Board of Directors

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Barney has worked in the field of journalism as a news reporter and columnist since 1977. He currently is a freelance writer who has written for local, statewide and national publications. He has spent the bulk of his professional career writing for the Charleston Chronicle. He is a member of Wesley UMC in downtown Charleston.

Most recently he received the Charleston Branch NAACP Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award, Sept. 2017. 

Barney is a native of Charleston, He attended Charleston County public schools and graduated from C.A. Brown High School in 1971. He attended Barber-Scotia College in Concord, N.C., Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tenn. and the Univ. of S.C. where he majored in Journalism.

Andy serves as General Counsel for the Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline. He is a founding partner with the Charleston, South Carolina law firm of Austen & Gowder, LLC. His practice is focused on counseling, transactions, and litigation in the areas of land use, environmental and real property law, local government, corporate formation and governance for both profit and nonprofit organizations, election law, legal ethics, public land and parks, land preservation, historic preservation, and property rights. He writes and speaks on legal topics relating to land use, urbanism, planning, sustainability, and the environment.

Frank maintains historic properties in the greater Charleston area, refitting many as offices for use by high-tech firms, nonprofit organizations and other types of concerns. His suburban properties include an office park for defense and security contractors, apparel firms and retail/grocery shopping centers. He is a long-term member of Charleston Angel Partners, supporting investment in local entrepreneurial efforts. He has served on the boards of Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding, The Center for Birds of Prey and the Humanities Foundation. 

 Winslow Hastie is the President & CEO of Historic Charleston Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the historic authenticity, cultural character, and livability of the Charleston region through advocacy, stewardship, and community engagement.

Hastie began his career in San Francisco, working as a preservation consultant at Carey & Co. Architecture and later as an urban planner and preservation specialist with the City of San Francisco Planning Department. A Charleston native, he returned home to serve as Chief Preservation Officer at Historic Charleston Foundation. Following a national search, he was appointed President & CEO, ushering in a new era of strategic programming and expanded advocacy to address pressing issues around preservation, livability, and growth in the region.

He holds a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of the South at Sewanee..

In his active civic life, Hastie currently serves on the Board of Directors of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, an historic site outside of Charleston; the Board of Directors of Preservation Action, a national preservation advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.; the Advisory Board for the American College of the Building Arts; and the Board of the Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline.

Since May 2020, Harry Lesesne has served as President and CEO of the Darla Moore Foundation.  He is responsible for all operations of the Foundation and for Ms. Moore’s effort to revitalize her hometown of Lake City, South Carolina. 

Prior to that position, he served as the Executive Director of the Charleston Parks Conservancy from 2012-2020.  He led the Conservancy to nearly triple its annual revenue and significantly expand programming, including major renovations of Colonial Lake, Hampton Park, Moultrie Playground and other parks and community centers, the creation of three major community vegetable gardens, and a comprehensive program of community engagement and cultural events.

He served for eight years as Senior Advisor to Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. where he was responsible for advising the mayor on all aspects of city government.

He currently serves as Vice Chair of the City of Charleston Planning Commission and as board of directors member of the SC Aquarium, the Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline and the Charleston Parks Conservancy.

 Michael G. Messner is the Co-Founder and former Chief Investment Officer of Seminole Management, a hedge fund that delivered a 19.5% gross annualized return from 1995 to 2018, including a +1.8% return in 2008 when the S&P 500 fell 37%. Alongside his wife, Jenny, Mike leads the Speedwell Foundation, supporting urban parks and education across the country. Their work includes funding Redfields to Greenfields, a national research effort on converting distressed real estate into green space, and producing the PBS documentary Olmsted and America’s Urban Parks.

In Charleston, Mike spearheaded the acquisition of 140 acres of distressed property to create new public parks and led the negotiation for 2 miles of railroad right-of-way to be transformed into a linear park. He and Jenny also helped launch two charter schools in Charleston and support scholarships and educational initiatives in Atlanta, including Cristo Rey Atlanta High School, Georgia Tech, AFS, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Now based in Atlanta, Mike teaches Equity Investing and Infrastructure Finance at Georgia Tech. He serves on several boards, including the City Parks Alliance, the Drexel Fund, and the Georgia Tech Foundation. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Georgia Tech, and MIT, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Ben Liebetrau is a Senior Managing Director of Development for Greystar Development & Construction Services. He is responsible for the North and South Carolina development business, including the sourcing, capitalization, permitting, construction, and execution of development projects. Ben joined Greystar in 2011 and has been involved in site selection, underwriting, capitalization, predevelopment, and execution of over 14,500 units/beds of multifamily development and over 1.6M square feet of industrial development across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina. Ben and his team have been directly responsible for sourcing, predevelopment, and executing over $3.4B of new development spanning student housing, conventional multifamily, and active adult in garden, mid-rise, and high-rise projects, as well as shallow bay, and big box warehouse space. 

Prior to joining Greystar, Ben coordinated multifamily acquisitions with Chartwell Holdings in various states in the Southeast. He began his career working in the project management, entitlement, and planning arena for various major asset types in North and South Carolina and has experience in all phases of the development cycle. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute. 

Ben earned a master’s degree in real estate development and a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Clemson University.

Megan leads community outreach for the Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline and has been a dedicated member of the Board of Directors since 2016. She is currently the Enterprise Sales and Marketing Manager at Atrium Hospitality. Previously, she served as Community Engagement Manager at the Charleston Parks Conservancy, where she developed and implemented events and educational programs to connect the community with local green spaces. Megan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from the College of Charleston. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, biking, and spending time with her husband, Eric, and their dog, Trout.  

The Reverend Matthew Rivers Jr. has served as the Rector of St. John’s Chapel on the East Side of Charleston, SC since July 8th, 2018. Reverend Rivers has been a strong follower of Christ from an

early age. His main passions are discipleship, leading people to Christ, and healthy Christian families beginning with a Bible-based foundation.

Reverend Matthew Rivers was born October 16, 1967 and was raised on the Charleston peninsula in a loving Christian home where Sunday church was a regular occurrence. Pastor Rivers holds a

bachelor’s degree of Theology from North Carolina College of Theology and a Master of Divinity from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Pittsburgh, PA. Matthew is married to Henrietta, a long- time congregant of St. John’s. Mrs. Rivers holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Episcopal school for Ministry. Henrietta is currently a Chaplin at Porter Gaud. Reverend Matthew Rivers was a business owner in real-estate for 8 years and in the import/export field for over 17 years, but the greater call that Matthew had was the calling in his life to serve the Lord at the age of 10. It is only now that calling of Isaiah 6:8 is being answered.

 Ron Owens, CPA, CFA is the CEO of EPI, where he spearheads the company's initiatives in investing, partnering, and developing real estate projects across various sectors, including multi-family, senior living, industrial, and hospitality.

With over 20 years of experience across a diverse range of operating businesses. He possesses extensive expertise in planning, executing, and growing businesses across multiple functional disciplines, complemented by deep financial acumen.

In his most recent roles at EPI, Ron spearheaded a strategy that successfully sold a large business unit, while simultaneously acquiring and expanding new operating platforms and developing underutilized real estate.. 

Scott Watson is an arts and communications professional with over twenty-five years’ experience advancing public appre-ciation of the arts and culture. Serving as Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Charleston, Scott leads a team charged with producing large‐scale events and festivals, managing City arts facilities, and serving as advocates for arts constituents throughout the region. As a member of the City’s senior staff, Scott is responsible for guiding policy and advising the Mayor on issues impacting the creative sector and local arts community. Scott graduated from Wesleyan University and holds a Masters of Arts in Eastern Classics from St. Johns College.

Mimi is a partner in Van Wyck & Van Wyck, a leading environmental design and event production firm with headquarters in New York City. Mimi worked at the White House. on Capitol Hill, and for the College Board as Deputy Secretary of the Corporation, overseeing all aspects of institutional governance. She joined her mother and brother at Van Wyck and Van Wyck in 2003 and has produced some of the firm’s most ambitious events including Katie Couric’s 50th birthday party, annual New Year’s Eve balls for The Wynn Las Vegas and a James Bond 70th birthday celebration in Cincinnati.