Based in Wellford, SC, Sallie Peake draws on extensive expertise in politics and council positions. Her responsibilities in South Carolina have included working as a council representative at both the city level in Wellford, and at the county level for Spartanburg. With about 45 years of leadership under her belt, Sallie Peake has spent much of her life ensuring that her fellow residents have a voice in local infrastructural decision-making.

One of the structures that governing bodies take at the county level is the council-administrator system, which includes a blend of elected and appointed officials. The council is the governing body of the community, and its members are the decision-makers. Significant projects and long-term issues such as community expansion, capital improvement plans, land use development, capital finance, and strategic planning are all addressed by the council. As such, they must represent the community demands directly, and achieve their positions through popular vote.

The council members, in turn, select an administrator to supervise their work. Since this is an appointed position, it can also be terminated and changed at any time. This system allows the elected council and the appointed administrator to share administrative and policymaking responsibilities.