21 South Carolina leaders selected for Liberty Fellowship Class of 2025

Ashley is passionate about connectional ministry as she believes that the church thrives when all of God’s people feel a sense of belonging and are enabled to discover God’s call and claim on their lives.

Ashley also serves the Presbyterian Church USA as moderator elect with New Harmony Presbytery and as a commissioner with the Synod of the South Atlantic. She serves on the Hartsville community’s Better Together task force that seeks to address systemic racism through building intentional relationships across race and is co-chairing the development of an emergency shelter for the under-housed and homeless in Hartsville, South Carolina.

As a graduate of Queens University of Charlotte and Union Presbyterian Seminary, Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Religion, a master’s degree in Divinity, and a master’s degree in Christian Education. She is married to Rev. Nick Cheek and is the mother of three kind and creative children – Lydia, Nicholas and Ada. When Ashley is not at church, you will likely find her out for a run with friends or having dance parties with her family.

ATI is the leader in R&D collaboration management and lessens the burden of government by coordinating and executing our nation’s most innovative research initiatives across 28 federally funded collaborations.  The MTC Division includes six unique Other Transaction (OT) Agreement programs for Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense valued at greater than $50B.  In his role, Grayson supports ARPA-H Customer Experience Hub, a nationwide health innovation network that is dedicated to the needs of people: listening to, learning from, and building trust within communities to enable access to critical health innovations for all Americans.

Prior to joining ATI, Grayson dedicated his early career to quasi-public state agencies where he worked at the South Carolina Research Authority for over five years as an Investment Finance Manager under Finance and Administration and SC Launch. In this role, his primary responsibilities were the management of the SC Launch, Inc. investment portfolio and organization lead for cross-functional process improvement initiatives.  The portfolio supported South Carolina entrepreneurs and technology startups across life science, advanced materials and manufacturing, and information technology fields.  Grayson began his career at Santee Cooper, a South Carolina electric and water utility based in Moncks Corner, South Carolina where he served in various finance and program roles for a decade.  He is a graduate of the South Carolina Economic Development Institute and a Riley Fellow of The Riley Institute at Furman University’s Diversity Leaders Initiative.

Grayson earned his master’s degree in Business Administration from Charleston Southern University and his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management Information Systems from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He lives in Moncks Corner with his wife and three children.

Bern previously co-led the Multifamily Division of Furman Capital Advisors and was a Shareholder of its parent company NAI Earle Furman. During his tenure at the company, Bern was directly involved in over $1 billion in multifamily transactions throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Prior to joining NAI Earle Furman, Bern was Vice President and Principal of Vista Capital Management Group, a full-service property management company specializing in multifamily management throughout the southeast and mid- Atlantic regions.

Bern graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from Wofford College. He is currently Executive Board Member of Vista Capital Management Company as well as Executive Board Member of Easlan Management Company. He is the past Chairman of the SC Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), Past Chairman of Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children, and past Board Member of Greenville Housing Futures.

She is also expanding the chapter’s engagement in important ocean conservation issues, including sustainable fisheries and offshore wind advancements.

Fly received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina, studying climate change impacts on marine mussels around the world. She spent a year in Washington D.C. as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, working on ocean and coastal issues for the Third National Climate Assessment which was released in 2014.

She currently lives in Charleston, SC, with her husband and two young children, and her stepdaughter attends the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

She began her career in New York City as a junior designer at renowned fashion magazine W. She then designed and developed UI/UX for a proprietary software component of a tech startup representing global brands that was later sold to Kodak. She served as a Director at Arnell Group (OMNICOM) focusing on brand development and marketing and representing brands such as Mars, goop, Reebok, and the FDNY.

Margaret co-founded her first restaurant at age 28 – Caviar & Bananas – in Charleston – and grew it to five locations across two states, three cities ,with 150 employees before negotiating its acquisition. Margaret’s second company – B/YOND Well – was focused on wellness and served clients such as Montage Palmetto Bluff creating wellness focused spaces and amenity design as well as guest-facing programming with headliners such as Deepak Chopra and Dr. John Amaral.

Margaret has served on multiple boards including the Executive Board of CHS Wine and Food, The Governor’s School for the Arts, and The 1858 Board for the Gibbes Museum of Art. Margaret is a past recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from The College of Charleston and The Charleston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Margaret holds a Master’s degree from the Pratt Institute as well as a Certificate in the Science of Wellbeing from Yale University. Margaret is the proud mother of two wild and crazy boys who help keep her up to date on the latest slang terms and sneaker trends. Margaret enjoys yoga, travel, art, and believes that life is all about creating meaningful connections. In her free time Margaret dabbles in writing children’s books and taking improv classes.

He is responsible for all aspects of Phoenix including overall strategic direction, formulation of investment strategy, and execution.

Prior to founding Phoenix Jon served as CEO of Conrex, a Single Family Rental platform with a portfolio of more than 10k homes in the Southeast and Midwest.  Prior to Conrex he was President of Multifamily Investments at Corigin Real Estate Group in New York City where he oversaw property management, student housing, and multifamily acquisitions and development.

Jon is a first generation college graduate and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in management from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.  He lives in Charleston, South Carolina with his wife and three children.

Previously, Mena served as the Founding Dean of the Barenboim-Said Akademie, a groundbreaking music conservatory and concert hall in Berlin for Arab and Israeli musicians. Prior to his role in Berlin, Hanna was assistant artistic director and dramaturg at Houston Grand Opera, where he served on senior management as the main artistic planning partner with Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers.

Mena received a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University, where he attended the university’s Honors Program and was the inaugural recipient of its Honors Distinguished Alumni Award. He earned his master’s degree in musicology and a DPhil (PhD) in Music Composition and Critical Writing at Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar. He was appointed as Spoleto Festival USA’s fourth General Director in 2022.

In her work, she utilizes fundamental principles of community-driven development, human-centered design, and community-building approaches to deliver and mobilize resources for public and community projects in under-resourced communities around the world. She works to bridge community vision to local and national resources for resilient community and economic development.

For the past 5 years, Jamilla has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Metanoia, amplify opportunities for a thriving community with families in Chicora and surrounding historically Black neighborhoods in Charleston, South Carolina, by honing the unique assets that exist there. Prior to her role with Metanoia, Jamilla served as the Associate Director of the Kounkuey Design Initiative in Kenya.

Jamilla is an alumni of The College of Charleston, graduating with bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Spanish.  After being awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Fellowship, Jamilla earned her master’s degree in Development Studies at the University of Nairobi (Kenya). She currently serves as a College of Charleston Foundation Board Fellow and a CLIMB Fund Board Member.

Under her tenure, the organization has grown significantly from a staff of three to nine; quadrupled its budget; and started the first Housing Court in Berkeley and Dorchester County.

Lana began her law career as a litigation associate at DLA Piper, LLP, a large corporate law firm in New York City, following her graduation from Brooklyn Law School. She found her passion for expanding access to legal services after taking a year to do pro-bono work at a non-profit organization. As a first-generation American and daughter of Russian immigrants, she readily accepted the opportunity to work in the Immigrant Protection Unit at New York Legal Assistance Group (“NYLAG”), one of New York City’s leading nonprofits providing legal services to low-income New Yorkers. She also worked in the Family Law Unit, representing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trauma, as well as taking on the role of Coordinator of Project Eden, which worked with the Orthodox Jewish community to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Lana currently serves on the Board of My Sister’s House and on the Advisory Committee for a new project—The Above the Line Network (ATLN);  a community of leaders from the U.S., Canada, and beyond working together to transform the delivery of legal services to the underserved middle-class. She also served on the Steering Committee for the South Carolina Statewide Civil Legal Needs Assessment commissioned by the SC Access to Justice Commission.

Lana is a 2019 Riley Fellow with Furman University’s Diversity Leaders Initiative. She is the proud recipient of the 2021 Trident United Way Nonprofit Leader of the Year Award and was named a Leader in Law in 2022 by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. She lives in Charleston with her husband and two daughters.

Prior to joining Milliken, Maurie assisted clients with regulatory and transactional matters in private practice as a shareholder with Wyche, P.A. While at Wyche, she was also elected to serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee.  Maurie has also served as General Counsel and Vice President at Hughes Development Corporation and as a lecturer at Clemson University for the Masters Real Estate Development Program.

Maurie received her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Smith College with high honors and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.  She has served on the Board of Directors at several organizations, including Piedmont Health Foundation, Public Education Partners, Clement’s Kindness, the Greenville Housing Fund and the City of Greenville’s Public Facilities Corporation. She has been recognized for achievements by Chambers USA, South Carolina Super Lawyers, South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, YWCA, CREW Upstate, Who’s Who in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Greenville Business Magazine.

He is also an owner in the company, and his operational leadership fosters excellent guest experiences and positive workplace cultures across the group’s properties. Earlier in his career, Neetu held senior operations positions with Deean, Inc., the American Red Cross, and D Cube.

Neetu volunteers his service in a variety of ways. He is the Chairman of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Board of Directors, Chairman of the Investments Subcommittee of the Greenville Tech Foundation Board of Directors, and a member of the American Red Cross SC Regional Advisory Council.

Neetu graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Human Resource Management. He now lives with his family in Greenville, South Carolina. Outside of work, Neetu enjoys reading, sports and spending time with his wife Sima, son Sajan, and daughter Karina.

She was born and raised in Charleston South Carolina, and attended Haverford College, in Philadelphia, for her bachelor’s degree in Biology. After returning to Charleston, she attended the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) where she received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing. She worked at MUSC as a nurse in the inpatient hospital setting in Charleston before accepting a position at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on the hematology/oncology floor. While in Nashville, she earned her master’s degree in Nursing at Vanderbilt.

Estee also served as the Chief Medical Officer at a Federally Qualified Healthcare Clinic in Los Angeles, where she was responsible for the practice being recognized as a Patient Centered Medical Home during her tenure. Now, back in Charleston, she remains deeply interested in the patient experience and respects the patient voice and involvement in healthcare decision making. During the Covid pandemic, she stepped outside of the office to directly serve the community, forming a Covid vaccine administration plan, recruiting a team, and administering over 27,000 vaccines.

Outside of her professional life, Estee finds solace and joy in the great outdoors, and she feels it’s a privilege to call Charleston home. Sharing life’s journey with her husband, a Neurotologist at MUSC, and their three young children, family remains the cornerstone of her life.

Working with government, nonprofit, and corporate clients across the state, Alyssa advocates for public-private partnerships to maximize community investment and engagement.

Alyssa has a background in law, politics, and economics. She holds a summa cum laude economics degree from Furman University, and she is a graduate of Harvard Law School. She served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, working in civil rights and public corruption. She later served as Deputy Chief of Staff and State Director to US Senator Tim Scott, working on economic development policy in both Washington, DC, and South Carolina.

Most recently, the Governor appointed Alyssa to serve on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Public Service Authority, also known as Santee Cooper. She also serves on the Board of Safe and Green Development Corporation, a leading real estate developer of modular homes.

Born in Greenville, North Carolina, he attended East Carolina University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  Upon graduation, Smith was appointed to serve as the Town Clerk of Bethel, North Carolina.  After successfully serving in executive roles at the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, Allen was named President and CEO of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce in 2014.

In 2020, he led the effort to consolidate the chamber, economic development, and tourism entities – the only collaborative development approach throughout the Carolinas.  Over the past two years, the organization and its many community partners have recruited $5.1 billion in new investment, and 5,787 new jobs through 80 new projects continuing the streak of leading South Carolina in new investment and job creation.

Allen and his wife, Jenni, are the proud and exhausted parents of Eloise (6) and Mary Barrett (4).

She’s spent 18 years mastering executive leadership skills within some of the top hospital systems in the industry – including Duke Medicine, Tenet Healthcare and MUSC Health. Kim’s corporate experience includes leadership development, hospital and large medical group operations, business development and acquisitions, global business expansion and health equity.

Most recently, Kim launched Health Evolve Technologies in 2023 to build innovative solutions at the intersection of care and culture. Her passion for transforming health equity and culture is a result of her own experience in losing a child due to HELLP Syndrome. She uses her voice at local and global tables of influence to transform how the voices of BIPOC communities are amplified. She is the past Board Chair for the Preeclampsia Foundation, and she is the incoming 2024/2025 Board President for the South Carolina Midlands Chapter of the American Heart Association. Kim was also selected recently as a Non-Voting Member of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Maternal Mental Health Task Force Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Women’s Services (ACWS) in 2023.

Kim earned her master’s degree in health administration from the University of South Carolina and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University.  She also completed Coaching Intensive Training with the CAPP Institute for Coaching and Positive Psychology. Kim has authored two leadership books. The most recent is titled People First then Profit: 5 Steps to Build a People Rich Culture. She is a board certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Complementary to the state’s recruitment efforts, Ashely helps lead the agency’s strategic programmatic scope including South Carolina’s electric vehicle competitiveness strategies; private-public collaboration to advance business development; and an increased focus on the state’s diplomacy to strengthen research and trade relations. Previously, she served as director of S.C. Commerce’s Business Services division. Ashely was instrumental in the launch of various support resources and programs for start-ups and existing companies such as industry B2B platforms, minority business engagement, and she also led the agency’s statewide COVID-19 response efforts. Prior to joining S.C. Commerce in 2015, Ashely 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.

Ashely serves as a board member for the SC Biotechnology Innovation Organization (SCBIO), the SC Economic Developers Association (SCEDA) and the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority (JEDA). She 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, the South Carolina Certified Public Managers Program, and the South Carolina Executive Institute Program. She lives in Irmo with her husband and two daughters.

Jarrod was born and raised in lower Florence County graduating from Lake City High School. Upon graduation from the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy in 2009, he began his career at CVS where he was an Emerging Leader. In 2016, Jarrod transitioned to his passion for independent pharmacy and community with the founding of THE Pharmacy on Hoffmeyer Road in Florence. Just a few short months after opening THE Pharmacy, he also became the co-owner of Moss Compounding Pharmacy and relocated it into his new facility.

Jarrod currently serves his community as President for The Palmetto Partnership of All 4 Autism and Club Service Chair for Florence Rotary Club. He is Treasurer for McLeod Health Foundation Board of Trustees and serves on Florence County Disabilities Foundation Board of Directors. He is a member of Dr. F.H. McLeod Legacy Society.  He is also actively involved with Florence One Schools and participated in The School Foundation’s Dancing for Our Future Stars winning The People’s Choice Award in 2022. In his spare time, Jarrod enjoys traveling, University of South Carolina sporting events, equestrian activities, and other aspects of the community.

Jarrod was recipient of the Excellence in Innovation award given by the South Carolina Pharmacy Association in 2022. He was recently recognized as Outstanding Young Alumni of the Year for the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy and awarded the Small Business Person of the Year by Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce in 2023. Jarrod has served as South Carolina Pharmacy Association Pee Dee Region Director and Pee Dee Pharmacy Association President. He is a current member of the South Carolina Pharmacy Association and National Community Pharmacists Association.

He began his military career by enlisting in the South Carolina Army National Guard as a Forward Observer before receiving his commission as a Field Artillery Officer. He has served in the United States Army for over 20 years with key staff assignments at the tactical, operational, and strategic level commands. He has four combat tours including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Djibouti. In his civilian career, he has led engineering projects around the globe.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He is an Eagle Scout and continues to serve with different community organizations. He currently serves on the Leadership South Carolina Board of Trustees.

She previously taught at the University of Chicago in the Law, Letters & Society department and practiced in the Intellectual Property and Technology practice at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles. She has also authored several books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Guang Ming currently serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations, including: the John and Martha Rivers Performance Hall Foundation in support of the Gaillard Center, Explore Charleston, the Municipal Association of South Carolina, and Mugs for Moms, a nonprofit focused on maternal mental health. She is also the Chair of Lattice Climbers, a nonprofit focused on teaching life skills to young adults.

A longtime volunteer with the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State program in both California and South Carolina, Guang Ming speaks annually at both programs. She also serves as a Board Member and the President of California’s Girls State Alumnae Foundation.

Gillian has a career in leadership spanning a variety of industries – hospitality, music, retail, wellness, experiential, and nonprofits. She began her career in radio which would foray into an A&R role with Universal Music Group, creating opportunities, buzz, and impact for an array of recording artists. In her next two roles, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate and Euphoria – both in Greenville, South Carolina, she led operations and teams that garnered accolades and increased revenue.

As the Executive Director & CEO of Charleston Wine + Food for nearly a decade—Gillian designed more than 200 programs and events annually, grew the organizational budget to $10MM+, and increased profits and sponsorship revenue year over year—despite a global pandemic which halted the multi-day event for well over a season. During her tenure, Charleston Wine + Food was named one of the top five wine and food festivals in the US by Forbes Traveler and solidified a first-of-its-kind partnership with NBC’s TODAY, culminating in a multi-day, on-site syndicated broadcast.

Zettler has served as a Professor of Events Management at the College of Charleston and is a mentor for the College of Charleston’s prestigious Schottland Scholars Program. She is a member of CHIEF, a Lululemon Ambassador, a master spin instructor, and a registered yoga teacher. A devoted mother of two (Ethan and Liv), and partner to her husband, Spencer, Gillian loves to travel and is cultivating that same love in her children.