2024 Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards
JANUARY 27, 2024 at DATAW ISLAND CLUB
The Foundation for Leadership Education hosted the 6th Annual Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards on Saturday evening, January 27th at the Carolina Ballroom on Dataw Island. This elegant evening honored and celebrated local citizens and their lifetime contributions to the Lowcountry as well as recognized FLE’s Lighthouse Scholarship recipient and Leadership Grant awardee. This black tie affair was documented by the talented Charlotte Berkeley Photography as around 250 guests dined and enjoyed the evening celebrating the 2024 Honorees. Board President, Mr. Charles Tumlin welcomed guests as Brigadier General George “Barney” Forsythe served as the Master of Ceremonies of the evening.
Highlights of the evening included the announcement of this year’s Lighthouse Scholarship Recipient, Miss Zoe Way, high school Senior at Battery Creek High School, and the Leadership Grant Awardee, Clemson University Extension’s Beaufort Junior Leadership program. Friends and family in attendance gave a standing ovation as Mr. Robert Trask accepted the 2024 Servant Leaders Award on behalf of his parents, the late Neil W. Trask, Jr. & Rebecca Fuller Trask. Dr. “Skeet” Burris was named the first of three Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awardees for his numerous contributions to this community and the planet as an active community leader and role model. Mr. W.R. “Skeet” Von Harten was the second to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his many years of service to his community, State and nation. Lieutenant Colonel Von Harten gave an impactful acceptance speech focusing on the importance of leadership education for the youth in our community. Mrs. Alice Glaze Wright was the third and final Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awardee and her daughter, Mrs. Amanda Wright Sims accepted the award on behalf of her late mother who was honored as a teacher, community servant and inspiration.
The awards ceremony was followed by a festive “Cocktails and Celebration” where guests could mix, mingle, and dance to the musical stylings of Charleston’s party band, “The Vistas”. The evening was made complete by our guest pianist, Mrs. Geneva Baxley, catering by Dataw Island Club, delicious desserts by Jordan Plair of Bake Mama Bake and photography by the talented Charlotte Berkeley Photography.
The annual Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards event would not be possible without the support of FLE’s dedicated Corporate Partners. We would like to thank these individuals and businesses for their continued support in helping us recognize the leaders of the past and present so we can help inspire the leaders of the future.
A special THANK YOU to the 2024 Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards Corporate Sponsors who help make honoring our community leaders possible!
The Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented annually in January. The award honors individuals and/or organizations that have contributed to the general welfare and development of the Lowcountry community. Honorees are vetted and selected based on the following criteria:
Community Service
Community Leadership Roles
Community Advocacy
Community Pioneering and Innovative Efforts
Community Role Model
2023 Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Foundation for Leadership Education celebrated the 5th Annual Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards gala on Saturday evening, January 14th at the Carolina Ballroom on Dataw Island. This black tie affair was documented by the talented Jasmina Kimova Photography and Tim Miller as over 250 guests dined and enjoyed the evening celebrating the 2023 Awardees. Board President, Mr. Charles Tumlin welcomed guests as Brigadier General George “Barney” Forsythe served as the Master of Ceremonies of the evening.
Highlights of the evening included the announcement of this year’s Lighthouse Scholarship Fund Recipient, Miss Emily “Millie” Bennett and the Leadership Grants Program Awardee, Beaufort Academy for their Mindset and Leadership Program. Friends and family in attendance cheered as Mr. and Mrs. Ed and Cindy Duryea were named the proud recipients of this year’s Servant Leaders Award. Ms. Jane Dowling Fender and family accepted the Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her late father, Joab Mauldin Dowling, Senior. Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Associate Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Mrs. Kimberly Yawn accepted the award for the late Miss Katherine “Kate” Gleason on behalf of the BMHF Kate Gleason Society, as well as Beaufort’s own historian Dr. Larry Rowland and his daughter Katherine, affectionately called “Kate” after Kate Gleason. The evening’s final Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. John William Gray, III who is considered a beloved community servant and cherished healer in Beaufort and was met with a standing ovation.
The evening was made complete by the sound stylings and entertainment by DJ Jesse Gavigan of Gavigan Entertainment, our guest pianist Mrs. Geneva Baxley, catering by Dataw Island, delicious desserts by Jordan Plair of Bake Mama Bake and photography by the talented Jasmina Kimova and Tim Miller. The Foundation would also like to thank Mrs. Lisa Gallagher, Mrs. Katie Huebel, and Mrs. Casey Tumlin who always step up to the plate, this elegant evening could not happen without them.
The annual Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards event would also not be possible without the support of the dedicated Corporate Partners of the Foundation for Leadership Education. We would like to thank these individuals and businesses for their continued support in helping us recognize the leaders of the past and present so we can help inspire the leaders of the future.
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The evening also included the recognition of three local schools for receiving the Foundation for Leadership Education’s Leadership Development Grants. The grants were awarded based on the schools’ commitment to programming that support the development and practice of leadership skills. The grant recipients included The evening also included the recognition of three local schools for receiving the Foundation for Leadership Education’s Leadership Development Grants. The grants were awarded based on the schools’ commitment to programming that support the development and practice of leadership skills. The grant recipients included The evening also included the recognition of three local schools for receiving the Foundation for Leadership Education’s Leadership Development Grants. The grants were awarded based on the schools’ commitment to programming that support the development and practice of leadership skills. The grant recipients included Battery Creek High School’s “Leader in Me” Program, May River High School’s “Student Leadership” Program, and Okatie Elementary School’s “GEMS” Program.
One of the components of the Foundation for Leadership Education's mission is to provide inaugural post-secondary institution scholarships for high school students in Beaufort County. Seniors who display a strong propensity toward leadership as demonstrated through academics, community involvement, and/or extra-curricular activities, leadership activities, and positive character were invited to apply. Student finalists were selected anonymously based on their essay, and then invited for an interview with a panel of 3 individuals. With an impressive resume and letters of recommendation, we were pleased to award Miss Holland Perryman, of Beaufort High School, the 2022 Lighthouse Scholarship. We also recognized our 2021 Lighthouse Scholarship Recipient, Miss Casey McCaulay, a graduate of Hilton Head Christian Academy.
The Servant Leader Award is presented to an individual that has demonstrated a consistent willingness to serve others by promoting and practicing the philosophy of servant leadership. Recognized awardees enrich the lives of others, build better organizations, and ultimately create a more just and caring world. We are proud to recognize Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Jenny Drake (Under One Roof) as the 2022 recipients of this award.
2020 Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards
2020’s award ceremony was hosted by W. Charles Tumlin, President of the Foundation for Leadership Education, the event’s Master of Ceremony was local educator David Nagel. The crowd of 340 attendees was treated to an elegant dinner and a program designed to highlight the lives of six of the Lowcountry’s cherished servant leaders. According to Tumlin, “The evening was an excellent opportunity to not only honor these deserving awardees, but to also remind our community of their selfless contributions to the Lowcountry.”
Receiving the 2020 Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards were; Mr. Colden R. Battey, Junior, Dr. Charles A. Bush, Mr. Roland J. Gardner, Mrs. Lila N. Meeks, Ms. Terry R. Murray, and Mr. Robert Smalls. To date, FLE has had the privilege of honoring twenty-six individuals and organizations.
The evening also included the recognition of three local schools for receiving the Foundation for Leadership Education’s Leadership Development Grants. The grants were awarded based on the schools’ commitment to programming that support the development and practice of leadership skills. The grant recipients included Beaufort Academy, Hilton Head Christian Academy, and Whale Branch Early College High School.
In addition to FLE’s annual Lowcountry Lifetime Achievement Awards and recognition of the Leadership Grants, the foundation introduced two new awards for the 2020 ceremony: a Lighthouse Scholarship and a Servant Leader Award.
One of the components of the Foundation for Leadership Education's mission is to provide inaugural post-secondary institution scholarships for high school students in Beaufort County. Seniors who display a strong propensity toward leadership as demonstrated through academics, community involvement, and/or extra-curricular activities, leadership activities, and positive character were invited to apply. Student finalists were selected anonymously based on their essay, and then invited for an interview with a panel of 3 individuals. With an impressive resume and letters of recommendation, we are pleased to award Miss. Logan Bedenbaugh, of Hilton Head High School, the 2020 Lighthouse Scholarship. Congratulations, Logan.
The Servant Leader Award is presented to an individual that has demonstrated a consistent willingness to serve others by promoting and practicing the philosophy of servant leadership. Recognized awardees enrich the lives of others, build better organizations, and ultimately create a more just and caring world. We are proud to recognize Mr. Steven N. Brown as the first recipient of the Servant Leader Award for his tireless devotion to others and to the Beaufort Community. Congratulations, Steve.
JANUARY 15, 2020 PRESS RELEASE BY THE ISLAND NEWS
“The Foundation for Leadership Education is attempting to put faces and roles into bright lights. The time we spend showing our fellow man (and children) what leadership actually involves will be a gift to Beaufort County and to the wider world.”
— Beth Grace, FLE Board Member
Please email contact@lowcountryleaders.com with any questions.
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“What a fabulous inaugural event for the Foundation for Leadership Education. The honorees included visionary leaders I have long admired and who have helped to make our community so special.”
-Connie Hipp, Leadership of Beaufort
“It was an incredible evening. It was inspiring to honor the leaders who have shaped our community in their unique, often unheralded, ways. I left the evening’s festivities challenged to try to impact the fabric of Beaufort County the way these men and women have.”
-Courtney Worrell, Beaufort Academy Board Treasurer
“Enjoyable, professionally executed, beautifully decorated and a wonderful tribute to some of Beaufort’s finest. I look forward to attending this event in the future”
-Colonel Gary & Beverly VanGysel
"It was truly a privilege for us to be able to participate in honoring these great South Carolinians!”
-Kendall & Shannon Erickson (South Carolina House of Representatives)
“Congratulations to everyone involved with Saturday night’s Leadership for Education’s Gala; it was a wonderful affair. From the moment you hit the front door at Tabby Place, you knew this was an exquisite and unique gathering. So many wonderful people on hand, so many friends, many who have carried the torch for our fair community for multiple decades! A rich décor, fine food, and a stirring commentary on our award winners, but most importantly, a wonderful warmth and feeling about the whole evening. I would call it a complete success! This evening is one I’ll remember for many years to come.”
-Mike Harmon (Secession Golf Course General Manager)
JANUARY 24, 2019 PRESS RELEASE BY THE ISLAND NEWS
2019 Red Carpet Photos
To view photos of the 2019 event, please click here
2018 Red Carpet Photos
To view photos of the fabulous event, please click here
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