Leslie Skardon

CEO

Leslie is the CEO of Sustain SC, a nonprofit organization connecting sectors across South Carolina to optimize the use of our natural resources in a way that is sustainable for both our economy and our environment. With a business development background and passion for sustainability, Leslie unites smart growth with conservation to sustain South Carolina’s economic prosperity. 

Prior to joining Sustain SC, Leslie built and executed strategies to drive business growth for Fortune 500 companies, governments, non-profits, and institutions. As a strategic communications and public affairs professional, Leslie specializes in advising purpose-driven clients to uncover strategies to meet business goals while positively impacting their communities.

Leslie is a community leader. She was recently named as South Carolina's Top 50 Women to Admire and is a Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative Fellow. Leslie was appointed by Governor McMaster to the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission and serves on the City of Charleston Commission on Women. Leslie founded the non-profit Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3) and serves on the Charleston Chamber of Commerce's Regional Policy Committee. Leslie completed her MBA from Georgetown with a focus in Non-Market Strategy to help businesses be a force for good in the world.

Cynthia Davis

Senior Vice President of Commerce

Dr. Cynthia Davis has been at the forefront of South Carolina's economic growth and development for decades. Since 2017, she led the Existing Industry program at the South Carolina Department of Commerce, a role she undertook following her 10-year tenure in workforce development and 15 years of dedication in the educational sector. While working in the public school system, Cynthia taught middle school science and math and served as an assistant principal at the middle and high school levels. Cynthia has developed collaboration with local economic development organizations and allied partners throughout South Carolina.

Kristen Austin Gunter

Senior Vice President of Conservation

Kristen knows the value of bringing together diverse groups to create solutions for nature and people. In her role as Senior Vice President for Conservation, Kristen works with key stakeholders and partners to help fulfill Sustain SC’s mission.

Prior to joining Sustain SC, Kristen spent more than 25 years with The Nature Conservancy where she built conservation programs in the Midwest, South Carolina, and the Southern Appalachians. It was during this time Kristen learned how to create change through real-world solutions, policy expertise, sustainable financing, and collaborative partnerships. Believing strongly that the key to success is trusted relationships, Kristen’s depth of experience includes negotiating complex land transactions to expand public lands and managing natural resources in partnership with agencies, non-profits, and public utilities.

Kristen has called Greenville home for twenty years and enjoys engaging in, and giving back to her community. She was appointed by Greenville City Council to serve on their Sustainability Committee and is a graduate of Leadership Greenville and the Urban Land Institute’s Sustainable Leadership Program. Kristen’s alma mater, University of Tennessee, is, located in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains where she grew up, and where her love of conservation was fostered.