Sustain SC and the Shi Institute at Furman welcome the 2027 class of SLI Fellows
October 7, 2026
Sustain SC in partnership with The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities at Furman University announced the 2027 class of the Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI). Now entering its sixth year, SLI is a collaborative effort between Furman University’s Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities and Sustain SC. The 2027 cohort brings together a diverse group of leaders from business, government, academia and nonprofit organizations who are committed to advancing sustainability across South Carolina.
The SLI program is a six-month professional education program that runs January through May and includes six sessions designed to cultivate the skills and insights needed to lead sustainability efforts in a rapidly changing economic and environmental landscape. Graduates of the program are certified as Sustainability Leadership Fellows and join an active alumni network of cross-sector leaders across the state.
“Investing in the people who are leading sustainability work across South Carolina is one of the most meaningful things we can do for our state’s future,” said Leslie Skardon, CEO of Sustain SC. “This year’s class brings together leaders from business, government, nonprofits and academia who are already making a difference in their fields. SLI helps multiply that impact.”
Andrew Predmore, Executive Director of the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities at Furman University, added, “These leaders are driving change in their organizations and communities every day. SLI equips them with the knowledge, tools and connections to take that work even further, and we are proud to continue our partnership with Sustain SC in developing the next generation of sustainability leadership in South Carolina.”
The 2027 SLI Fellows are:
-
Andy Marquart, Edventure Children’s Museum
-
Anna Huckabee-Smith, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
-
Austin O’Connor, AFL Global
-
Brian Weaver, Siemens
-
Clark Mickel, Neoteric Capital
-
Delia Mears, Sonoco Products Company
-
Hixon Copp, Williamsburg County
-
James Douglas, SC Forestry Commission
-
Senator Jeffery E. Zell II, South Carolina State Senate
-
Jennifer Simmon, Renewable Water Resources
-
Joseph Augustine, BMW Manufacturing
-
Joseph Dukes, Palmetto Community Developers
-
Kyle Sox, OneSpartanburg
-
Lavani Hindocha, Milliken Advisors
-
Linda Rowe, South Carolina Aquarium
-
Meg Thompson, City of North Charleston
-
Melissa Higgs, Friends of Lake Keowee Society
-
Michael Parkins, GreenGuard Commercial Cleaning
-
Nicky Waters, Carolina Outdoor Services
-
Randal Armstrong, Trane Technologies and Trane Supply
-
Shane Behler, The Nature Conservancy
-
Trevor Cutsinger, U.S Endowment for Forestry and Communities
-
Trey McDonald, Medical University of South Carolina
-
William Coates, Goodwill Industries
For more information about the Sustainability Leadership Initiative and the SLI program, please visit the SLI program page. Here you’ll also find bios for each of the 2027 fellows.
About Sustain SC
Sustain SC is an economic development-driven organization that connects the sustainability goals of business in South Carolina with local solutions for the benefit of our economy, environment, and people.
About The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities
The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities works at the intersection of socio-economic and ecological systems to tackle our most pressing sustainability challenges. The Institute places students and faculty at the heart of the work, making positive impacts through applied research, hands-on learning, and sustainability leadership training. The Institute builds on over a decade of proven success and national renown of the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability to envision a world that meets the needs of all people within the means of the living planet.
