Charley Webb
President
Charley is a lifelong resident of Beaufort and is passionate about his family, giving back to his community, and sharing the benefits of spending time outdoors. Following a successful career as a partner at Kinghorn Insurance, Charley has served on the boards of Lowcountry Land Trust, the Center for Birds of Prey, and as a advisory committee member of The Beaufort Fund of Coastal Community Foundation.
Evy Trask
Vice Chair
Evy is deeply committed to giving back to the Beaufort community. With extensive experience in marketing and communications, she excels at connecting people and building relationships. As an advisor for GenPals, Evy fosters meaningful connections between students and elderly adults through social engagements and at-home service projects. She has also served on the Board of Directors at Riverview Charter School. Evy holds a B.A. in Communications from Wake Forest University.
Bill Kelly
Treasurer
Coming soon
Bridget Norton
Secretary
Bridget is a dedicated attorney and partner at the local law firm, Brown and Norton, LLC where she focuses on Family and Divorce law. Alongside her professional pursuits, Bridget is actively involved in her community, participating in various local initiatives including Riverview Charter School and Women’s United. Bridget, together with her husband Julian, resides on Lady’s Island with their two sons, Grant and Dylan.
Colden R. Battey, Jr.
Colden has been a partner in the law firm of Harvey & Battey since 1963. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Battey served as chairman of Beaufort County Council for 8 years; he is a past president of the Beaufort County Bar Association, past director of the South Carolina Bar Association and of the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Battey is a director of the Nemours Wildlife Foundation and served as Chairman of the Foundation from 2008 to 2020.
Paula Crowley
Paula has been a homeowner in Beaufort for nearly 20 years. Throughout this time, she has deeply immersed herself in the community, embracing the natural beauty and resources of the Lowcountry. Her interest in the environment led her to earn her South Carolina Master Naturalist certification, during which she learned about the Open Land Trust. With over 40 years of real estate experience, Paula co-founded Anchor Health Properties, where she continues to serve as Chair Emeritus. She has also served on various private, public company and not for profit boards. Paula holds a BA from Middlebury College, a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Edward Dukes
Edward is a lifelong resident of Beaufort and the owner and Broker-In-Charge of Lowcountry Real Estate. Edward stays active in the community and has served on a variety of civic and nonprofit boards including the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Historic Review Board, The YMCA, Beaufort Academy, the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation, The Historic Beaufort Foundation, The Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail board and as served as President of the Beaufort County Board of Realtors twice. When not working, he does his best to get outside for boating, golf, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding or anything on the water.
Connie Horton
Connie was born and raised in the Lowcountry, she grew up in Ridgeland and spent all her summers on the Chechessee River – swimming, crabbing, fishing and boating. After graduating from the College of Charleston she returned home and worked as an advocate for children and families at both private non-profits and public schools in Beaufort and Jasper counties. She currently co-owns a seasonal greenery business, Blossoms. She severs on the steering committee for Keep Chelsea Rural and is the former co-chair and founding member of Keep Chechessee Rural Alliance. She also serves on the Jasper County Grahamville Cemetery Wreaths Across America Committee.
Walter Mack
Walter Mack was born on St. Helena Island, SC, and is a lifelong resident who still resides on land his family bought in the late 1800’s. He graduated from St. Helena High School and obtained a Bachelor of Science from Benedict College, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.
Walter worked at Penn Center where for twenty-six years, retiring as Executive Director after serving in that role for the final eight years.
In 2010, Walter became one of the founding board members of the Gullah Farmers’ Cooperative. He is a strong advocate for small farmers and served three elected terms on the Farm Service Agency (FSA), including two terms as chair. In 1996, he received the Marshal E. Foster Award from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture for his efforts in supporting small farmers.
A dedicated conservationist, Walter also served on the Beaufort County Rural and Critical Lands Preservation Board, including two terms as chair, helping to protect and preserve thousands of acres from development and urban sprawl.
For the past two years Mr. Mack gas worked with the Beaufort Soil & Water Conservation District as an outreach farm field agent. In this capacity he has conducted more than 40 on-site farm visits in Beaufort County to assess their needs and provide resources to make the farms more successful.
Terry Murray
Terry has been involved with the Open Land Trust for over 30 years. Through her professional endeavors and volunteer work, Terry has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the Lowcountry, ensuring that both its infrastructure and natural landscapes are preserved for future generations. As a past president of OLT, Terry was instrumental in many successful conservation projects, most notably her role in preserving Lemon Island and Widgeon Point, and we are so grateful to have her back on the board.
Matt Phifer
Matt Phifer, a Beaufort native, grew up on St. Helena Island. His childhood was spent with adventures along the creeks, rivers, and woods of the ACE Basin and Port Royal Sound, fostering a profound appreciation for the outdoors that continues to shape his life today. A passionate outdoorsman, Matt is dedicated to protecting the sprawling landscapes of the Lowcountry.
After earning his degree from Presbyterian College, Matt returned to his roots in Beaufort and eventually founded Phifer Contracting Services. Matt and his wife Katie reside on Lady’s Island with their two children, Riley and George.
Micky Scott
Micky, a native of Batesburg and currently living in Allendale, is the president of Collum’s Lumber Products, a fourth-generation family business. He has held leadership roles in the forest industry, including serving as chair of the Forestry Association of South Carolina, where he earned a distinguished service award in 2019. Micky served 16 years on the S.C. Forestry Commission and has been involved with the S.C. Wildlife Federation and Palmetto AgriBusiness Council. Micky holds a B.S. in Forest Management from Clemson University.
In 2022, Micky worked with the Open Land Trust to protect his 1,018-acre property, which conserves important wildlife habitat and safeguards the water quality of the Combahee River. Known as River Swamp, the land connects to over 12,000 acres of protected areas, creating 15 miles of protected river frontage along the upper Combahee River. Micky and his family’s commitment to conservation is rooted in their love for the outdoors and their passion for protecting the natural landscapes that have shaped their lives.
Al Segars
Al retired from a long career at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and brings with him extensive knowledge of Lowcoutry ecosystems and wildlife. A veterinarian by trade, Al was the lead scientist of SCDNR on the In-Water Loggerhead Sea Turtle Project and was the Stewardship Coordinator for the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Alex Shuford
Alex loves the Lowcountry and has long had an interest in conservation. He is a retired Executive Vice-President with South State Bank and brings experience in financial management, marketing and non-profit organization to the Trust. He is a former Board member of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and is currently on the Board of Nemours Wildlife Foundation where he serves as Treasurer. He is also a past president of the University of South Carolina Alumni Association and a past member of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. Alex has two grown sons whose families all enjoy the beautiful Lowcountry and coastal South Carolina.
Al Stokes
Al retired from the SCDNR as Manager of the Waddell Maricultural Research and Development Center, where he spent more than 40 years developing spawning and production techniques for several commercial and recreationally important finfish and marine shrimp species. He is currently employed as a shrimp production consultant for Zeigler Bros Inc., an international aquaculture feeds company. Al is a member of the May River Watershed Action Plan Advisory Committee and a Deputy State Law Enforcement Officer. He is a volunteer for the Port Royal Sound Maritime Center and the SCDNR Victoria Bluff Heritage Trust Preserve and the Victoria Bluff Marine Reserve.