50 Most Influential People and Hall of Fame

Charleston Business Magazine celebrates another year of honoring the region’s most influential people. The distinctive coastal region known as the Lowcountry is one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing areas. The 50 men and women on this list were chosen through research from our staff and nominations from the Lowcountry community. These individuals have done important work in the fields of banking, education, construction, government, the arts, and more. Many are making the list for the first time, spotlighting important work they’ve done over the past 12 months.

We’re also celebrating our sixth year of selecting entrants to our Hall of Fame. This year, we’re adding five new members, people who are no strangers to the 50 Most Influential People list. They have been spotlighted many times in years past, and they continue to make a lasting impact in the region.

 

Hall of fame

Tonya M. Matthews, Ph.D.

Tonya M. Matthews, Ph.D. President and CEO International African American Museum Tonya M. Matthews, Ph.D., helped open the International African American Museum in Charleston in 2023, and under her leadership, the museum has welcomed more than...

Faith Rivers James

Faith Rivers JamesExecutive Director Coastal Conservation League Faith Rivers James has served as executive director of the Coastal Conservation League since 2022. James, a native of Mount Pleasant, has said that she feels a deep connection to...

Sunju Patel

Sunju Patel Co-Founder and Managing Member TMGOC Ventures Sunju Patel is the co-founder and managing member of TMGOC Ventures, which came to life in 2023 and has a $1 billion portfolio of investments, including partnerships with hotel brands...

Dixon Woodward

Dixon WoodwardState President – South Carolina/Coastal Georgia United Community Dixon Woodward has been United Community’s state president for South Carolina and Coastal Georgia since 2019, but he has more than 20 years of experience in the world...

Bernie Mazyck

Bernie Mazyck President and CEO South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development Bernie Mazyck is the founding president and CEO of the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development (SCACED), the statewide trade...

Sponsor

 

50 Most Influential People of 2025
Melvin Williams
Melvin Williams Vice President/Senior Associate Senior Client Development Manager Terracon Consultants, Inc. Melvin Williams is vice president and senior client development manager at Terracon in Charleston, South Carolina. Williams is the chair...
Roger Warren
Roger Warren President Kiawah Island Golf Resort Roger Warren, president of Kiawah Island Golf Resort and a member of the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame, served as the 34th president of The PGA of America from 2004-2006. At Kiawah, he...
Eugene H. Walpole, IV
Eugene H. Walpole, IV President/CEO The Bank of South Carolina Eugene H. Walpole IV serves as president and CEO of The Bank of South Carolina. Having joined the bank in 2012, Walpole progressed through the roles of assistant vice president, vice...
Kevin Sheilley
Kevin Sheilley President/CEO Charleston Metro Chamber Kevin T. Sheilley is the president and CEO of the Charleston Metro Chamber. Sheilley previously served as president and CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) in...
William Russell
William Russell Partner Jarrard, Nowell & Russell, LLC Will Russell brings over 30 years of experience in corporate financial management and captive insurance company management. A CPA and a Clemson graduate, he oversees firm operations,...
Rick Mixson
Rick Mixson Chairman Landmark Construction Rick Mixson has worked at Landmark Construction for nearly 40 years. He served as company president from 2000 until 2025, when he was succeeded by former COO Anthony Garcia. Mixson has said he values...
Brian Mello
Brian Mello Broker-in-Charge Dunes Properties After moving to Charleston in 2003, Brian Mello oversaw the renovation of several historic homes which initially piqued his interest in architecture and real estate. He later married his wife Jessica...
Natasha Lee
Natasha Lee CEO Floyd Lee Locums Natasha Lee, CEO and co-founder of Floyd Lee Locums, passionately upholds her core values dedicated to revolutionizing healthcare staffing and connecting clinicians to purposeful work. With extensive locum tenens...
Tim Kennedy
Tim Kennedy President Trident Construction Tim Kennedy joined Trident Construction in 1987 after graduating from Clemson University with a degree in construction science. He has been part of the ownership group of Trident Construction since 1999....
Markus Kastenholz
Markus Kastenholz Managing Director Colliers Markus Kastenholz is a managing director at Colliers International's Charleston office. Kastenholz joined Colliers’ Charleston office in 2019 as a vice president. He is a member of the CCIM Institute...
Merle Johnson
Merle Johnson Executive Director Charleston County Economic Development Merle Johnson serves as the Economic Development executive director for Charleston County Economic Development. Johnson, an economic development professional with 20 years of...
Trent Holland
Trent Holland Regional President  Huntington Bank Trent Holland is regional president of Huntington Bank, a position he moved into in late 2025 after spending two years as the bank’s senior managing director. A graduate of the University of...
Helen Hill
Helen Hill President/CEO Explore Charleston Helen Hill leads Explore Charleston, also known as the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Under Hill’s leadership, Explore Charleston has developed industry-leading programs that have...
Alfonso Hernandez
Alfonso Hernandez South Carolina Market Director JP Morgan Chase & Co. Alfonso Hernandez began his banking career with Bank of America soon after graduating from Berkeley College with a business management degree. Now, he is the South...
B. Keith Faulkner
B. Keith Faulkner President Charleston Southern University B. Keith Faulkner was appointed the fourth president of Charleston Southern University in 2023. Before joining the university, he served as president and dean of Appalachian School of Law...
Robert Faith
Robert Faith Founder/Chairman/CEO Greystar Robert Faith is founder, chairman, and CEO of Greystar, a leader in investment, development, and management of high-quality rental housing properties. He founded the company in 1993. Under Faith’s...
William Cogswell, Jr.
William Cogswell, Jr. Mayor City of Charleston William Cogswell Jr. is the mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to becoming mayor, he served as  state representative for South Carolina’s 110th District, where he was born and raised....
Willis Cantey
Willis Cantey CEO Cantey Tech Consulting Willis Cantey founded Cantey Tech Consulting in 2007 after working for Blackbaud and for InfoRocket Inc. Cantey has said the company’s focus is on creating and instilling trust with clients. He is also the...
Reginald Burgess
Reginald Burgess Mayor City of North Charleston Reginald L. “Reggie” Burgess, a native of North Charleston’s historical Union Heights and Liberty Hill neighborhoods, joined the North Charleston Police Department in 1989. By 2018, he reached the...
Wendy Brewer
Wendy Brewer Partner, Private Wealth Financial Adviser Roseate Group of Wells Fargo Wendy M. Brewer is an adviser and partner at Roseate Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, which is one of only 100 practices nationwide on the 2024 Forbes Top Wealth...
Matt Brewer
Matt Brewer President/CEO Choate Construction As president and CEO of Choate Construction, Matt Brewer oversees the development and implementation of the firm’s long-term strategic plan. While delivering over $2.2 billion in annual revenue,...
David Botzis
David Botzis Tax Partner Forvis Mazars David Botzis has been a tax partner with Forvis Mazars since 2022, when the company was still known as Forvis. The company specializes in audit, accountancy, advisory, tax, and legal services. Botzis...
Will Herring
Will Herring CEO Hunter Quinn Homes Will Herring received his B.S. degree from the College of Charleston, a construction management degree from Trident, and his Master in Business from The Citadel. Before launching Hunter Quinn Homes, Herring...
Wes Carter
Wes Carter President Atlantic Packaging Wes Carter is the third-generation leader of Atlantic Packaging, the largest privately held industrial packaging company in North America, with locations in Summerville and Greenville. As president of...
Vicky Wood
Vicky Wood President Trident Technical College Vicky Wood, Ph.D., is the sixth president of Trident Technical College. She is leading the implementation of Career Guided Pathways designed to improve student success and connect learners with...
Trudy Robertson
Trudy Robertson Attorney Moore & Van Allen PLLC Trudy Robertson serves as co-managing member of Moore & Van Allen PLLC’s Charleston office, where she practices as a partner on the Civil Litigation, Health Care, Business, and Nonprofit...
Tony Deering
Tony Deering CEO R2P Innovations Prior to moving to Charleston in 2006, Tony Deering served as an officer in an elite army unit in South Africa. He has worked alongside some of the world’s pre-eminent scientists in the field of blast and...
Tim Grow
Tim GrowShareholder Elliott Davis As leader of the firm's Consulting practice, Tim Grow focuses on providing comprehensive assurance and management consulting services to a diverse customer base in the real estate, manufacturing, construction,...
Thomas Anderson Jr.
Thomas Anderson Jr. Market Executive – South Carolina Wells Fargo Thomas Anderson is the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking market executive for South Carolina. Anderson has been with the bank since 1999 where he previously served as the regional...
Scott Sharp
Scott SharpCoastal South Carolina RVP, SVP Commercial and Business BankingTD BankWith nearly 30 years in financial services, Scott Sharp has built his career around strengthening communities through responsible banking, strong relationships, and...
Samuel Mylrea
Samuel MylreaCEO Qwick FKA Gigpro Samuel Mylrea combined his passions for technology and hospitality by paving the way for hospitality businesses to address one of their most pressing challenges – labor. Gigpro was founded in 2019 and was the...
Mena Hanna
Mena HannaGeneral Director/CEO Spoleto Festival USA Mena Mark Hanna, Ph.D., is general director and CEO of Spoleto Festival USA, America’s premier performing arts festival, based in Charleston, South Carolina. During his tenure, Spoleto has...
Mark Munn
Mark MunnPresident Bank of America Charleston-Hilton Head Island Mark Munn is a managing director and private client adviser for Bank of America Private Bank in Charleston, South Carolina. With more than three decades of financial services...
Marc Marchant
Marc Marchant CEO LS3P As CEO, Marc Marchant focuses on advancing LS3P’s vision and strategic initiatives, building relationships, and cultivating a culture of collaborative engagement. During more than 26 years with LS3P, Marchant has served...
Kevin Phillips
Kevin PhillipsMayor Town of Port Royal Mayor Kevin Phillips is serving his first term as mayor of the Town of Port Royal, having previously served on Town Council from 2020 to 2023. An attorney by profession with the Schiller & Hamilton Law...
Josh VanScoy
Josh VanScoy Vice President/Office Leader HITT Contracting Josh VanScoy, vice president and office leader of HITT Contracting’s Charleston office, brings more than 30 years of construction experience to his role. A West Virginia University...
Joseph DeLeon
Joseph DeLeon President/CEO Roper St. Francis Healthcare Joseph DeLeon is president and CEO of Roper St. Francis Healthcare (RSFH), a leading Lowcountry health system. With over 30 years of senior leadership experience, he is known for...
Johannes Kellermann
Johannes KellermannPresident/CEO Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC Johannes Kellermann is the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC. With over 15 years of leadership in the automotive industry, Kellerman brings extensive experience in operations...
James Byrd
James ByrdRegional Director – External Affairs AT&T James "Jay" Byrd, a 20-year veteran of AT&T, was appointed regional director of external affairs for AT&T South Carolina in 2023. Prior to joining the External and Legislative...
H. Richard Sturm
H. Richard Sturm EVP Ameris Bank H. Richard Sturm started his more than 35-year banking career in 1988 with C&S Bank in Columbia, South Carolina. He has spent his career in South Carolina and currently resides at Edisto Beach, keeping...
H. Alexander Rich
H. Alexander RichPresident/CEO Gibbes Museum of Art H. Alexander Rich, Ph.D. is president and CEO of Charleston's Gibbes Museum of Art. Taking the helm of the Gibbes in summer 2025, Rich oversees the nearly 170-year-old organization’s overall...
George Bullwinkel
George BullwinkelShareholder and Board Member Maynard Nexsen George J.F. Bullwinkel III practices in the areas of real estate acquisition and development, commercial real estate, and administrative law, including permitting, zoning and land sales...
Derek Robbins
Derek Robbins President/CEO Robbins Construction Group Derek Robbins is the president of Robbins Construction Group, where he leads the company’s strategic vision, client relations, and overall operations. With a strong background in commercial...
David Echols
David EcholsPresident/General Manager Charleston RiverDogs David Echols has guided the RiverDogs through some of their most successful seasons since being named general manager in 2004. He led the staff in hosting the highly successful 2004 and...
Dan Doyle
Dan Doyle President/Chief Operating Officer The Beach Company Dan Doyle joined The Beach Company in 2004, with the role of expanding the company’s multi-family residential real estate portfolio throughout the Southeast. Today, as president and...
Chris Magaldi
Chris Magaldi Principal/Regional Director Thomas & Hutton Chris Magaldi is a principal and the Charleston regional director of Thomas & Hutton. He joined Thomas & Hutton in 2012 and was named a shareholder in 2015. Magaldi was named...
Chip Shealy
Chip Shealy First Vice President CBRE Inc. Chip Shealy is a first vice president within the Office Services team at CBRE. Shealy leverages his unique insight and experience to serve the specialized needs of tenants and owners in Charleston’s...
Brent Gibadlo
Brent Gibadlo Senior Vice President Brookfield Residential Brent Gibadlo leads Brookfield’s Land and Housing operations across the South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina, markets, with primary responsibility for Nexton — the...
Thomas Anderson
Thomas Anderson Division President SouthState Thomas Anderson currently serves as the Coastal Division president for SouthState Bank, serving both the Charleston region and the Grand Strand corridor. After graduating from the University of the...
David Stenstrom
David Stenstrom Former Vice President, Manufacturing Americas/Plant Manager Volvo Cars Charleston David Stenstrom came to Volvo’s Charleston plant in January 2021, managing the plant until November 2025, when he moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, to...