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

Ethel Bunch is the Founder of Sustain SC , a 501(c)3 bringing together a diverse group of business, economic development, academic, conservation and state agency leaders with the mission to connect the sustainability goals of business in South Carolina with local solutions that benefit the economy, environment and people.

Prior to founding Sustain SC , Ethel co-founded Wittering Advisors, a consulting group working with clients to raise the standard for informed decision making that maximizes South Carolina’s economic growth and strong natural resource based infrastructure. Serving organizations such as the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, Lowcountry Land Trust and Congaree Land Trust she helped match corporate environmental and social commitments with South Carolina’s needs.

She has 20+ years of fundraising and communications experience bridging the nonprofit and private sectors operating in healthcare, environment and education. She has served as Director of Development and Marketing for EdVenture Children’s Museum, Prevent Child Abuse South Carolina and Heathwood Hall Episcopal School.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Ethel earned a B.A. in English and Masters in Mass Communication from the University of South Carolina.

She is married to Bill Bunch and has two daughters, Caroline and Claiborne who keep her motivated and humble.

Since thrusting South Carolina into the national spotlight when she was hired in May 2008, Dawn Staley has made the Gamecocks a mainstay in the battle for SEC and national championships. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as a player is angling for another induction as a coach with her standing as one of five head coaches with at least three women’s basketball National Championships and the only Black basketball head coach with multiple national titles, one of five head coaches to lead an undefeated team to a National Championship, and the first Black head coach of the USA Basketball Senior National Team.

In Summer 2022, Dawn Staley welcomed Mary Wooley back to the South Carolina staff, on which she served three previous seasons as the director of recruiting operations. Wooley was hired as the program’s director of recruiting and strategy before adding an assistant coach title in July 2023. She now has 11 seasons of coaching experience in addition to stints as director of recruiting operations and director of basketball operations on Staley-led staffs at South Carolina and Temple, respectively.

In her 11 seasons coaching, Wooley has helped her teams to a National Championship; three NCAA Tournament appearances; four WNIT showings, including a runner-up finish; two regular-season conference championships and two conference tournament titles.

As the Director of Nextra Solutions, Angela O’Neal manages the Firm’s attorneys and clients’ electronic discovery and document review needs. Angela works with attorneys and clients to develop a customized and defensible eDiscovery workflow, including collection, processing, production, and review. With her diverse experience in law, athletics, corporations, and non-profits, Angela brings her knowledge of business operations and strategic planning to the firm's information management and advisory service.

Before leading Nextra Solutions, Angela worked as a Contract Attorney and Team Lead at a national electronic discovery firm. There she reviewed and analyzed confidential documents and sensitive records to make recommendations pertinent to the case. She was also a member of the quality control team charged with facilitating efficient and consistent document production and providing feedback to the document review team. During this time, Angela gained extensive experience in the electronic discovery of complex civil litigation involving government investigations, health care, patent infringement, pharmaceuticals, and product liability.

Angela has also worked in operations. She has served as the Director of Women's Basketball Operations and Assistant Athletics Director for the University of Kentucky as well as the Director of Women's Basketball Operations for USC. As the Assistant Director of Enforcement for the NCAA, Angela was responsible for investigating and processing major violations of NCAA rules and interviewing top prospects to ensure there were no rule violations.

Angela is skilled in electronic discovery platforms, including Clarvergence, CloudNine Concordance, and Relativity.

Pamela Evette is the 93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina and the first female Republican lieutenant governor. 

An entrepreneur and businesswoman, Evette has received numerous accolades including the ATHENA Leadership Award® and the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award. 

Since taking office in 2019, Evette has been laser-focused on utilizing her professional background to highlight S.C.’s thriving small business ecosystem, attract new business to the state, and promote innovative public-private partnerships. She has also worked to support early childhood education, school reading programs, school choice, and S.C. non-profits. 

Evette also understands the importance of strong families and keeping this state safe. She is a staunch supporter of parental rights, our military, and our law enforcement. She realizes the tremendous sacrifices our men and women in uniform make each and every day to protect our lives and our freedoms. 

To help highlight and protect S.C.’s natural resources, Evette created the Grab A Bag SC annual statewide litter clean up initiative in partnership with PalmettoPride. She also joined the SC7 Expedition to raise awareness for floodwater prevention.

A resident of Travelers Rest, S.C., Evette enjoys spending time with her husband David, their three children, and her mother Jennie who lives with them.

Wes Carter is the third-generation leader of Atlantic Packaging, the largest privately owned industrial packaging company in North America. Atlantic supports major consumer products packaging needs across virtually every manufacturing vertical, specializing in packaging optimization through technology and comprehensive programs to drive sustainable value.  

Today, as the president of Atlantic Packaging, Wes is the driving force behind A New Earth Project, the company's sustainability initiative, and its commitment to working with brands of all sizes to transition away from problematic plastic packaging and help rid the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers of plastic pollution. 

Wes is an avid outdoorsman, lifelong surfer, and traveler who resides in Charleston, South Carolina. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Conservation Alliance, the Packaging Producer Responsibility Advisory Board, the Lowcountry Land Trust Board, and the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors in addition to other local and regional organizations fighting the waste crisis. 

Sarah Lyles has been with PalmettoPride since 2002 and serves as the Executive Director. Prior to that, she served as the state leader for Keep South Carolina Beautiful and managed public relations for the organization. She has a Masters in Mass Communications and a BA in English from the University of South Carolina. Prior to working with PalmettoPride, she was a communications associate with the United Way of Greenville County and an event coordinator with SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. She serves on the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Solid Waste Advisory Council. She loves the 1980s and dogs.

Dale Threatt-Taylor is the Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy South Carolina Chapter. She received a Bachelor of Science in Conservation from North Carolina State University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University.

Dale currently serves as Vice Chair on the Sustain SC Board of Directors, on the Board of Visitors of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, and on NC State University’s College of Natural Resources Foundation Board of Directors. Previously, Dale served as Chair of the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s (SWCS) national Board of Directors.

Dale’s leadership education continues, recently completing the Executive Leadership Development Program at Cambridge University, the Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI) at Furman University, and The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) at Furman University. North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine to Dale for her dedicated work in conservation. Dale has been a keynote speaker on numerous occasions, with a pinnacle as the 2022 Spring Commencement Guest Speaker for Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment graduation ceremony. In August 2023, Dale was awarded The Hugh Hammond Bennett Award, the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s most prestigious award, which recognizes extraordinary accomplishments in the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources.

Dale wants everyone to understand that locally led conservation begins with an individual, and together, our conservation work is so important in protecting the lands and waters on which all life depends.

On March 9, 2021, Governor Henry McMaster appointed Benjamin I. Duncan II (Ben) as South Carolina’s first Chief Resilience Officer. Ben previously served as Program Management Director with South Carolina Disaster Recovery Office. He also served as Deputy Program Management Director and Director of Support for the Disaster Recovery Office. Ben has served as either the Program Director or in other management capacities in Disaster Recovery for the past six and half years. Prior to moving to the Disaster Recovery Office, he served as Deputy Director for Administration with the South Carolina Department of Insurance.

In total, Ben’s public service career spans thirty-five years and includes positions with the South Carolina Budget and Control Board (now known as the Department of Administration) and multiple gubernatorial appointments. He served in executive leadership positions in three previous governor’s office administrations as the Human Resources Director, Director of Finance and Administration, and Executive Budget Director. He also served as a Deputy Director in SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Ben is a graduate of Benedict College with a degree in Business Administration. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina. He has completed numerous executive leadership programs, including the State and Local Government Training at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Business Executive Leadership for State Agency Directors at the USC Moore School of Business, Leadership South Carolina, as well as the Lexington Kentucky Council of State Governments’ Henry Toll Fellowship Program, a national premier leadership development program entitled Leadership Development for State Officials.

In addition to public service, Ben serves as an adjunct professor at Webster University. Throughout his teaching career, Ben has received numerous awards, including a 2014 Dedication and Service to Students Award from Webster University, and the 2015 Webster University Faculty Member of the Year Award. He served as the Executive Director to the Board of Trustees at SC State University and continues to serve on the Master of Public Administration Advisory Committee at the University of South Carolina. In 2020, he was reappointed to the Board of Trustees at Francis Marion University by the South Carolina Legislature; however, with his appointment to the resilience office, he resigned from that Board on April 7, 2021.

Ben is an active member of the community, serving in various capacities such as chairmanship roles for numerous civic and community boards. He is a member of Saint John Baptist Church in Columbia, SC, where he serves as Chairman of the Board of Deacons.

Scott Phillips is the State Forester of South Carolina. As the agency head for the South Carolina Forestry Commission, he provides oversight of all functions of the agency and works with a nine-member board appointed by the governor to set agency policy and direction. He represents the Forestry Commission and forestry interests at the state government level as well as regionally, nationally and internationally.

Scott received a B.S. of Forest Resources from the University of Georgia where he dual majored in Forestry and Wildlife Management and a Master of Forest Resources from Clemson University where he specialized in Forest Business. He has more than 25 years experience as a professional forester, wildland firefighter, and conservationist.

Scott is a Registered Forester in South Carolina, a member of the Society of American Foresters, the Southern Group of State Foresters, the National Association of State Foresters, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Forestry Association of South Carolina. Mr. Phillips serves on the boards of the National Association of State Foresters Foundation, Palmetto Agribusiness Council, South Carolina Heritage Trust Advisory Board, and SustainSC. He currently serves as President of the National Association of State Foresters and is the Chair of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s External Review Panel.

Robert H. Boyles, Jr. is Director for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). He serves as the chief administrator for natural resources in the State and is responsible for management and supervision of all aspects of the agency’s broad mission with a staff of over 1100 professionals in locations throughout South Carolina. Robert was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the S.C. Senate and has served as Director of the agency since 2019.

From 2003-2019, Robert served as SCDNR Deputy Director for Marine Resources. As Deputy Director, Robert led all aspects of the operations, management and policy coordination for the Marine Resources Division. In this role, Robert represented the State of South Carolina on a number of regional and national marine resources stewardship panels. Robert served on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council from 2005 to 2012. Additionally, Robert served as a Commissioner on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, including service as Vice Chair (2006-2009) and Chair (2010-2011). Robert serves as President of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Chair of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Board of Directors. In October 2023, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recognized Robert with the Captain David H. Hart Award for his outstanding contributions to and exceptional leadership towards the sustainable management of marine resources along the Eastern seaboard.

Prior to joining the SCDNR, Robert worked as Assistant to the Director for Programs at the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium. Robert was a Dean John A. Knauss Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellow, where he worked for the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program. Robert began his career as an hourly employee working on coastal fish and wildlife habitat issues with the South Carolina Wildlife & Marine Resources Department, the forerunner agency of today’s SCDNR.

Robert holds a Master of Marine Policy from the University of Delaware and a BS in mathematical economics from Wake Forest University. In addition, Robert was a Bradley Fellow in Marine Policy at the Duke University Marine Lab. Robert and his wife Elizabeth are proud parents of two sons.

Lachlan is a manager in RMI, leading work on US regional economic development through clean energy investment. Through its work on US clean energy competitiveness across a range of critical clean energy technologies, RMI is turning research into targeted regional investment strategies. These strategies will identify region-specific clean energy economic development opportunities and prioritize the areas of investment needed to help drive a clean energy economic development strategy in specific multistate regions.

Previously, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Carey’s research and writing covered the geopolitics of the clean energy transition, comparative green industrial policy, US federal climate policy, and clean energy supply chains. Prior to moving to the United States to study at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, Carey was an economist at the Australian Treasury Department.

Jason Elliott is a proud Greenville County native. He graduated from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

After law school, Elliott prosecuted criminals as an Assistant Solicitor. From 1999-2003, he served as District Director for then-Congressman Jim DeMint.

In 2004, he opened his own law firm. Elliott was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives (District 22) in 2016 and has a strong conservative record through his service on the Judiciary Committee.

Elliott worships at the Triune Mercy Center and is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, Greenville County Bar Association, and the Rotary Club of Greenville.

Elliott previously served as Board Chairman of the Greenville Tech Charter High School, president of the Rotary Club of Greenville, and as a member of the Greenville County Legislative Delegation Transportation Committee. 

Maurie Lawrence currently serves as VP Sustainability, Associate General Counsel of Milliken & Company, headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Maurie works with cross-functional teams to enable sustainability in Milliken’s business strategy. Milliken is one of only seven companies to earn World’s Most Ethical Companies® designation every year since the honor’s inception, one of the companies recognized on the 2023 America’s Most Innovative Companies list and one of the first 50 companies in the world to obtain validated science-based net-zero targets.

Heather Shirley Smith is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Policy for Duke Energy in South Carolina. She provides leadership and strategic direction for the development and coordination of regulatory matters and 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 several 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.

Johanna Jacobi, M.Sc. studied industrial engineering at Technical University of Braunschweig. She is currently pursuing her PhD (Cand. Dr.-Ing.) at RWTH Aachen University and is a research assistant with the department of Technology Management at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, Germany. In the Technology Management department, she advises manufacturing companies on how to successfully deal with technological and market developments - from the conception and design of strategies, processes and methods to their implementation. Her focus is on the development of a technology management for sustainable transformation.

Ashely Teasdel was promoted to Deputy Secretary of Commerce in November 2021. Working alongside Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey, Teasdel helped lead the agency’s efforts that resulted in South Carolina receiving record-setting capital investment in 2022. Complementary to the state’s recruitment efforts, Teasdel has supported the agency’s strategic programmatic scope including South Carolina’s electric vehicle competitiveness strategies; private-public collaboration to advance business sustainable development goal achievability; the inaugural S.C. Innovation Month; and an increased focus on the state’s diplomacy to strengthen research and trade relations.

Previously, Teasdel served as director of S.C. Commerce’s Business Services division, which focuses on small business development, existing industry support, supplier outreach, emergency management and recycling market development. In her tenure as director, Teasdel was instrumental in the launch of support resources for start-ups and existing companies; accelerated the use of industry B2B platforms; managed an initiative to build minority business engagement; developed ally outreach for effective coordination of small business support for more sourcing needs; and led the agency’s COVID-19 response efforts.

Prior to joining S.C. Commerce in 2015, Teasdel spent almost a decade in the banking sector, focusing on small business advisory support and development within South Carolina. She served in a variety of roles including financial center management, small business advisor and commercial lending.

Teasdel serves as a board member for SCBIO, the life sciences organization representing South Carolina’s “fastest-growing industry” with an economic impact of nearly $26 billion, as well as the SC Economic Developers Association and the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority.

Teasdel holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Charleston Southern University and a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Wesleyan University. She is a graduate of the BB&T Leadership Development Institute in Winston-Salem, N.C., the South Carolina Economic Development Institute and the South Carolina Certified Public Managers Program. She lives in Irmo with her husband and two daughters.

Suzanne joined the SC Council on Competitiveness in 2016 after serving for 8 years as the Director for International Business Development at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). Suzanne’s experience includes 20 years in the automotive industry: 12 years within BMW working in the fields of corporate sustainability, innovation management, and long-term strategic and structural planning.

She began her career with BMW in Munich Germany at corporate headquarters upon completion of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program. Suzanne speaks fluent German and is also Honorary Consul to the Federal Republic of Germany for Columbia SC and the Upstate.

Suzanne served as a Founding Board Member of the multi-state Southern Automotive Women’s Forum and is an ex-officio Board Member of the South Carolina Automotive Council. In her local community of the Upstate of South Carolina, Suzanne is a Fellow of the Furman University Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Program and has served on the Roper Mountain Science Center Board, on the Board of the South Carolina International Trade Conference, the South Carolina Manufacturers Extension Partnership Board, and Palmetto Green’s (Sustain SC) Advisory Board. Suzanne also currently serves on the South Carolina Aquarium Board and is an active Committee Member for Education Programs.

In 2013, the South Carolina Research Authority awarded Suzanne with the Knowledge Economist Award and in 2015, Suzanne was the recipient of the Clemson Women in Leadership Award. Suzanne was awarded the 2020 Charleston Woman of the Year Award from the Charleston Women in Trade organization, in 2021 she was awarded as a Woman of Influence by SC Biz and in 2024 she was awarded the SC Aquarium Institutional Impact Achievement Award by her Board peers.

Dennis Kunz is a dynamic executive with a proven track record of success in leading international businesses within the automotive sector. Known for his ability to deliver profitable results while maintaining an exceptional customer experience, Dennis has consistently demonstrated excellence in managing organizations and adapting to industry changes.

Currently, Dennis serves as the Vice President of Revenue Strategy & Operations Development at Benore Logistic Systems, Inc., a prominent asset-based logistics carrier based in South Carolina. In this role, he is responsible for implementing strategies that drive growth both within the company’s existing automotive network and across non-automotive industries. Notably, Dennis spearheaded the implementation of the largest battery electric Class 8 fleet in the southeastern United States, consisting of seven Peterbilt 579EVs and one NIKOLA TreBEV truck, showcasing his commitment to sustainable transportation solutions.

Prior to Benore Logistic Systems, Dennis held the position of Vice President for the Americas at Formel D Group, a global service provider to the automotive industry. In this capacity, he oversaw operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, leading a team of 2,400 employees. His expertise in building lasting relationships with major automakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler has been a hallmark of his career.

Dennis holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kempten University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Fluent in both English and German, he resides in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

Sam Packard is a young environmental professional from Charleston, SC. With a passion for sustainability and environmental protection, Sam aims to advance green initiatives and compliance. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering with a minor in business administration from Clemson University.

During his time with Siemens, Sam has implemented waste to energy and recycling measures to support organizational goals of zero waste-to-landfill and net-zero carbon by 2030.

In his free time, Sam likes to go on hikes with his golden retriever, listen to live music, and watch the Tigers play football.

Dr. Arunachalam Lakshminarayanan is responsible for Energy Transition Strategy including Clean, Sustainable & Decentralized energy. Having served the industry for over 17 years in various capacities from academia, business, sales, service and engineering, Dr. Arunachalam strives to bring a holistic view by striking a balance between technology, business and economics. Outside of work, Dr. Arunachalam is passionate about team sports- especially cricket, and enjoys hiking, table tennis and swimming.

An environment engineering major with a strong work ethic and a passion for the game, Joyce is building on her impressive career, aiming to lead the Gamecocks to success in the NCAA tournaments.