WE'RE ELIMINATING RACISM & EMPOWERING WOMEN
​with a dynamic board of directors

Our board of directors makes a real difference in the lives of women and people of color in the Charleston region, working hard behind the scenes to enable our programs, from our annual MLK Celebration to our annual What Women Bring event. We can't thank this passionate, talented group of women enough! 

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JUDGE TAMARA C. CURRY
YWCA.GC Board Chair

A board member since 2015, Tamara was appointed associate probate judge for Charleston County in August of 1998, and is a native Charlestonian. She is a graduate of South Carolina State University where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1985, graduating cum laude.    

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In 1988, she received her doctorate of jurisprudence degree from the University Of Tennessee College Of Law. 

She was admitted into the practice of law in Ohio in 1988 and South Carolina in 1992. She served as a law clerk & constable for the Honorable Jack Sherman in the Court of Common Pleas in Cincinnati, Ohio. She later joined Northern Kentucky University to serve as its affirmative action coordinator.

Tamara returned to the Charleston area to work as an associate with the Law Offices of Armand Derfner. She was the managing partner with Curry, Curry and Counts, P.A., where she practiced in the areas of probate/wills and estates; personal injury; family law and general litigation prior to her appointment as associate probate judge. In addition to that appointment, in 1998 she was appointed as one of the presiding judges for the Charleston County Adult Drug Court.

In 2003, she started the first Mental Health Court in the state of South Carolina. In June 2010, she was appointed to serve as one of the presiding judges for the Charleston County Juvenile Drug Court.

Tamara is the chair of the YWCA.GC Personnel Committee. She has also served on the YWCA.GC Bylaws Committee as its chair, the YWCA.GC Governance Committee, and the YWCA.GC Building Committee.

​She is a faithful member of Grace Metropolitan at Adams Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, where she is a young adult Sunday school teacher and advisor of the Young People’s Division, Missionary Society, and Church Outreach Ministry.

Tamara is married to Reverend Eduardo K. Curry, Esquire, the managing partner of The Curry Law Firm, LLC. She is also the proud mother of three children, Eduardo II, Morgan, and Xavier. 

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KENDRA SNIPE
YWCA.GC Board Vice Chair

A board member since 2015, Kendra attended public schools on Johns Island and graduated from St. Johns High School in 2003. She went on to attend Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with minors in communications and Spanish. 

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She went on to Atlanta for graduate studies in community counseling at Georgia School of Professional Psychology, receiving a masters of arts degree and becoming a national certified counselor. After relocating to Charleston in August 2012, Kendra obtained degrees in human resources development and management & leadership from Webster University.

In 2014 Kendra officially launched her company, Ken Snipe Enterprises, LLC, which houses her two businesses: Organizational Development by Design and MaggiE & Me.

With a love for people and a desire to help others reach their maximum potential, Kendra entered the first African American sorority in the history of the United States, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she carries out community service initiatives near and far.

Kendra has served on the YWCA.GC Governance Committee and chaired the YWCA.GC Organizational Leadership Committee. 

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JENNIFER DUNLAP
YWCA.GC Board Secretary

A board member since 2017, Jennifer is a partner at the law office of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP where she practices in the areas of employment, labor and class action defense. She is a 1997 graduate of Southern Methodist University and 2000 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law.   

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She represents clients in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proceedings and federal and state court cases involving all aspects arising out of an employment relationship.

Jenni was selected as one of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Forty under 40 in 2013 and a South Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star in Employment Litigation: Defense, 2012-2015.

She has served the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry and the Junior League. She has also participated as a speaker in YWCA.GC's Career Success Series program for women.

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NATASHA CHISOLM
YWCA.GC Board Member

An attorney who specializes in helping families navigate legal problems, Natasha joined the board in 2019. She is currently a sole practitioner at The Chisolm Law Firm, and previously served as an assistant solicitor in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office, where she prosecuted a wide range of misdemeanor and felony cases in Charleston County. 

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She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and a juris doctorate degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she also received a certificate in family law. 

Natasha is licensed to practice law in both South Carolina and federal courts. She is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, South Carolina Black Lawyers Association, the Charleston County Bar Association, Royal Missionary Baptist Church, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

She has previously served as president of the Zonta Club of Charleston, an organization focusing on the elimination of domestic violence and human trafficking, and president of the Charleston Trident Urban League’s Young Professionals Network. She has served as a mentor for Meeting Street Academy and volunteered with the Junior Girls Day Out Community Project.

She currently serves on the board of Art Forms and Theatre Concepts, Charleston's premier African American theatre company, and is both a notary public and a certified guardian ad litem representing and advocating for children in contested custody disputes. 

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ARDMEASE CUNNINGHAM
YWCA.GC Board Member

A board member since 2016, Ardmease is a parent advocate and outreach professional with Charleston Development Academy, a public charter school in downtown Charleston. She serves as a liaison between the school and home, encourages parental involvement and participation in school programs, and provides assistance to students’ families in areas of school-related concerns for the school's 4th to 8th grades.  

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Ardmease holds master of arts degrees in both human resource development and counseling from Webster University.

​She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Charleston Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, and the Charleston Chapter of the Links, Inc.

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JENNIFER CURRY
YWCA.GC Board Member

A guardianship and conservatorship clerk for the Charleston County Probate Court, Jennifer specializes in the well-being of vulnerable adults, including monitoring guardianships, preparing senior wellness events, visiting senior living centers, auditing yearly accounts, and collaborating with judges. 

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ior to entering public service, she enjoyed a career in event planning. After earning bachelor's degrees in both business administration and hospitality and tourism management from the College of Charleston, she assisted the Cooper River Bridge Run with its Taste of the Bridge Run and Bridge Run Sponsor After Party events and worked as a special events aide for Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission. There she organized events from its Latin American Festival and Wine Down Wednesdays to its Reggae Nights Summer Concerts and Moonlight Mixer. 

Jennifer and her husband Eduardo Curry, II, are the proud parents of one daughter, Olivia, and enjoy spending time outdoors with their family. She has been a YWCA.GC board member since 2019.

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SHAWN EDWARDS
YWCA.GC Board Member

A board member since 2017, Shawn is the chief diversity officer for the military college The Citadel, where she is responsible for its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, diversity and inclusion program, activities and training, community engagement policy development and enforcement, diversity recruiting for employees and students, and creating and advising on an environment of inclusivity.   

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She also serves as adjunct faculty at The Citadel, Trident Technical College, and the College of Charleston.

In addition to her service on the YWCA.GC board, Shawn serves as a board member for the South Carolina Society for Human Resources Management, Palmetto Warrior Connection, and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Diversity Council.

She has earned two human resources certifications, the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the Society for Human Resources Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). She is also a facilitator with the Charleston Illumination Project and a 2013 fellow of Furman University’s Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative.

She was recognized as one of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 2015 Forty Under 40, and is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Charleston and a 2016 graduate of Leadership South Carolina.

She earned an MBA degree with a human resource management concentration from Walden University, a bachelor of arts degree in management from Webster University, and an associate of arts degree in fashion merchandising from Bauder College. 

She is a member of Christian Praise & Worship Center Church, where she serves on the ministerial staff. 

Shawn is married to Derrick J. Edwards; together they have five children and one grandchild. 

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BELITA M. GREEN
YWCA.GC Board Member

A board member since 2014 and our previous board treasurer, Belita has 20+ years of banking experience, including real estate lending, personal loans, dealer services, human resources, credit risk, and risk management. She is a consumer loan underwriter with Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union, and a graduate of Charleston Southern University, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in English.

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She is currently a member of the Charleston Chapter of Jack and Jill of America and the Charleston (SC) Chapter of The Links, Inc.

Belita and her husband Leonard, owner of ABC Medical, LLC and Angels Among Us, LLC are the proud parents of two daughters, Kirsten and Kayla.  

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JANET HART
YWCA.GC Board Member

New to our board in 2019, Janet is no stranger to us, having served as co-chair of our annually sold-out What Women Bring event.
 
A business development leader with a broad operations and product management background who enjoys solving puzzles to drive positive change for customers, she currently leads growth products for Amazon's print-on-demand division.  

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Previously she served in seven roles at Blackbaud, including running its global sales operations, building a new marketing operations team, and leading a back-office transformation as its director of operational excellence.  
 
Janet and her husband Greg are the proud parents of one daughter, Margot. She has been a YWCA.GC board member since 2019.

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RADIA HEYWARD
YWCA.GC Board Member

A board member since 2016, Radia is the community engagement program manager for Charleston Promise Neighborhood, where she is responsible for the creation and execution of an overall plan for community outreach and engagement, raising awareness about the organization, and the development of engagement and partnership pathways for individuals and organizations that align with its mission and vision.  

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She holds a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from the College of Charleston.

In addition to Radia serving as chair of the YWCA.GC Program Committee, Radia is a board member of the Royal Foundation, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and Project Man Up, as well as and first vice chair of the Charleston County Democratic Party.

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COURTNEY JOHNSON
YWCA.GC Board Chair

A group insurance specialist for more than 15 years, Courtney is the vice president of client relationship management for national accounts at Fortune 500 firm Prudential Financial, where she helps others with life, health, and other insurance needs.   

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Courtney enjoys coaching and mentoring children as well as volunteering to help the homeless. For six years she served as a mentor for children as part of Omaha TeamMates Mentoring, which provides mentors for thousands of students across five states, and as a girls track coach for the Amateur Athletic Union, a nonprofit providing inclusive sports programs for all participants of all ages through the efforts of more than 150,000 volunteers. For two years she also taught children in the Schools on Wheels program in Huntington Beach, California. 

She is a member of the Charleston chapter of The Links, Inc., and was previously a member of the Omaha chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, a nonprofit seeking to empower black women and girls in the areas of economic wellbeing, education, and health.   

She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and continues to take business courses. She is the proud pet parent of a rescue dog named CoCo, with whom she enjoys running 5Ks.

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SHARON MCGHEE
YWCA.GC Board Member

An entrepreneur and diversity business professional, Sharon currently serves as the minority and women small business administration coordinator for the Charleston County Aviation Authority, where she builds partnerships with minority- and women-owned small businesses along with nonprofit, private, governmental, and educational institutions.   

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She also owns and operates SLMM Enterprises, where she helps small businesses with their human resources and business matchmaking needs. She previously served as director of human resources for the Aviation Authority for 17 years, and holds the designations of Professional in Human Resources® from the HR Certification Institute and Certified Professional from the Society for Human Resource Management.
 
Sharon is a graduate of Furman University's Diversity Leadership Initiative, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Charleston program, and Leadership South Carolina.
 
She currently serves on the boards of the Lowcountry Housing and Economic Development Foundation and the Net Economic Community Development Corporation, the business diversity committee of Airports Council International: North America, and the advisory council of the National Association of Minority Contractors.
 
She is both a facilitator for the Charleston Illumination Project and a founding member of the South Carolina Airports Coalition.
 
Sharon earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Coastal Carolina University and a master's degree in management and leadership from Liberty University, and is working toward a PhD degree in industrial and organizational psychology at Northcentral University.
 
She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, the American Association of Airport Executives, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, and genealogy. She has been a YWCA.GC board member since 2019.

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DIANA SAILLANT
YWCA.GC Board Member

A board member since 2016, Diana is founder and CEO of Saillant Language Consulting, LLC, connecting private organizations, social service and government agencies, and schools to Hispanic businesses and the community. Her firm also provides certified language translation and interpretation, training to become a nationally certified healthcare interpreter, and continuing education needed to maintain requirements for medical interpreters.

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Her passion is to help increase awareness, understanding, and communication. 

Diana has served as president and is a founder of the Hispanic Business Association, a nonprofit created to advocate, promote, and support Hispanic entrepreneurs and business owners. She is a founding member of the College of Charleston's Hispanic Studies Advisory Board, an advisory board member of the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs of the Governor's Office, and serves on the MUSC Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, providing advice and insight to the Board of Trustees and president on cultural outreach matters. She also serves on The Citadel's Diversity Advisory Board, the Palmetto Excel Center, and on committees supporting the United Way, the Coastal Community Foundation, the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative, and TEDxCharleston. 

She is a CCHI Certified Healthcare Interpreter and holds an MBA and a bachelors of management arts degree from Charleston Southern University. She currently instructs at Charleston Southern University and Trident Technical College, preparing bilinguals to become Certified Healthcare Interpreters. 

A native of New York City, Diana has lived in Charleston for the past 20 years. 

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FELICIA WILLIAMS
YWCA.GC Board Member

A United States Army veteran, Felicia serves as a business financial manager for the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic.
 
She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fayetteville State University and an MBA from Saint Leo University, and has enjoyed a career in the federal government for 24 years. She is currently attending classes to earn an additional degree in accounting. 

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Felicia is an associate member of the Charleston chapter of Jack & Jill of America, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Charleston, and a member of both The Orchids and the Summerville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
 
She and her two children, Alicia and Jamal, reside with their Maltese poodle, Connor, in Summerville. She has been a YWCA.GC board member since 2019.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Interested in serving?

We elect our board of directors from a diverse community representative of our members. All board members are eligible to serve for two 3-year terms.

Elections are held annually... and we're always interested in talking with qualified individuals interested in eliminating racism and empowering women! 

For more information about becoming a YWCA.GC board member, please contact our executive director.  

ABOUT YWCA.GC

For 113 years, YWCA Greater Charleston has worked to eliminate racism and empower women in South. Carolina's Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties. 

A historic local association of YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organizations in America, YWGA.GC seeks to create opportunities for personal growth, leadership, and economic development for women, girls, and people of color.

Its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is one of Charleston’s longest running events, predating Spoleto Festival USA and other events. One of the first MLK tributes in the nation, today it attracts an estimated 30,000 celebrants each year. 

YWGA.GC also works to eliminate racism with its annual Stand Against Racism. 

In 2016 it brought the first Girls Who Code club for middle school girls to Charleston; its subsequent Y Girls Code program has since expanded to female students of all ages. 

In 2017, it brought the Racial Equity Institute, an ongoing program, to Charleston to help local leaders understand and address racism in the community, along with Own the Room annual public speaking workshops to empower women’s business success by improving their public speaking skills. 

In 2018, it introduced What Women Bring, an annual power lunch attended by hundreds to celebrate and empower South Carolina’s women in business, community, and culture. 

In 2019, it brought the SheStrong program into its fold to empower high school girls to develop as leaders and changemakers, and launched its Choose Well program, designed to reduce unintended pregnancies in girls and women. 

In 2020, it introduced WE 360, a multi-week program designed to help women of color overcome barriers in entrepreneurship.

Please follow us online as we announce new programs and events!

Instagram | @ywca_gc 
Facebook | @YWCAGreaterCharleston 
Twitter | @YWCAChasSC

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