. G. (Butch) Kirven and his wife, Diane, reside on a small farm about three miles NE of Diane’s home town of Simpsonville. The Kirven’s have a daughter, Lee, who teaches Spanish at Georgia College and State University.
Mr. Kirven grew up in Anderson, SC, where he attended public schools, graduating from T. L. Hanna High School in 1964. He then attended Presbyterian College, graduating in 1969, with a BA degree in history. He is also a 1996 graduate of the US Army War College, the Army’s graduate school for strategic and national security studies.
Beginning in high school, Mr. Kirven has worked many jobs including life guard, construction, dump truck driver, mason’s helper, clothing store clerk, bank teller, and farm worker. After college, he taught history at Crescent High School for one year before entering the banking business with Fort Hill Federal Savings and Loan in Clemson, and in 1973, moved to Greenville as a commercial loan officer with C. Douglas Wilson Co. (NCNB). In 1976, he established the Kirven Company, a sole proprietorship, providing real estate appraisals, still in business today on a reduced basis. He is a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser licensed by the SC Real Estate Appraiser’s Board.
Mr. Kirven served for 37 years as a citizen-soldier in the US Army National Guard. In 1969, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and served continuously until his retirement from the Army in 2003 with the rank of brigadier general. His military career included a variety of staff and command assignments at the battery, battalion, brigade and higher levels. He was among the first general officers to report for active duty after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. He was assigned as a special advisor to the US FORSCOM commander on air and missile defense readiness while serving as the deputy commanding general, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, during Operation Noble Eagle. His military career carried him to many countries including Albania, Canada, Germany, Italy (Sicily), the Netherlands, and South Korea.
A member of County Council since 2005, Mr. Kirven served as the Council Chairman 2005-2012 and 2016-2020. He is currently chairman of the Finance Committee. He is especially interested in working with citizens on good planning and policies for the future growth of the County, quality economic development, improved transportation and infrastructure, and natural resources conservation. Constituent service is his first priority. Mr. Kirven also serves on the GPATS policy committee and ACOG Board of Directors and the SC Association of Counties Board of Directors. He is a past-president of the National Guard Association of South Carolina, past president of the Presbyterian College Alumni Association and past chairman of the Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Kirven understands that anyone can make a decision, but its good judgment that citizens expect.
