27 nonprofit leaders named to 2026 Carolina Leadership Seminars class
August 24, 2026
Together SC program equips emerging executive directors with practical leadership skills, trusted peer support, and a statewide network to strengthen their organizations and communities.
Together SC announced the 27 nonprofit leaders selected for the 2026 class of Carolina Leadership Seminars.
Since 2016, Carolina Leadership Seminars, or CLS, has supported more than 200 nonprofit executives across South Carolina, creating a trusted space for leadership development, peer connection, and candid conversations about the opportunities and challenges that come with leading a nonprofit organization.
The 2026 cohort reflects the strength and breadth of South Carolina’s nonprofit sector. Participants represent organizations working in education, health care, housing, youth development, the arts, environmental conservation, financial opportunity, mental health, community service, and other critical areas.
2026 Carolina Leadership Seminars Class
Adrien Lake, Executive Director, Jus Justice
Columbia and surrounding Midlands communities
Amy Reeves, CEO, Mission Lexington
Lexington County
Ashley Simmons, Executive Director, Bridges to a Brighter Future at Furman University
Greenville County
Caryn Pumphrey, Executive Director, The Free Medical Clinic
The Midlands
Celestial Davis, EdD, YSCA, GCDF, Executive Director, W.R.A.P. We Are At Promise Youth Academy
Orangeburg County and the Midlands
Hannah Jarrett, Director of A Place to Call Home, United Way of the Piedmont
Spartanburg County
Jasmine Vanadore, Executive Director, Bike Walk Greenville
Greenville County
Jennifer Young, Interim Executive Director, Columbia Green
Greater Columbia
Jessica Harrell, Executive Director and CEO, South Carolina Tennis Association
Statewide
Kate Ledbetter, Executive Director, Media Reform SC
Charleston and South Carolina
La Ruchala Murphy, Executive Director, Sumter County Gallery of Art
Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon counties
Latorrie Geer, Chief Executive Officer, CommunityWorks Carolina
Statewide
Luz Giraldo, Founder and CEO, NextGen Bilingual Academy
The Midlands
Madelyn Smith, Executive Director, Home Works of America, Inc.
Communities across South Carolina and the Southeast
Marie McDonald, MBA, Executive Director, Girls on the Run Upstate South Carolina
Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties
Mark Weller, Executive Director, South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service, AmeriCorps SC, United Way Association of South Carolina
Statewide
Marrio Norman, Executive Director, The Optimist Shift Foundation Inc.
Greenwood County and surrounding communities
Melanie Gearhart, Executive Director, Center for Developmental Services
The Upstate
Michel’le Cathey, Associate Director, The ARK of SC
Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, and Orangeburg counties
Najeema Davis Washington, MPA, Community Research Director, Charleston Community Research to Action Board
Charleston and North Charleston communities
Rhonda Bush, MHR, MML, Founder and Executive Director, Girl, Get Up Society
Statewide
Sandi Smith, MBA, A/OGA, CERI/SLDI, Executive Director, Augustine Literacy Project of the Upstate
The Upstate
Stephanie Cureton, Executive Director, Dance Collaborative
Upstate South Carolina and North Carolina’s Triangle region
Stephen Schabel, President and CEO, Center for Birds of Prey
Statewide, with its center located in Charleston County
Tiffany Slaughter Knight, Executive Director, St. Christopher’s Children Inc.
Georgetown County
Toy Raquel Pilot, Executive Director, South Carolina Respite Coalition
Statewide
Wanda Jackson, President and Executive Director/CEO, House of Provision Family Shelter and Transition Center Inc.
Aiken County and the Central Savannah River Area
Facilitation will once again be provided by The Weathers Group, led by nationally recognized consultant Charles C. Weathers, MBA, alongside Dr. Heidi Blossom, Learning Programs and Events Manager for Together SC.
Voices of Leadership and Impact
Together SC President and CEO Karen Riordan reflected on the importance of investing in nonprofit leaders:
“The Carolina Leadership Seminars exemplify Together SC’s commitment to equipping nonprofit leaders with the skills, tools, and peer support they need to drive meaningful change. This year’s class represents the strength, diversity, and innovation that define South Carolina’s nonprofit community. We are honored to welcome them into this statewide learning community and look forward to the transformative impact they will continue to make.”
Graduates of previous cohorts have also underscored the program’s lasting impact.
“Participating in CLS was an eye-opening experience,” shared Celeste Kahn, Executive Director of Pee Dee Hearing Center. “The day-to-day of nonprofit work can make it seem like our challenges are unique to us, but being with other nonprofit leaders showed me that we share many of the same struggles. Together, with our expert facilitator, we were able to explore strategies toward solutions. I came away from every session feeling empowered and uplifted with a new set of tools in my toolbox.”
Xavier Blake, Executive Director of One Columbia for Arts and Culture, added:
“The thoughtfulness and dedication poured into each session to grow us as leaders was exceptional. Connecting with nonprofit leaders from across South Carolina who are passionate about creating a state we can all be proud of has been profoundly inspiring. This journey with Together SC and The Weathers Group has reaffirmed that our greatest achievements come through collaboration. For this opportunity, I am deeply grateful.”
About Carolina Leadership Seminars
Carolina Leadership Seminars is a program of Together SC established in 2016 to support South Carolina’s emerging nonprofit executive directors through a distinctive, peer-driven leadership experience. Hosted by the United Way of the Midlands, and facilitated by The Weathers Group, CLS helps participants strengthen their leadership, navigate organizational challenges, and build trusted relationships with nonprofit peers from across the state.
About Together SC
Together SC is South Carolina’s nonprofit network, strengthening and uniting more than 1,000 organizations so all South Carolinians can thrive. Through leadership development, learning opportunities, technical assistance, partnerships, public policy advocacy, and meaningful connections, Together SC amplifies the voice and collective impact of the nonprofit sector.
Guided by its values to Serve, Excel, and Collaborate, Together SC advances accountability, shares effective practices, and creates opportunities that strengthen South Carolina’s vibrant nonprofit community.
