FRIENDS OF THE REEDY RIVER - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Professional Engineer

Angie is a licensed professional engineer who has worked in the water sector for over 20 years. She currently serves as ReWa's Operations Services Officer. In this role, she is vital in ReWa's mission to enhance our community's shared quality of life and support our innovative efforts to transform wastewater into renewable resources. Protecting and preserving the Reedy River and the upstate community is a significant focus in this role. Angie is a community-minded leader and public servant at heart who works with others to make Greenville and the surrounding areas a better place to live. She is a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class 47 and the Water Environment Federation's Leadership Institute. Angie has a B. S. in Engineering from Mercer University and a Master of Engineering degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of South Carolina. She has been happily married K.C. Price, a fellow water engineer, for 23 years. She enjoys traveling with her family, gardening, and exploring the outdoors. Her three children, Alex, Christopher, and Annabelle are her greatest source of pride.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Research Environmental Engineer at RTI International

Ben Lord is a Research Environmental Engineer at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute based in North Carolina. He develops and applies watershed-scale hydrologic models to explore the interaction of freshwater and built systems in the face of climate change and other human-driven impacts, including land use change and demand management. He has a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Engineering from North Carolina State University; a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis; and is a registered Professional Engineer. Ben grew up playing in the woods and streams of the Carolinas and is deeply passionate about ensuring robust natural systems for the future in a rapidly-changing world. When he's not thinking about water, Ben can be found playing music, exploring the Upstate via hiking or biking, or cooking food.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Bret is a native of Las Vegas who moved to Greenville in 2015. He is the Vice President of Merits Health Products which specializes in custom power wheelchairs. He is a certified Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP). Bret holds degrees from the University of Phoenix (MBA) and the University of Nevada Las Vegas (BS in Biology/Minor in Chemistry). Bret is married to his wife Angi and has 3 sons, 1 daughter and 1 step-daughter. They live on the Reedy River south of Log Shoals Road and host cleanups for that section of the river. For fun Bret likes to hike to waterfalls, kayak, and practice yoga.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Environmental Engineering Project Manager for the City of Greenville

Brooks is the Environmental Engineering Project Manager for the City of Greenville. He is a professional engineer and certified floodplain manager, and works to assist development planning is compliant with local, state, and federal guidelines as well as manage infrastructure projects for stormwater and municipal sewer operations. Additionally, Brooks oversees the City's stream management plan, which involves assessment of streambanks and prioritization throughout the City to develop potential projects for bank stabilization and restoration opportunities. Brooks holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Geology from Clemson University, and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Administration. Brooks is a member of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, American Planning Association, & South Carolina Association for Hazard Mitigation. This is his first time serving on the board of a non-profit, and he looks forward to being more involved in local efforts to protect our watershed and its beautiful natural resources that benefit our entire community. Brooks is a Greenville native who grew up close to downtown and has lived in Greenville his entire life. As someone who has seen this community continue to grow and change, he desires to be involved in ensuring that change is equitable and beneficial to our community at large. When not in the office, you can find him performing music around the Upstate (he plays guitar and sings in his own band), swimming in freezing cold mountain lakes and streams, long distance running, commuting by bicycle, chasing his daughters all around their home, or traveling anywhere and everywhere where there is water to be found.

Job Titles:

• Vice President
• Vice President of the Board

Greenville, SC native Dick Stelling joins the Friends Of the Reedy River Board of Directors, fulfilling his lifelong interests in family and community, and the quality of life we each contribute. Upon his retirement as a Regional Sales Manager for 3M after more than 25 years of employment, Dick began to show a deeper passion and sought more involvement in volunteerism. Since 2016, he has helped the FORR organization cultivate the gardens along the Swamp Rabbit Trail behind First Baptist Church of Greenville. Dick is an active member of First Baptist Church Greenville, where he volunteers at the AYMC, the Savers Committee, Scholarship Committee, Operation Backpack, and Garden Friends. He is also involved in the United Ministries and activities at Sterling School, where his late wife, Jane, taught. It was while attending Furman University when he and Jane met, both graduating. They have three sons and four grandchildren. Additionally, Dick especially enjoys walking, Pawleys Island, working in the yard and rooting for the Paladins.

Job Titles:

• Treasurer
• Treasurer of the Board
• Development Director at Upstate Warrior Solution

Elisabeth Schatke is the Development Director at Upstate Warrior Solution, a nonprofit that serves local veterans and their families. She graduated from Furman University in 2017 with a B.S. in Sustainability Science and Urban Studies with a minor in Poverty Studies. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, Elisabeth served as an AmeriCorps VISTA through United Way of Greenville County. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in Nonprofit Administration from Louisiana State University. Elisabeth is an active member of the Rotary Club of Greenville and fosters with Greenville County Animal Care. She is passionate about environmental conservation and enjoys gardening and taking her dog, Daisy, on hikes.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Emerald attended The University of South Carolina where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in English. Her professional background spans more than 17 years in the Greenville area where she got her start in public relations with Erwin-Penland. It was there that she first experienced working with clients like Costa Del Mar, Firehouse Subs, Fatz Cafe, and DonorsChoose and became a champion of innovative and workable solutions as a driver for business growth. From there she moved into a communications role at Michelin where she transformed the day-to-day IT business operations. Working as the North America communications lead, she was responsible for communications, employee engagement, and training more than 22,000 employees. During her time at Michelin, she was awarded the Bib Excellence Award for her innovative solutions to green strategy and sustainability. As she grew in her career, so did her desire for a new challenge, and when she was offered a position as a technical writer for a nuclear project at Fluor, she seized the opportunity. There she would spend the next 10 years of her career taking on various roles including training and course development, operations sustainment and support, and communications for Human Resources (HR) stakeholders. While in her training role, she designed, developed, and delivered successful training programs for Material Management, Procurement and Supply Chain personnel to support LOGCAP IV transition in Afghanistan. From there she moved into operations where she coached and mentored managers on employee engagement, recognition, and emotional intelligence. It was in her final years with Fluor that she took on the role of HR Business Partner where she developed forward-thinking HR solutions that helped her drive the delivery of internal communications and marketing to support company-wide HR initiatives that were integral in defining the leadership strategy for HR executives. She transitioned from Fluor to Greenville Water as the manager of public relations where she was responsible for planning and directing the strategic delivery of internal and external communications and building sustainable relationships with leaders in the community. Today, she is the Director of Community Engagement for FAVOR Upstate, an organization that provides intervention and recovery services to those seeking recovery. In her role, she is responsible for rebuilding lives, healing families, and strengthening communities through volunteer engagement, strategic fundraising, and raising community awareness to put a "face and voice" on recovery. She has received awards for community engagement, knowledge management in the fields of HR and communications, as well as multiple elite performer awards and a Young Generation in Nuclear Leadership recognition. Yoga and weight lifting are part of Emerald's daily life, as is an overall active and healthy lifestyle. She has one cat and is an advocate for animals through her work with Greenville Animal Care and the Greenville Humane Society. Emerald also loves to travel and has been to 26 countries with Afghanistan and Croatia topping the list of the most interesting thus far. She is a strong supporter of diversity in Greenville and volunteers her time with the Hispanic Alliance for various events. She can also be found volunteering her time to Mill Village Farms, Meals on Wheels, and in her local community as an advocate for growth and change as the Vice President of the Monaghan Community Association.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Fred Graham is newly retired after a long career in engineering. He was a Senior Engineer with GE Renewable Energy (Wind Turbines) and had been with GE for 12 years. He is a Clemson graduate with a degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering. While his early career focused on Electrical Engineering, his career path has led him to data analytics. He grew up in Greenville, but his early career led him to Georgia and Virginia before returning home to work for GE. He has been an avid SCUBA diver and enjoys sailing, hiking, camping, and stand-up paddle boarding. He also loves photography and cooking and is a computer geek. He currently lives in Anderson County on Lake Hartwell.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Guy is retired from IBM (and JPMorgan) where over the years he served in roles of IT Solution Architect in both services and sales organizations. He also spent a few years working in the FinTech industry for blockchain startup, R3 as a Director in Professional Services. Though retired, Guy maintains deep interest in environmental causes, especially in raising awareness of how humans are integrally connected to earth as one of its many biodiverse species. One of his first retirement activities was co-chairing the Rivers & Lakes committee as part of the IEEE Standards Association's "Planet Positive 2030" initiative. Guy has long been drawn to the outdoors, enjoying sea kayaking, hiking, and generally just being in nature. As a young man he achieved a BS degree in Forestry from Purdue University, after which achieving an MBA from Indiana University. Across his career Guy discovered the synergy of the IT skills and knowledge he acquired over the years, with the ecological awareness of earth's natural resources. When it came to technical problem solving he could "see the forest for the trees". ;) Originally from Indiana, Guy and his Japanese wife, Atsuko (originally from Tokyo) moved from a longtime residence in Maplewood, NJ (NYC metro area) for the friendly small upstate South Carolina city of Greenville. Greenville has embraced us with its wonderful friendliness, and offered us its majestic outdoor surroundings from the local Swamp Rabbit trail system to the nearby big lakes and mountains, and the not so far away coast. We're forever thankful for it all.

Job Titles:

• Leader
• Member of the Board

Jackie is an experienced leader as the president of Paris Mountain Marketing and owner of Old Oak Gallery in Greenville, SC with demonstrated excellence in marketing-to-sales conversion strategies and advertising. She's skilled in Business Development, Strategic Vision, Marketing, and Project Management, and holds two Bachelors degrees in Speech Communication and Sociology from the University of Georgia. She's excels in Food & Beverage, Hospitality, and Entertainment marketing as well as outdoor recreation storytelling activations and vertical integrations. She enjoys board-level partnerships, civic duty, and life-long learning opportunities. She's passionate about regenerative agriculture, restorative land management, and the natural world. She's currently pursuing her Native Plant certification from Clemson University and also maintains a seat on the Accommodations Tax Board for Pickens County. She's a former internationally ranked collegiate swimmer at the University of Georgia and resides in Dacusville with her 2 children and spouse Roddy Pick on their 140 acre farm, Kingbird Pastures.

Job Titles:

• Watershed Scientist

A South Carolina native, Josie was raised on Lake Murray and enjoyed frequent visits to the waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family, developing a love and deep connection to water systems at a young age. She furthered her passions for environmental conservation and stewardship while attending Furman University in Greenville, SC where she earned a B.S. in Sustainability Science. Josie's professional background is in stream and wetland delineation and permitting as well as sustainable agriculture initiatives and riparian buffer management. Her passions lie in biodiversity protection; stream, wetland, and riparian zone conservation; providing equitable access to the outdoors; native plant conservation, and public education and outreach within these areas to promote community engagement in protecting the Reedy River watershed's invaluable resources. Josie has been in her role as FoRR's Watershed Scientist since August 2021 and also sits on the Saluda River Basin Planning Council, the Reedy River Water Quality Group Best Management Practice Committee, the Reedy River Water Quality Group Public Outreach Group, and is a South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream Freshwater and Macroinvertebrate Trainer. She looks forward to connecting with you regarding ways to protect and preserve the Reedy watershed, improve and monitor the water quality of the Reedy and it's tributaries, and help others learn about the intricacies of Greenville's hometown river. In her free time, Josie enjoys spending time outdoors, seeing live music, gardening, and crafting stoneware on the potter's wheel.

Job Titles:

• Secretary
• Secretary of the Board
• Senior Environmental Planner for Bolton & Menk

Katherine is a Senior Environmental Planner for Bolton & Menk, a multidisciplinary firm offering a wide array of services to accomplish our goal that all people should live in safe, sustainable, and beautiful communities. Her recent projects have focused on planning for sewer infrastructure, park redesign, land use/water quality research and assessment, Brownfields redevelopment, carbon footprint analysis, and streetscape planning. Katherine is a hands-on project manager who prefers a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to planning. She likes to include key stakeholders in every step of a project - from onset through conclusion. She also strives to make the technical components of a project more approachable while assisting clients in decisions about resource allocation, timelines, budgeting, and more. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organic Chemistry from Bates College in Maine and a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University. Katherine is a member of both the American Planning Association and the South Carolina state chapter and is an American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). She previously participated on the public outreach committee for the Reedy River Water Quality Group (2017-2020) and is excited about assisting FoRR in its mission to restore and conserve the local watershed. Katherine is passionate about equitable access to nature, continual improvement of water quality, and ongoing education. She considers herself a "forever sponge" - there is always more to learn. Outside of work, you can find Katherine running the Swamp Rabbit Trail, exploring back roads on her bike, backpacking, cooking and baking and doing and teaching yoga.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Keith Lloyd is a native Greenvillian and an alumnus of Clemson University, Greenville High School, and the Fine Arts Center. His professional background includes eight years as manager of the tennis center at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center, the Salvation Army's extensive complex located on the banks of the Reedy and adjacent to the site of the new Unity Park. He now serves on the marketing team of Dunlop Sports Group, the international manufacturer of racket sports equipment, with offices in the former Brandon Mill. When he is not working, you can find him running on the Swamp Rabbit Trail or on the soccer fields at the Kroc Center, where he still plays competitively and where he also coaches at the youth level.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

recently retired to Greenville after a long career in the chemical industry that included roles in manufacturing and business, as well as engagement with both state and federal regulatory agencies. Laura earned her Chemical Engineering degree from Purdue University. She joined Friends to further her involvement in the Greenville community. She is a member of Greenville Women Giving and volunteers with the Greenville Humane Society, Meals on Wheels and the United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. In addition to volunteering, Laura enjoys hiking, yoga, Pilates and long walks with her dog Brie.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Environmental Data Scientist

Madeleine is an environmental data scientist, currently completing her doctoral degree at Clemson University. Her research focuses on using advanced techniques such as GIS analysis, remote sensing, UAVs, and machine learning, to explore and solve environmental problems. Madeleine previously worked in local government as a GIS Coordinator, so she is passionate about educating citizens about their impact on the Reedy River and creating solutions that help both people and the environment. Madeleine has a B.S. in Biology from Clemson University, a Master's of Environmental Management degree, and a Geospatial Analysis certificate from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and will graduate with her Ph.D. in Environmental Data Science from Clemson in Spring 2023. Madeleine teaches GIS for Natural Resources Laboratory at Clemson every semester, and she is part of Women in GIS, Women in Water Outdoors, and Clemson's Geoambassador program. Madeleine plays an integral part in FoRR's Adopt A Stream (AAS) monitoring team, which she started in the summer of 2019. She is an AAS trainer leading several certification workshops per year. Madeleine takes anyone interested in learning more about the Reedy River to test its water quality once a month. Reach out if you want to come on one of the outings- anyone is welcome! She loves teaching people of all ages technical skills and about environmental stewardship. When she's not working on research, Madeleine is often walking her Boston terriers at Lake Conestee Park, running/biking the Swamp Rabbit trail, baking something delicious, or working on home DIY projects.

Job Titles:

• Partnership and Resource Developer

Mary is a native of Greenville and grew up camping, hiking, and canoeing all over the upstate. While earning her B.S. in Marketing at the University of South Carolina, she also ran track and cross country for the Gamecocks. Her love of the outdoors and business background led her to Nike in Beaverton, Oregon. While there, she worked in consumer research and global sales, developing extensive writing and communication skills. Mary and her family relocated to the upstate in 2011 to be close to loved ones again. She has spent the last decade teaching Pilates for Prisma Health and her home studio in Simpsonville. She is the Friends of the Reedy River partnership and resource developer, offering organizational support with our donors and sponsorships during a period of project growth. In her spare time, Mary enjoys spending as many weekends as possible outdoors with her husband, three children, and dog Murphy.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Emeritus Board Member
• Retired Textile Marketing Executive

is a retired textile marketing executive. She has been on the board of FoRR since 2007 and served as president from 2013 to 2017. She is also involved with the YMCA of Greenville, having served on several boards and a big supporter of their community mission. Nikki is married to Allen Grumbine.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Pam is a Greenville native, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the College of Charleston, SC. After spending 16 years in Jackson, WY, she returned to Greenville in 2016. She entered the real estate industry with five years of experience in retail grocery ownership and nine years of experience in owning and operating a residential construction company. Pam is currently a REALTOR® with Marchant Real Estate, as partner of the Valerie Miller Team. She volunteers with Habitat For Humanity. Pam's love for the outdoors and years spent running rivers drives her passion to be part of river conservation and community education. She has been an avid white-water kayaker and rafting guide and snowboarder. Pam enjoys hiking, cycling, and tennis. She currently lives near downtown Greenville, allowing ample time to enjoy all that it offers.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Phil has over 20 years of experience in the legal services industry in both large and small firms and is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Wyche, PA in Greenville, SC. He enjoys solving business needs through creative solutions, including open source, custom built or free software solutions and technology no matter the timeframe or budget given. Phil holds a BS in Computer Information Systems and an MBA from Clemson University. He joined Friends of the Reedy River to help the local community, to learn more about river conservation, and to educate the community on water quality and conservation.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

With experience ranging from wildlife research to environmental education, Rebecca is presently utilizing her knowledge as the Clean Water Associate at Upstate Forever. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Furman University where she studied conservation biology and philosophy. During her undergraduate studies and following her graduation, Rebecca had opportunities to work in research pertaining to mountain lions, bobcats, Mexican grey wolves, Bolson tortoises, and bats in states ranging from New York to New Mexico. Since the summer of 2020, Rebecca has been in pursuit of her Masters of Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University. During this graduate program, Rebecca has had a keen focus on inclusion and diversity within environmental education and ecojustice. She will be completing her master's program and thesis on ecojustice, conservation, and the Upstate in August 2022. Rebecca lives in Greenville and enjoys the Upstate by sharing a brew or exploring the outdoors with her husband and two pups.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Emeritus Board Member
• Principal and Founder of Earth Design Inc

Rick Huffman is principal and founder of Earth Design Inc. a landscape architecture and environmental design firm dedicated to the principals of sustainability in the design and built environments. Passion, commitment and social responsibility drive the company's mission to combine art, design, and ecology to create unique spaces and solve environmental issues. In a complicated world, nature brings perspective and a sense of place. For over thirty five years, Rick Huffman has been an advocate for land ethic values and education.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Emeritus Board Member

Rob earned his B.S. degree from Florida State University and continued his education at Duke University (M.S.) and the University of Alabama (Ph.D.). He and his wife Lillian moved to Greenville in 1984 and both work in the environmental field. Rob is an environmental consultant whose practice focuses on wetland and water-related issues, and environmental compliance and management. He joined the FoRR board in 1993 and served as President for several years. In addition to FoRR, Rob is an active member of the Rotary Club of North Greenville and supports the Boy Scouts of America.

Job Titles:

• President
• President of the Board

Scott and his wife, Gayle, retired to Greenville in 2016 after spending most of their professional careers in Des Moines, Iowa, with stints in Washington, DC and Charlotte, NC. Scott had a multi-faceted career in investigative oversight/intelligence analysis, administrative management, accounting and auditing, project management, franchise operations and sales, and employee benefits sales/administration/automation. His volunteer background has included leadership and advisory roles in the credit union movement, financial consulting in inner-city outreach, and board memberships on several professional organizations and industry groups. In addition to serving on FoRR's Board since 2018, he is treasurer for his homeowners' association.