Jackie Baxley has over 24 years of experience as an environmental engineering and risk management consultant specializing in the areas of environmental health and safety (EHS) compliance and management systems. As the EHS&S Practice Leader for HRP Associates, Inc, her responsibilities include fostering operational performance to a project and management staff of engineers and scientists. Throughout her career, Jackie has developed a strong working knowledge of the principle federal and state EHS laws and regulations, the principles of management systems and the application of sustainable practices and policies. Jackie is well known as a compliance trainer and has developed training courses delivered in person and online. She has managed or performed hundreds of site EH&S audits for a multitude of clients.

Jarrett Branham is the President of the Branham Group, a 30-year-old general construction firm that turned its focus to sustainable and renewable energy in 2015. Jarrett has 25 years of successful construction project delivery within commercial, industrial, and energy sectors. Twelve of those years have been spent in energy.

Jarrett also worked with (former) SCE&G on nuclear and transmission projects before transitioning into renewable energy. His experience includes utility distributed generation projects down to small scale commercial generation. Jarrett is a past board member of SC Solar Business Alliance and previous Girls on the Run coach.

Alex Butler is the Resilience Planning Director for the South Carolina Office of Resilience where he oversees the development of the state’s first Statewide Risk Reduction and Resilience Plan. Alex has a B.S. in Geology from Clemson University and a M.S. Geography from University of South Carolina where his studies focused on the interaction of people, land use and climate on the hydrological cycles of South Carolina. Prior to his current role, Alex managed the Water Quantity Permitting Section at the DHEC and worked as a Hydrologist for both DHEC and DNR. In his free time Alex connects people to watersheds as a whitewater kayak instructor.

Andrea Cooper is the executive director of Upstate Forever, a land trust and conservation advocacy organization that serves the northern region of South Carolina. She is a community activist concentrating in the areas of land protection and the environment. Andrea also serves on the executive board and is a partner in Ziff Properties, Inc., a privately-owned commercial real estate investment company where she was previously director of acquisitions. Andrea has participated on several boards including acting as board chair of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League and served with the United States Agency for International Development in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Andrea earned her BA from the University of Colorado, completed Harvard's Non-Profit Governance program, and attended The American University of Paris. She is a fellow in Furman University’s Diversity Leaders Initiative and is also a Fellow of the Liberty Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Her home is in Greenville, SC.

Lyles lived in five cities and three states before the age of eight, however she spent most of her childhood and currently resides in Florence, SC.  After graduating from the College of Charleston with a degree in Corporate Communications and Business Administration, she returned to Florence to start her professional career. 

Her work experience spans both the corporate and non-profit worlds, which helps her bring a unique mix of skills and perspective to her current position as Executive Director of Pee Dee Land Trust.  From her time as a sales associate with Adam Outdoor Advertising and serving as VP of Sales for Raines Hospitality, to time working for Florence County Economic Development Partnership and then for the American Heart Association, Lyles’s career has always focused on the importance of relationships in our community.

Growing up and having spent much of her childhood enjoying all the Pee Dee outdoors has to offer, she is passionate about helping preserve our resources for future generations in order to sustain a balance for economic growth in our state.  Much of her time is spent working with donors, Board Members, funding sources, partner agencies and landowners planning their legacy.

Lyles has previously served the community on various boards and committees, including Boys & Girls Club of the Pee Dee, Junior League of Florence, Pee Dee Coalition, Young Professionals, Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, and City of Florence Tax Accommodations Board.  She continues to be actively involved in many community organizations, including her church, St. John’s Anglican Church, and currently serves on the Board for the Kiwanis Club of Florence, City of Florence Resiliency Committee and the South Carolina Land Trust Network. 

Lyles has an eight-year -old son, named Woods and a beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, named Winston, cat named Belle and a guinea pig named Tito.  Lyles and Woods enjoy spending time outdoors with family and friends boating, fishing, hiking, swimming and playing sports.

Anna DeLage serves as the Recycling Market Development Manager at South Carolina Department of Commerce. She sparks economic growth, by connecting SC businesses to more than 500 recycling companies in the state. With over a decade of sustainable materials management experience she tracks capital investment and job creation for the SC recycling industry. She responds to sourcing requests for companies interested in expanding recycling operations, achieving zero waste, and identifying new market opportunities. Anna provides a trusted long term return on investment, for clients to reduce disposal costs and identify potential revenues from the sale of recycled materials. She loves a good challenge of linking hard to recycle items with end markets. In a past life, she served as Richland County’s first Sustainability Director, managing over $2M in energy efficiency and clean energy projects resulting in nearly a 10% in energy use in county buildings portfolio-wide during her tenure. In her free time, she loves the great outdoors, especially replenishing beach days and trips to the Appalachian mountains.

April joined The Nature Conservancy in November of 2012 after moving to the South Carolina Midlands from the Washington D.C. metro area that same year. While in D.C. April spent 10 years in federal service beginning with an appointment to the Department of Commerce under the George W. Bush Administration. April served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Legislative Affairs from 2002 through 2008 and then remained with NOAA as a Senior Policy Advisor within the National Ocean Service through 2012. 

As a part of the South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, April manages legislative and policy engagement, focusing on both state and federal conservation interests. Priority areas include public funding for land/water acquisition and management, storm & wildfire resilience planning and mitigation, and nature-based approaches to resource challenges exacerbated by a changing climate.  The Conservancy approaches advocacy with the goal to elevate intentional, pragmatic, durable, solutions-oriented collaboration in service to communities across South Carolina dependent upon and intrinsically connected to healthy lands and waters. 

Along with her husband, 2 children and the family dog, April can often be found camping along the coast or up in the Southern Blue Ridge mountains. She reads too many books at one time, has fallen in love with Lake Murray in spite of being raised on saltwater & sand, is a regular volunteer at the We Care Community Outreach Center in Chapin and an active member at East Lake Community Church.  April earned her undergraduate degree at James Madison University prior completing law school at the University of Mississippi in 2001.  She is a member of the Virginia Bar.

Tyrone Ellis is a Technical Executive with more than 20 years of industry experience in global  companies. He currently serves as Aftermarket Engineering Leader in one of the Strategic Business  Units for Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator. He joined the company (Formerly Ingersoll  Rand) in 2012. In this role, Ellis is responsible for developing and leading the deployment of  technical solutions, circularity strategies, and lean initiatives for the Aftermarket business operating  system in the Americas. Before this role, Ellis held Executive positions in Corporate Engineering as  well as Integrated Supply Chain and Quality in one of the Business units, winning the coveted  Chairman’s Award as Global Leader of the year in 2016 for driving transformation in quality and  customer performance.  

Ellis earned a BS degree in electrical engineering from Clemson University and an Executive MBA  from the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. He holds professional certifications from  SME, ASQ, PMI, and APICS. In addition, Ellis serves on the Enterprise Product Circularity Council for  Trane Technologies and as an executive sponsor for STEM diversity initiatives. He also has served as  a Board Director for several regional non-profit organizations such as the South Carolina  Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the prestigious National Black MBA Association – Charlotte Chapter.

Ellis is married to Dr. Jamelle Ellis, an Environmental Scientist, and they have three children.

Hope Lanier Freeman is Director of Communications & External Affairs for bp America where she manages state government relations and external affairs in support of bp’s branded retail businesses, fuel supply and future mobility across the continental United States. Previously, she supported the bp Cooper River Chemicals plant in Cainhoy, SC and the Fuels business in the Southeast US.  She seeks to be a proponent of sound pro-business and pro-climate policy, collaborative conservation, community engagement and creative STEM education. 

Before joining BP, Freeman was a principal at MG&C Consulting in Columbia, South Carolina, representing clients before the South Carolina General Assembly.  Prior to that, she managed government relations for Piedmont Natural Gas Company and External Affairs for BellSouth in the Charlotte Region. Freeman also spent six years in Washington, DC, serving as Legislative Assistant to two members of Congress.  

Hope serves on the Boards of Beaufort Academy, the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Board of Sustain SC, the board of South Carolina Leadership Campaign, the Business Advisory Board for the Georgia GOAL Scholarship fund and the Business Leadership Council of the Lowcountry Land Trust. She is a graduate of Leadership North Carolina, the SC Economic Development Institute and the Diversity Leadership Initiative of the Riley Institute at Furman University.  She is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort and an alumna of the Junior Leagues of Charlotte and Columbia.  

A native of North Carolina, Hope is a graduate of Appalachian State University. She has been an international volunteer and Wheel of Fortune champion, a Cherry Blossom Princess and is an avid Clemson football fan.  She currently resides on Lady’s Island, South Carolina with her husband Russ, their daughter Riggs and their dogs Sadie and Banks.

Frank Heap is a Facilities/Energy Manager with 20 years of experience combined in Facilities Management, Construction Management, IT, and Energy Management. Frank has worked with ZF Transmission in Gray Court, SC for the last 10 years where he has filled various Real Estate Management (Facilities Management) roles, to include grounds maintenance, disaster preparedness, construction management, facilities maintenance engineering, safety and risk management, and energy conservation. Frank has a passion for technology, enjoys change, always has a positive attitude and enjoys opportunities for new challenges. Frank is inspired daily by his wife and their two daughters. In his free time, Frank likes to spend time with his family, going to the beach, building custom cars, and playing games with his daughters.

Tom Hutto, P.G. is a Principal at GEL Engineering, LLC where he leads complex environmental and industrial development projects including permitting, site characterization, site development, dredging, and/or remediation. He routinely interfaces with SCDHEC and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Tom has long had a passion for land protection and sustainable development and believes industry and conservation have many shared interests. To that end, he serves on the Boards of the Lowcountry Land Trust and Sustain SC. He also serves as a Councilmember in the Town of Meggett, SC.

Caroline James is the Director of Sustainability at Atlantic Packaging, where she works with customers across the Fortune 500 and beyond to transition towards using more sustainable packaging. She is particularly interested in designing packaging for circularity, as well as in improving systems for recycling and composting. Caroline graduated from the Yale School of Management with an MBA in 2022, where she was also grateful to take many classes at the Yale School of the Environment. While at Yale, Caroline and her team won the Mochen Liao Award for research in industrial ecology and life cycle assessment.

Prior to Yale, Caroline was a consultant at Deloitte Consulting in the public sector practice, where she helped federal agencies tackle their toughest organizational effectiveness issues. While at Deloitte, Caroline founded the DC Sustainability Community of Practice and Engagement, a group focusing on improving Deloitte’s sustainability as a firm. Caroline graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a Bachelor’s degree in Government and minors in environmental studies and music.

I am Brian Ledford, and work for Sage Automotive as the Global Engineer. I am responsible for the standardization of our Reliability Programs, Engineering disciplines related to CAPEX projects and our Environmental Management System. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Mechanical Engineering degree and began my career with Milliken & Co. Since 2009 I have been with the textile company, Sage Automotive Interiors. Through my career I have held production management, process improvement and maintenance positions at different locations all in South Carolina. 

I am passionate about my faith and family and strive to have a well-balanced work to family life ratio.  And to not forget, I also thoroughly enjoy golf and hunting as much as possible.

Lindsay E. Leonard is Senior Director for Government Operations for Boeing South Carolina. Named to her position in June 2014, Lindsay is responsible for government relations and community engagement in South Carolina. She leads a team who manage relationships with elected officials, business leaders, and community partners, advocate for key issues that advance Boeing’s business objectives, and lead philanthropic opportunities to give back to the community.  

Prior to joining Boeing, Lindsay was an Associate at the law firm of White & Case LLP, in New York, where she served in both the firm’s Competition & Commercial Litigation Group. She previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable David C. Norton, U.S. District Court, in Charleston. Lindsay also served in the U.S. Senate for Senators Jesse Helms and Ted Stevens.

Lindsay holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of North Carolina, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Fordham University School of Law. She currently serves on the following boards: Economic Leadership Council of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, SC State Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Chair of the Manufacturing Committee, Clemson Industry Advisory Board, SustainSC, and Meeting Street Schools.

Ashley McLeod is the owner and president of Heritage Landscape Services. His business provides full-service commercial landscaping throughout South Carolina. Heritage’s teams are the “boots on the ground” and make an impact on our physical world every day.

In addition to his B.S. in Marketing from Clemson University, Ashley is certified in advanced irrigation water management technology. He is also a member of Accountability Creates Excellence (ACE), a national landscape peer group.

Ashley has a strong desire to give back to the community. He has led youth for over 8 years with the Boy Scouts of America. He also served as President, Treasurer, and Board Member in SC Green, our statewide professional landscape association. He is an active member of Lexington Presbyterian Church.

Outside of work, Ashley enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with his wife and four children. His most recent memorable traveling experience was traveling from Florida to the Bahamas via boat.

Hassan was born in Bronx, NY; moved to Philadelphia, PA; but he was mostly raised in Nesmith, SC.  He attended Hemingway High School, and subsequently graduated from the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics.  Following graduation from the Governor’s School, Hassan enrolled in Clemson University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry and a Master of Engineering Degree in Environmental Engineering.  

After obtaining his Masters Degree, Hassan began his career with Earth Tech/AECOM where he provided support to multiple projects in various roles including project manager, site safety officer, and/or field team leader.  Hassan continued his career with Jordon Construction Company as a Senior Project Manager where he managed projects for various clients including United States Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Greenville Healthcare System, and Greenville County School District.  Hassan is currently employed with BMW as an environmental specialist focusing on compliance topics for BMW’s non-manufacturing facilities in North America 

Outside of work, Hassan’s activities include Greenville Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (Vice President/Parliamentarian), Laughs for Lupus (Founding Member), and Poplar Spring Missionary Baptist Church (Youth Ministry, Trustee Ministry Vice Chairperson, Parliamentarian, and IT/Tech Support Lead).  

Hassan is married to the former Mia Richardson of Ridgeway South Carolina, and they have two children.

Matt has spent 31 years working in the EHS and sustainability fields.  Matt’s past work assignments included Laidlaw Environmental Services, Grote Industries, Navistar, GE Healthcare and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.  Matt has worked in a variety of industrial areas including vehicle assembly, iron and steel foundries, plastic injection molding, plastic and metal coating, metal machining and heat treating.

Matt earned his BS in Biology from Valparaiso University in 1990 and his MEM (master’s in environmental management) from Duke University in 2011.  Matt has earned his certification as a six-sigma black belt and a CHMM (certified hazardous materials manger) from IHMM.  Matt has served his community by serving as the chair of Waukesha County (WI) LEPC for more than 20 years.  Matt also served his community by volunteering to work on adopt a highway cleanups and lead United Way campaigns at his manufacturing plant.  

Matt and his family recently relocated to the Charleston area in June 2022. Matt is eager to establish a network of sustainability contacts in his new home state of South Carolina.

After graduating from Wofford College in 2005, Adam moved to Columbia, thinking he was off to coach football and teach English. He was hired as a coach but not as a teacher, so he started working on the shop floor of Colite International.

Three months later, he moved into project management, overseeing signage projects for retail customers. A chance meeting in the hall got Adam involved with the Hospitality market, beginning by overseeing the Holiday Inn signage relaunch project. That eventually evolved into Adam getting Colite approved as a signage supplier for all of the brands with IHG Hotels & Resorts. He’s also obtained brand approval for Hilton Worldwide and Extended Stay America.

Adam’s work in the Hospitality market led him to being named Managing Director of Hospitality for Colite, leading the sales and project management efforts for all hotel-related projects.

In 2019, Adam worked to get Colite approved as a Value-Added Reseller for ChargePoint, the country’s leading Level 2 EVSE supplier. Colite is currently the only value-added reseller in South Carolina. 

In mid-2022, Adam was promoted to Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Colite, leading all sales and marketing efforts for Colite.

Adam is married to Katie Regenthal and has two daughters, fourteen and two years ago. Adam enjoys live music, reading poetry, and playing Nintendo games.

Josh Riggs is the Senior Manager of Global Sustainability at Milliken & Company, where he drives sustainability and net-zero strategies. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee Tech University. Josh’s career began as an engineer in Milliken textile manufacturing and has held several roles supporting energy, environmental sustainability, and ESG reporting programs. In his free time, Josh focuses on his young family and volunteering in his community and faith organizations. While his roots are in Tennessee, he resides in Spartanburg as a proud South Carolinian.

Kate Schaefer is the Director of Land Protection at the Open Land Trust. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology from Clemson University and master’s degree from Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. Previously, she worked in environmental advocacy and policy for nine years with the Coastal Conservation League and taught high school science in the public school system. At OLT, Kate works with landowners, partners, and local and state government programs to identify strategic land protection opportunities in the region.

Heather Shirley Smith is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Policy for Duke Energy in South Carolina. She is responsible for relationships and advocacy with stakeholder groups and key state executive agencies and provides leadership and strategic direction for the development and coordination of comprehensive energy policy strategies for Duke Energy in South Carolina. As former Deputy General Counsel, Heather has led regulatory and legal work for Duke Energy in the Carolinas in various roles since 2011 and – before being promoted to her current role – served as Duke Energy’s lead regulatory attorney in South Carolina for seven years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta and her juris doctor degree is from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Before joining Duke Energy, Heather practiced utility law in Atlanta as a partner for Troutman Sanders, now known as Troutman Pepper.

Heather is a South Carolina native, born and raised in the Upstate. She resides in Greenville with her husband, Paul, and their two sons.

Kari Snyder is the Director of Community Engagement and Sustainability for South Carolina Charities, Inc. (SCCI) the nonprofit foundation of the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX.  

Kari has been a part of SCCI since 2019 and has been a leading force in the sustainability initiatives of the tournament. The BMW Charity Pro-Am is currently the only PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour that is a zero waste-to-landfill event, and under Kari’s initiative and leadership, the tournament is going carbon neutral.  

Kari is driven by her passion for educating the community, progressing sustainability within events in the Upstate, and advancing the game of golf as a diverse and equitable sport. Kari’s efforts to make golf a more sustainable sport are being recognized in the industry: Kari has been a featured speaker at the PGA TOUR tournament meetings, and she and her team were recently awarded the Annual Recycling Award from Carolina Recycling Association. 

Kari currently resides in Greer with her two children and enjoys hiking, golfing, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors in South Carolina.

Alex Sturgis has worked in the energy and sustainability consulting industry since 2008. He is currently responsible for Business Development in Siemens Enterprise Energy Services Business that supports Fortune 500 companies from many industries to develop and achieve their energy and sustainability goals through implementation of strategic planning, risk advisory, energy and renewables sourcing, decarbonization strategies, technology and energy efficiency, and carbon emissions disclosure services. His team is also instrumental in executing key elements of Siemens own decarbonization program to become carbon neutral in its operations by 2030. Alex was born and raised in Rock Hill, South Carolina and resides with his family in Columbia. Outside of the office he enjoys spending time with his family doing anything outdoors, road tripping to one of SC’s unique and historical destinations or often hanging out on North Myrtle Beach. He is an avid golfer since his youth that has provided him a strong connection to the environment, conservation, and outdoor recreation. Alex received his bachelor's degree from Wofford College in Business Economics and later his MBA from the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business.

Lauren Trapp is a Global Environmental Sustainability Specialist at AFL, where she is responsible for development, implementation, and administration of AFL’s sustainability program globally. Lauren specializes in Sustainability and Environmental management with experience in public and private sectors. Her professional and personal passion is being a leader who positively impacts the sustainability of her community and organization. She has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from Bethel College, and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University, where she graduated with lifetime membership into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys being outdoors, biking, hiking, running, and spending quality time with her daughter and husband.

Mark is the owner of MNL Land Advisors, which specializes in advising landowners regarding the acquisition of large tracts of land for long term management, development, or conservation.  He has 15 years of experience in managing timberland, directly overseeing the acquisition of more than 60,000 acres.  He is also responsible for the development, implementation, and operation of multiple wetland mitigation banks in South Carolina.  He has spent his entire adult life in the Upstate.  After graduating from Furman University, he began his career as external auditor working for Ernst & Young and subsequently the Liberty Corporation in Greenville, SC. After 20 years in Greenville, he moved to Spartanburg, SC where he has been for the past 15 years.  He is a member of the board of directors of the Forestry Association of South Carolina, the Upstate Land Conservation Fund, and the East Edisto Conservancy.