Clover Roots, Carolinas Raised,The Story of Vance Stine
Born & Built in Clover: Member Spotlight
Clover Roots, Carolinas Raised: The Story of Vance Stine
Some stories begin at home - and never really leave it.
Vance grew up in Clover, attending the schools that still line our streets today. After graduating from Clover High School, he headed to Banner Elk, North Carolina, where he began college at Lees-McRae - a two-year school at the time - before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, following in his dad’s footsteps. There, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, preparing for what he thought would be a career out in the world.
But life had other plans.
After college, Vance returned home to Clover - just as his family was facing both hope and hardship. In the summer of 1978, his father was diagnosed with ALS. A year later, in 1979, Vance’s father passed away. What remained was grief, determination, and a spark of opportunity - one that Vance and his family would spend decades turning into something lasting. In 1980 he asked his sister, Neel and her husband Dave Cyphers if they would be interested in joining the insurance agency.
A. Neel Sifford Insurance started out as a State Farm agency in 1934 by Vance’s grandfather. In 1955, his father, Marshall Stine, became a part of the agency and it was renamed Sifford-Stine Insurance, which has grown into a trusted, thriving family business - now a team of 10 - representing multiple carriers and serving families and businesses across Clover and beyond. The roots run even deeper: Vance’s grandfather, Neel Sifford, served as President of the First National Bank of Clover, owned by his father-in-law, George Frederick Hambright. This bank building is currently owned/occupied by the Pendleton & Pendleton Law Office. Neel Sifford also served as a U. S. Marshall for the Western District of SC. Legacy wasn’t just inherited - it was built, lived, and passed forward.
Leadership, Service, and Community Pride
Vance has given as much to Clover as Clover has given to him.
As Mayor of Clover from 1995–2001, he helped establish the community’s official twinning relationship with Larne, Northern Ireland — a connection formed after Larne leaders discovered ancestral ties to Clover. Two towns separated by an ocean, reunited through history and heritage. That town council hired the first Town Administrator for Clover, signed a water and sewer agreement with the City of Gastonia, did the first downtown renovation project. They also purchased and renovated the Larne Building and the building occupied by the YMCA.
In 2001, Vance became a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, completing the prestigious leadership program hosted by The Lee Institute. His cohorts included influential leaders including Anne J. Udall, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, real estate leader States Lee, Susan DeVenny of the Arras Foundation, and Cyndee Patterson, former Charlotte City Council member and retired President of The Lee Institute and Duke Mansion. Their ALF Class II also included respected figures such as Harriet Sanford, President of the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte, and Michael Marsicano, retired President of Foundation for the Carolinas. Apparo Solutions was the result of their ALF Class Project. Apparo helps non-profits in the Charlotte Region with their technology needs.
Beyond titles and résumés, service is woven through every season of Vance’s life:
Currently serving as President of the South Carolina Horse Council and Southeast Regional Director of the American Endurance Ride Conference.
Formally served the York County Regional Chamber. Clover Chamber (Past President). York County Community Foundation. Friends of Kings Mountain State Park. Clover Rotary (Past President). Clover YMCA (Founding President). Past Chair of York County Economic Development Board. Where there was leadership needed, Vance stepped in.
Adventure, Endurance, and the Drive to Keep Going
Vance isn’t just a leader - he’s an adventurer.
In 2018, he and his wife, Vic completed the legendary Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance horse race from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, California - one of the toughest in the world, and completed in under 24 hours.
In 2002 he and Vic completed the Kiawah Island Marathon, where she also qualified for the Boston Marathon which she completed in 2003.
In 1992, he and two good friends, Will Hurst and Johnny Hicks, took on a different kind of endurance challenge: a 10,000-mile motorcycle ride to the Arctic Circle in just 28 days, much of it along the rugged Alaska Highway. It was a trip of a lifetime - a test of grit, planning, and sheer will.
Horses have been with him through life’s chapters. After marrying Vic, he returned to riding and began competing in 50- and 100-mile endurance rides across the country - each finished in a single day. The Biltmore rides remain among his most memorable, held every spring in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
A Clover Story Still Being Written
Today, Vance stands as a reminder of what makes Clover special: homegrown leadership, deep roots, quiet strength, and the courage to keep moving forward - even when the climb is steep.
His story is not simply about business success or accomplishments - it’s about resilience, family, legacy, and community. It’s about growing here, returning here, giving here. And it’s a story that continues to unfold, mile by mile, decision by decision, generation by generation.
Because for some, Clover is where life starts.
For Vance Stine - Clover is where life
continues.
