State Museum Foundation

Bio

Hunter holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.  He previously served as the Donor Relations Coordinator at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). He managed all aspects of stewardship surrounding the NWTF’s development programs of over 5,000 major donors.    

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Clayton holds a M.A. in Organization Communication from West Virginia University. He previously worked as the Director of Communication for the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Association where he managed public relations, web design, political communication, and membership development.

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Rita works with clients and financial advisors in developing and implementing estate plans and related tax planning that address individual needs as well as family and business interests. Her extensive experience includes advising clients on tax and planning issues, including strategies to manage assets, minimize taxes, and provide for an effective plan of distribution utilizing wills, trusts and other appropriate documents. Her clients include high net worth individuals, business owners, land owners and professionals.

Rita helps families implement multi-generational asset transfers using generation-skipping trusts. She assists those planning for family business succession. In addition to counseling clients on premarital agreements and asset protection strategies, Rita can recommend strategies to achieve charitable giving goals. She further assists clients with representation in the context of estate and trust litigation. As a result of her experience as both a trust officer and as an attorney specializing in this area of the law, Rita is a sought after consulting and expert witness in trusts, estates and fiduciary litigation matters.

As a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Rita serves on its Fiduciary Litigation and Professional Responsibility Committees and is the Immediate Past South Carolina State Chair of the College. She has previously served as a Commissioner on the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, Past Chair and Member of the Estate Planning and Probate Specialization Advisory Board of the Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, Past Chair and Council Member of the South Carolina Bar Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Section and Past President and Board Member of the South Carolina Planned Giving Council.

Rita currently serves on the boards of the University of South Carolina Educational Foundation, New Morning Foundation and the South Carolina State Museum Foundation. She is a Sustaining member of The Junior League of Columbia as well as a Founding Member of Women in Philanthropy. She previously served on the University of South Carolina Alumni Association Board of Governors, the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association Board, and for many years served as Chair of the University of South Carolina Guardian Society.

Geoffrey Hardee is president and chief consultant at Kinardee Media Consulting which specializes in media relations, press releases, public speaking, crisis communication and speechwriting.

Geoffrey Hardee got his start in media when he was 16. A part-time job at his local radio and television station turned into several years of shooting, production, editing, writing spots, and ultimately, led to becoming an on-air talent. Geoffrey earned a history degree and entered the field of public relations, marketing and fundraising. 

Geoffrey has worked in a traditional ad agency setting, sold TV and radio advertising, managed a healthcare foundation and has been a state agency spokesman.

Philip Simoneaux, CPA, CFP® Director of Planning, Family Office Services Southeastern Freight Lines

Philip has almost two decades of experience in accounting & finance serving in both public accounting and private industry. His career has focused on providing financial and tax advisory services to closely held businesses and family wealth (trust, estate, and high net worth individuals). Philip is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and holds both Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”) and Certified Financial Planner™ (“CFP®”) accreditations. He calls Columbia, South Carolina home along with his wife Ashley, daughter Isla, and son Jackson. He believes in staying connected and giving back to the community through service and resources. In his free time, Philip enjoys spending time with his family and staying physically active.

Education, Credentials and Special Training

·      Certified Public Accountant, licensed in South Carolina

·      Certified Financial Planner™

·      B.S., Accounting, University of South Carolina

Professional Affiliations

·      American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

·      South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants

Civic and Community Activities

·      Board Member, South Carolina State Museum Foundation

·      Former Chair, American Heart Association of the Midlands Heart Ball Executive Leadership Team

·      Former Chair, Richland County Transportation Penny Advisory Committee

·      Graduate, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Leadership Columbia Program (2009 class)

Blake joined Performance Matters in 2020 after ten years in commercial banking where he worked exclusively with independent and family-owned businesses. He focuses on value-add advice and making sustainable changes to improve small businesses and help them compete.

Blake has his MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina as well.

Blake serves on the executive boards of Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina and the South Carolina State Museum.

He and his wife, Anna, have four children, Louise, Anne Fulton, Jay and Betsy, and they live in Columbia, SC.

Margaret Wallace has served as the Executive Director for the South Carolina Broadcasters Association (SCBA) since 2015. In her role, Margaret is responsible for lobbying at both the state and federal levels, event planning, board meetings, training and all fiscal matters of the association and SCBA Foundation.

Margaret has an extensive history in the South Carolina broadcast industry and a deep connection to the Association, having served as a Board member and Past President of SCBA. Her broadcast career began in radio sales in Georgetown followed by moves to Greenville, Columbia, and Charlotte. After two years in Charlotte radio, Margaret returned to Columbia in 1990 to join WNOK FM/WOIC AM. Her radio career culminated with the unique opportunity to put 2 new country radio stations on the air in Columbia.

After leaving radio, Margaret worked in Development at both EdVenture Children’s Museum and the South Carolina State Museum Foundation. Prior to joining SCBA, she was a Senior Account Executive with WACH FOX TV in Columbia. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Margaret joined the South Carolina State Museum Foundation in 2023.

Bio coming soon

Roger was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, with a B.S. in mathematics. He continued his graduate studies obtaining an M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematical statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. During the summers, while he was a graduate student, Roger worked for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics developing computer programs which were used by the agency’s employees.

Roger has been an academic, a consultant and a business owner. He was a faculty member of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and later at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. During his time as a faculty member, he has done consulting work for private industry, non-profits and state government.

At the dawn of the microcomputer revolution, Roger developed computer systems for numerous businesses around the state of South Carolina.

Since 1998, Roger has been the Vice President of DP Professionals, Inc. which is based in Columbia, SC. DPP provides information technology staffing services for corporate, non-profit, as well as for state and federal governments.

Roger previously was on the board of the American Heart Association, Columbia chapter and co-chaired the Tocqueville Society of the United Way of the Midlands. He has been deeply involved with the South Carolina Foundation Board since 2006, holding various positions such as Treasurer, Board Chair and now holds the title of Emeritus.

Roger is very happily married and has two children and six grandchildren.

Bio coming soon

Bio coming soon

Bio coming soon

Charles Duke, III is the Managing Principal for Moss Waters, LLC., a consulting firm focused on succession and market growth. He specializes in evaluating leadership behaviors and aligning resources with strategic goals to enhance succession planning and drive organizational success. With over 30 years of experience, Charles adeptly navigates the complexities of business transitions, ensuring partner cohesion and aligning owners’ visions with business objectives. A results-driven leader, he guides owners through diverse economic cycles, from external sales to family transitions and management buyouts. Charles is passionate about collaborating with leadership to assess Operations, including strategic plans, roles and responsibilities, and performance management; Equity, including capital strategy, transition options, and value drivers; and Governance, including decision-making and conflict resolution, accountability and oversight, and business continuity. He serves professional services firms, such as wealth management firms and law firms, and family-owned businesses.

Prior to founding Moss Waters, Charles spent over 25 years at Elliott Davis, LLC where he was a management team member and board member and served as Consulting Practice Leader. He helped the organization scale and grow rapidly from a local accounting firm to big regional tax, audit, and consulting firm. He has significant experience in collaborating with others to identify opportunities for growth and resolutions to economic and industry challenges. As Consulting Practice Leader his efforts were focused on developing the consulting practice by identifying new services and solutions that met the ever-growing economic and operational challenges of customers to execute smart, efficient, and profit-generating solutions. Charles also provided interim C-suite leadership to clients as a management consultant, guiding them through strategic initiatives, enterprise transformation, and change management to drive long-term growth. Charles was also a vice president of a venture capital firm where he participated in all areas of the deal process, including thesis ideation, sourcing, execution, and portfolio management. He also served as a commercial banker at one of the nation’s largest banks.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors in Political Science and a graduate from the University of South Carolina School of Law, cum laude. As a partner for Nelson Mullins, Debbie’s vast experience in employment law includes defending employers against various employment-based legal claims, advising companies in matters involving ADA public accommodations standards, counseling employers in efforts to avoid litigation, drafting employment policies and handbooks, and more. She focuses her practice on employment and labor issues, commercial litigation, and trade secrets, and noncompete advice and litigation.

Bio coming soon

Victoria Eslinger is Senior Counsel at Maynard Nexsen and practices in the area of general and business litigation, labor and employment, complex domestic relations matters, as well as in the Firm's international practice.

The South Carolina Women Lawyer's Association honored her with the 2012 Bissell Award, she was also named as the 2009 Advocate of the Year by the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center and the University of South Carolina School of Law honored her with a Compleat Lawyer Platinum Award in 2004.

Tara Godbolt is VP & Director of Product Strategy for Digital Sales & Marketing at AgFirst Farm Credit Bank. Throughout her 21-year career at AgFirst, Tara has demonstrated a strong understanding of the sales and marketing industry (particularly in Farm Credit), with a customer-centric approach and a deep understanding of the processes and tools she manages/supports. She has worked in several areas of the bank including Customer Support, Information Technology, and Product Management. Tara is a Certified Scrum Product Owner and a Certified Help Desk Professional. Before joining AgFirst, Tara worked for SC ETV, HealthCompass/CareCompass, and FreemanWhite.

Tara is a native of Orangeburg County and attended the University of South Carolina where she received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.  For many years, Tara was active in the Alumni community at the University and was a former Chairperson of the Black Alumni Association

Tara is married to Curtis Godbolt Jr and lives in Columbia, SC. They have two children and one grandchild.

A native of South Carolina, Elizabeth grew up in Allendale.  After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English (with a minor in Business Administration) from the University of South Carolina Honors College, she earned her law degree at the Georgetown Law Center.  Prior to joining SCANA in 2013, she practiced law at Eversheds Sutherland law firm in Atlanta and at Nelson Mullins law firm in its Charleston and D.C. offices.  She joined Dominion Energy with the SCANA merger and has worked on the M&A team, the Commercial Transactions group and is currently practicing in the State Regulatory group.

Elizabeth lives in Columbia with her husband, George Hutton, and their three children.  She is following in the footsteps of her father, Henry Laffitte, who was an active board member with the Musuem.

Lenora (Nonie) Price, retired from the USC School of Library and Information in 2016 after a career in library services.

Nonie began her career in 1969 as a media specialist in the Greenville county schools and later served as an Army librarian in Bad Kreuznach Germany in the early '70s. Upon her return to the states, Price worked as a public services librarian for the Richland County Public Library for seven years. She joined her alma mater in 1993 as the SLIS continuing education/alumni coordinator.

She served on numerous boards and societies throughout her career, including:

• President, Friends of the Library, Richland County Public Library
• Delegate, White House Conference on Libraries
• Chair, Board of Trustees, Richland County Public Library
• Chair, Trustee Section, South Carolina Library Association
• Trustee of the Year Award, Friends of South Carolina Libraries
• Secretary, South Carolina Library Association
• President, Friends of South Carolina Libraries
• Member, Richland County Public Library Foundation Board

Born and raised in Anderson SC, Alexandria went to Hollins University in Virginia for college majoring in Economics and totally engaged in Student Government . Involved in politics from youth she was a recipient of the Randolph Hearst Scholarship and was a page at the 1976 Democratic Convention. Upon graduation from Hollins, she received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Alexandria returned to South Carolina to attend the USC Law School and worked at the SC Department of Labor during Law School.  Upon graduation in 1981 she went to work for Westinghouse Electric Company in Pittsburgh in their Labor Relations Leadership Program.  While in Pittsburgh she volunteered at the Pittsburgh Art Museum Gift Shop . She transferred to Subcontracting at the Westinghouse  Elevator Division working in Randolph, NJ and Gettysburg, PA. In 1990 ,after taking a four-month solo trip around the world, she returned to Anderson SC and spent the next couple of years working in family businesses , starting her own construction company, and teaching at Tri-County Technical College. Eventually she decided one job was enough and went to work for Robert Bosch LLC in their Purchasing Department and has been there the last 29 years. Continuing her family legacy of  civic responsibility, she was a member of the Tri-County Tec Foundation Board, the An-Med Foundation Board,  Hollins University Alumnae Board( and Reunion Chair/Gift Chair for each reunion since graduation) , USC Law School Reunion Teams, Junior League of Anderson (President),  Board member and Capital Campaign Chairman for Anderson Art Center, and of course volunteer for church Greek Festivals. Serving on the SC Museum foundation board is an honor. Her hobbies are collecting art, traveling, hiking, fine dining , cooking , going to Clemson games, and if there is music playing, she is dancing. Her favorite people are her niece and nephew, her family, and the friends she has collected over the years. For the record, she has many nicknames: A, Kag, Koukla, Stat, Zorba, and Little Pete.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri Dr. Stroup grew up and attended public schools in Charlotte, North Carolina. After graduating from Wofford College in 1968 he served two years in the United States Army including 12 months in South Korea as the Division Communication Officer for the 122nd Signal Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He attended graduate school at the University of South Carolina receiving a Master of Arts degree in history in 1974 and a Ph. D. in 1980. Dr. Stroup’s areas of concentration included cultural and social history of the South. From 1974 to 1979 he served as the first professional director of the Historic Columbia Foundation. In 1979 he joined a small staff that was planning to develop a State Museum for South Carolina. During his eighteen years at the State Museum he served as curator of history, chief curator and deputy director for collections and interpretation. In 1997 he because the director of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, a position that also included serving as the state historic preservation officer. He retired in 2009 and since that time continues to volunteer at local historic organizations including serving as the superintendent of the Rockton, Rion & Western Railroad the operating tourist railroad of the South Carolina Railroad Museum. When he retired in 2009 he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in the state of South Carolina. In 2019 he published Meet me at the Rocket, a history of the South Carolina State Fair.

During his career Dr. Stroup served on numerous community and professional organizations. He served as president of the Historic Columbia Foundation, the Shandon Neighborhood Council and the Richland County Historic Preservation Commission. His professional involvement included serving on the Council of the American Association for State and Local History, as a member of the National Historic Public Records Commission, president of the South Carolina Federation of Museums and Chairman of the South Carolina Hall of Fame