Charleston Metro Chamber announces Leadership Charleston Class of 2025
August 27, 2024
The Charleston Metro Chamber introduced the participants of the Leadership Charleston Class of 2025. For more than 50 years, the Chamber has provided this prestigious professional development experience, recognized for shaping the future leaders of our region.
Leadership Charleston offers an immersive journey into the Charleston metro area, connecting participants with a diverse array of community leaders. Throughout the 10-month program, the class meets monthly, with each session dedicated to exploring a vital aspect of our community, including local government, military affairs, philanthropy, and economic development.
This intensive program provides an insider’s perspective on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing our region. Participants gain firsthand experience of the dynamic interplay between civic and business sectors, while forging connections with fellow leaders committed to driving positive growth and progress in Charleston.
Upon their graduation in June 2025, these participants will join the ranks of Leadership Charleston Alumni—a distinguished network that includes Chamber Board members, elected officials, and influential local leaders.
The Charleston Metro Chamber would like to thank BlueCross BlueShield of SC, Home Telecom, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, South Carolina Ports Authority, Thomas & Hutton and Reveer Group for their support as Presenting Sponsors and Positively People for their continued support as the Leadership Charleston Training Sponsor. For questions about Leadership Charleston, please contact Therese Gordon at tgordon@charlestonchamber.
Leadership Charleston Class of 2025
| Jacob Allen | Maynard Nexsen PC |
| Nick Allport | HLA, Inc. |
| Zach Aument | McMillan Pazdan Smith |
| Ryan Bamberg | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Charleston District |
| Laura Beacham | The Beach Company |
| Zach Bechtel | Trident Construction |
| Greg Bland | Home Telecom |
| Brandy Byrge | Charleston County Government |
| Chase Cartee | Forvis Mazars |
| Natasha Chatman | Trident United Way |
| Kinsey Clark | Charleston Promise Neighborhood |
| Joyce Costello | Charleston County School District |
| Michaela Cronin | Moore & Van Allen PLLC |
| Alicia Crosby | Roper St. Francis Healthcare |
| Jared Delk | The Reveer Group, LLC |
| Michael Delventhal | Mankiewicz Coatings LLC |
| Bhaumik Desai | United Community Bank |
| T. Dozier | 628th Force Support Squadron |
| Alice Edwards | MUSC Health |
| Tom Feeney | Bank of America |
| Bergin Fisniku | Elliott Davis LLC |
| Ruthie Foster | Town of Kiawah Island |
| Travis Frank | South Carolina State Ports Authority |
| Leland Franks | Monteith Construction |
| Caroline Frey | Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein |
| Laura Ganci | Pattison’s Academy |
| Nathan Gowen | Iskagna Management |
| Celeste Granger | Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce |
| Shane Green | Pinnacle Financial Partners |
| Meredith Hagen | Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic |
| Ellen Hassell | Synovus Trust Company, N.A. |
| Cole Hassett | HITT Contracting |
| Cooper Hawley | K&L Gates LLP |
| Caroline Hearne | South Carolina State Ports Authority |
| Cole Henderson | Tideline CPA Group |
| Jason Hutchinson | Thomas & Hutton |
| Alissa Kasprzyk | Evans General Contractors |
| Nikos Katsibas | LS3P Associates |
| Kelly Haupt | Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce |
| Scott Kirby | Charleston County Economic Development |
| Kerianne Krause | Beyond Distilling Company |
| Rebecca Lawless | Kiawah Island Golf Resort |
| Sam Lawson-Johnston | DI Development Company |
| Wade Layton | Truist |
| Wendy McCollum | 628th Mission Support Group – Joint Base Charleston US Air Force |
| Bruce McDonald | Berenyi |
| Zac McIntosh | Terracon |
| Samantha Meinders | SMHa |
| Alex Milford | Frampton Construction |
| Griffin Muli | South Carolina Aquarium |
| Ashleigh Nichols | 437th Airlift Wing |
| Betsay Painter | Lowcountry Hotels |
| Richard Perez | SouthCon Building |
| Aaron Polkey | Palmetto Project |
| Hanna Porter | Executive Connections |
| Thomas Purcell | Kimley-Horn |
| Christy Quinn | ATI – Advanced Technology Information |
| Scott Runyon | Dominion Energy |
| Clay Settle | Santee Cooper |
| Brett Sheets | SteelFab Inc. |
| Cate Smolinsky | DWG Consulting Engineers |
| Emily Speck | Sea Island Habitat for Humanity |
| Kyle Spraberry | Choate Construction Company |
| Madison Spray | Southern First Bank |
| Brit Swanson | SouthState Bank |
| Megan Thomas | First Citizens Bank |
| Valerie Torres | Maritime Association of SC |
| Andrew Walden | Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP |
| Will Waterhouse | Mungo Homes |
| Wesley Watt | Scientific Research Corporation |
| AJ Wertzberger | ARCO Design Build |
| Mark Widener | South Carolina Federal Credit Union |
| Mark Wills | BL Harbert International LLC |
About the Charleston Metro Chamber
With approximately 1,600 member organizations representing 160,000 professionals, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the collective voice of the business community, and a catalyst for regional economic advancement and member success through Government Relations, DE&I, Leadership, Membership and Workforce & Education platforms. Visit charlestonchamber.org.
