The Children's Trust of South Carolina Welcomes Nine New Board Members

COLUMBIA, SC –  April 9, 2011 – The Children’s Trust of SouthCarolina is pleased to announce the addition of eight new members to itsboard of directors for the 2010-2014 term.

Owen Tyler (pictured right)
Filling The Children’s Trust’s vacant seat in the First Congressional District is Owen Tyler.  One of the Lowcountry’s leading real estate professionals, Owen is a Broker Associate – Realtor with Carolina One Real Estate. He has served on The Children’s Trust Citizen’s Review Panel for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) for two years.  Owen resides in Mt. Pleasant.  
 

R. Jason Caskey, CPA
Secretary/Treasurer
R. Jason Caskey, CPA, has a successful career with Elliott Davis as thechair of the firm’s Financial Services practice and serves as themanaging shareholder of the firm’s Columbia office. With his specialexpertise in serving financial institutions, Jason joins The Children’sTrust board as its Secretary/Treasurer.

 
 
Brian Craven
Current Assistant Vice President and Associate Legal Counsel forColonial Life and Accident Insurance, Brian Craven of Columbia, hasworked with a number of nonprofits focusing on children and familyissues. With more than 14 years of experience in the life and healthinsurance industry, coupled with both legal and business functionknowledge, Brian brings a fresh perspective to the board.

 
 
Debbie DuBose
Currently the Executive Director of the Oconee Memorial HospitalFoundation and responsible for the facility’s first-ever capitalcampaign, Debbie has been a trailblazer since graduating summa cum laudefrom Clemson University. The first woman director of the Clemson AlumniAssociation, she continued over the next 15 years in various serviceroles for the University, particularly development and still servesClemson as a board member of the Rutland Ethics Center.

 
 
James Fowles, III
James Fowles, III, lives in Columbia and is a partner with the OgletreeDeakins Law Firm, where his field of practice is labor and employmentlaw. After beginning his tenure on The Children’s Trust board in 2009,filling a vacated seat, this will be his first four-year appointment. Aretired Commander in the Naval Reserve, he brings a wealth of experiencein administration, management, strategic planning and governance.

 
 
Elizabeth Gressette, Ph.D.
After working as a teacher for a number of years, Elizabeth Gressettereceived her Ph.D. in Education and became Executive Director of thePalmetto State Teachers Association concurrent with being AdjunctFaculty at USC-Aiken. A member of various civic organizations includingWomen in Philanthropy and Rotary Club of Cayce-West Columbia, Elizabethhas received numerous honors and awards throughout her career, includingthe Order of the Palmetto in 2005. She has been working with TheChildren’s Trust on the Development Committee.

 
 
Lakesha Jeffries, Esq.
Lakesha Jeffries, Esq., lives in Orangeburg and shares the law practice,Jeffries Law Firm, LLC., with her husband. Together they proudlysponsor the Orangeburg County Department of Recreation. She activelyparticipates in a number of civic organizations and also serves on theboard of The Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce.  Lakesha has adiverse background including work in family law and as a Guardian adLitem. She understands many facets of the non-profit sector and isinterested in learning more about our work in prevention.  She isanxious to use her skills to assist The Children’s Trust in publicrelations and fund raising.

 
 
Rick Singh
Dr. Singh received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University ofOttawa in Canada, and his dental degree from the Medical University ofSouth Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Singh earned his pediatric dentalspecialty training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NewJersey in Newark. A member of the American Dental Association, AmericanAcademy of Pediatric Dentistry, Southeastern Society of PediatricDentistry and the South Carolina Dental Association. In addition tobeing on the Perioperative Committee at Lexington Medical Center, Dr.Singh is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Medical University ofSouth Carolina’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry. He resides inLexington and owns the Wild Smiles pediatric dental practice.

 
 
 
Kim Wellman
An Assistant Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Communications andPublic Relations for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Kim Wellmanlives in Lexington. She began her work with The Children’s Trust byserving on the Development Committee and is responsible for thesuccessful 2010 Check-off Campaign. Having served in a number ofleadership roles with various non-profits agencies, she also currentlyspends her Thursday lunch hours reading and tutoring second-graders atArden Elementary. She will continue to use her influence and corporatecontacts with her work on the Development Committee, and is nowadditionally chairing the Communications Committee. 
 
 
Returning board members are:

• Joe Bouknight, Community Volunteer
• Colleen Bozard, President, ccbozard Consulting
• Patricia Lawter, Community Volunteer
• Chester Palmer, Teacher, Barnwell High School 
• Amy Pulchalski, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics & Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Georgia (Augusta) 
• Justin Stricland, President, Southern First Bank 
• David Yezbak, President, Sunbelt Business Brokers

Board officers include Justin Strickland, chair; David Yezbak, vice chair and R. Jason Caskey, secretary/treasurer.  
 
About The Children’s Trust of South Carolina

The Children’s Trust of South Carolina is the state’s largest network of community-based organizations workingfor the prevention of child abuse, neglect and unintentional injuries.Our vision is that every child will grow up in a safe, loving and stableenvironment. The Children’s Trust focuses its resources on publicawareness, grant distribution, prevention trainings and advancingeffective evidence based public policies.