On a sunny Saturday in April the Friends of Dupont Forest members gathered together at Guion Farm for the 2022 Annual Meeting.
The meeting marked an end of an era as Jeff Jennings’ term came to an end. Jeff has been involved with Friends of DuPont Forest from the very beginning – even before the beginning. Jeff was an employee of DuPont Corporation in the 1990s and went on to help lead the campaign to save the waterfalls from development. Jeff along with other members of Friends of the Falls led the campaign to save the waterfalls from development 20 years ago. He served as Friends of DuPont Forest’s first President and today ends his third term on the board.
In addition, Lucia Gedes’ term as President also came to an end. Under Lucia’s leadership we have tripled our membership, launched the DuPont Forest Festival, recruited new committee leadership, successfully advocated for a master recreation plan, and navigated the uncertain times of COVID. We also said goodbye to Jennifer Peyton who has served on the board of directors since 2017 and two terms as treasurer.
During the meeting, Friends of DuPont was proud to introduce the new Executive Committee.
- Ericka Berg, President.
- Amanda Fox-McGlashan, Vice President
- Chad Edwards, Treasurer
- Matt Champion, Secretary
Meet the New Board Members
The membership elected four new board members at this year’s Annual Meeting.
Hayne Beattie-Gray – Hayne is the current director of communications and strategic partnership with Green River Preserve and is also an ambassador for Run 4 All Women. She is originally from South Carolina and grew up summering in Caesars Head.
Ingrid Jones – Ingrid is project manager for a global health research firm that manages, orchestrates and delivers on clinical trials. She has a range of experience in project management and grant writing. Ingrid lives in Hendersonville and is a frequent visitor to Dupont.
Patrick Berg – Patrick earned a Master’s in Business Management from Wake Forest University and his J.D. degree from University of South Carolina School of Law. He has experience working for non-profits including Habitat for Humanity International and Flint RiverKeeper, Inc. Patrick has practiced business and real estate litigation in Greenville since 2019.
Rachel Broadbent– Rachel grew up on a farm around the corner from DuPont Forest and has been hiking, biking, and horseback riding on the trails since she was a child. She is the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Walnut Cove Realty. In addition to marketing and communication she has experience in project management and grant writing.
Learn more about the Friends of DuPont Forest Board of Directors.
DuPont Forest Now and Then
We were very excited to welcome Jason Guidry, Forest Supervisor and David Brown, former Forest Supervisor for a discussion about DuPont then and now. David was the first Forest Supervisor and treated us to a few stories from the days when the Forest first opened. Jason replaced David in 2016 and shared with the attendees of the Annual Meeting that visitation is the biggest change and challenge DuPont Forest faces in 2022.
