Zonta Club News
The Sisters of Zonta pulled together to buy Christmas toys for children in North Carolina, as they are putting their lives back together after the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene. One of the hardest hit towns was Swannanoa.
We wanted to make Christmas a little brighter for them, so Rosemary Hedden’s husband John rallied the troops and delivered them himself.
Thank you John and all the Christmas helpers who are making a difference in the lives of others.
Nan Brown Sutton is a real hometown girl, born and educated here in Beaufort. She completed college nearby at College of Charleston with a degree in business.
Nan has led a very exciting and successful life filled with many various careers, everything from acting in “The Swamp Thing”, acting school with world-renown acting teacher, Uta Hagen for five years, managing United Nations Catering at the UN building which exposed her to heads of state including Margaret Thatcher, Fidel Castro, Yassir Arafat and President Clinton She then ultimately realized her dream job in 2000 when she opened Lulu Burgess in downtown Beaufort. Not only was that an awesome adventure but she then met Mike Sutton, her contractor whom she married on New Year’s Eve shortly thereafter.
Ms Sutton has played an active role in putting new life in the downtown area with her involvement in Night on the Town, First Fridays, and being our own “Jim Cantore”, keeping citizens who stayed here and those who evacuated during the hurricanes up to date with conditions and even photographs and videos.
Nan’s three wishes in life would be” for an end to child and animal abuse, a cure for Alzheimer’s and cancer and a good ole vacation”.
Mary Thibault is a native of Beaufort. Shortly after birth she was adopted by a Marine couple. Her Dad was in the USMC for 20 years and her Mom worked In Civil Service on Parris Island when her enlistment was up. Ms. Thibault picked up her first paintbrush over 30 years ago and is a self-taught artist. She continues to pursue her passions and love for creating art. Over the years, Mary’s work has had no boundaries painting everything from murals at Beaufort High School to designing t-shirts for Beaufort Water Festivals 2009, 2013 and 2015. Nothing like seeing your art worn by 20,000 people each of those years! A professional face painter for more than 25 years, she has no fear of painting in front of others.
Sometimes she can be seen creating her works of art in the front Bay Street window of the Thibault Gallery which she and her husband Eric opened in 2016. Collectors love Mary’s oil paintings and her love of SC symbolism such as the Palmetto tree and crescent moons. “God created this beautiful world and inspiration is everywhere we look,” she says. She is noted for painting frogs on canvas, ceramics, notecards, and other media to spread the message of “FROG” – Forever Rely On God.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, their business was kept alive through on-line sales of mugs and shirts with this design.
The Thibault Gallery represents 11 other artists, 9 locals and 2 from Florida, who mesh together so well it feels like a family within the gallery’s walls.
Mary and Eric are responsible for the establishment of “First Fridays” in downtown Beaufort each month. They are involved in our community in so many ways. Thibault Gallery was named 2023 Lowcountry Art Gallery of the Year. Mary and Eric have a combined family which includes 6 children and their many grandchildren. After doing a genealogy search, Mary located her birth mother in Florida and was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show with her birth father from the Midwest several years ago. Mary is so grateful that her love of painting would eventually become her profession, and we are too.
Beaufort born and raised Monique Dawson has 20 plus years of experience in health care. She is the owner operator of Dawson and Dawson Home Care, LLC. Prior to this she served as Regional Program Manager and College Wellness Director throughout the state. Through her efforts 75% of SC colleges and universities adopted a Comprehensive Tobacco-Free Policy. She was recognized and awarded by the 18th Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin for effectively aiding and reducing the toll of tobacco use throughout the State of SC.
Following her mother’s compassionate care for her great grandmother, Ms Dawson has served many families with her nursing expertise for years before opening Beaufort’s first black woman owned homecare agency. Not just homecare but compassionate care. Her business focuses on providing excellent care to the elderly community, allowing them to thrive in their own homes for as long as possible. Monique does an assessment with the family in order to know as much about her patients; their unique needs, family history, interests, in order to match them up with the appropriate care giver, which is so important since they spend the most time with them.
Ms Dawson has a dual Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Policy and Advocacy and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Armstrong Atlantic State University (now known as Georgia Southern University). She has raised twin daughters, Jay Leather and Shay Jones and three sons, Eric, Hayden and Xavier and loves spending time with all her family. Monique has a Visionary role in the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce and is active in her church, but says her business must come first. Her clients and their families depend upon it. When you run your own business it can often be 24/7. She is excited about the growth of and support for her business and has bigger and better plans on the drawing board. She loves to travel for rest and enjoyment. Her bucket list includes traveling to Africa, Paris and Dubai.
For over 12 years, the residents of Beaufort have savored the delectable and nutritious ready-to-go meals crafted by the committed team at The Kitchen. Yet, when conversing with co-owner Leigh Ann Pingree, one might be taken aback by her own astonishment at how her aspiration to address a specific need—assisting busy parents in feeding their families—has flourished into a prosperous enterprise.
Having graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in business administration, Pingree, a mother of three, intimately grasped the challenges of mealtime management. Unbeknownst to her at the time, her academic background would prove instrumental in laying the groundwork for The Kitchen’s gradual establishment. As the youngest among nine siblings, Pingree holds a deep-seated belief in the familial significance of food. Having called the Lowcountry home since the age of 11, her upbringing in a large family instilled in her a proficiency for cooking on a grand scale. “I loved cooking with my mom. Since I was the youngest, I was at home the longest. I spent lots of time cooking and preparing meals for family get-togethers. It’s something we loved doing together.” “It really began with me prepping dinners from home for busy friends of mine a few times a week. Following their suggestions, I sent out emails twice a week to their friends listing what weekly options were available. That list grew and grew.”
This led she and her sister, Michelle Clark, co-founder, to open a commercial space in the Newpoint neighborhood on Lady’s Island. By 2017 they had outgrown their space. Following two years of meticulous planning, Leigh Ann, alongside her sister and The Kitchen team, which now boasts nearly 50 predominantly part-time members, transitioned into their current retail space at 136 Sea Island Parkway on Lady’s Island.
Their grand opening coincided with the onset of the pandemic, but Ms. Pingree explains that the timing was unexpectedly advantageous. They were fully prepared to address the urgent demand in the Beaufort community for meal solutions, particularly for those hesitant to navigate crowded grocery stores. In an effort to assist the community during this challenging period, they even stocked essential items like gloves and cleaning supplies.
Outside of her professional commitments, Leigh Ann indulges in her passions for boating, tennis, art, and travel, relishing quality moments spent with her extensive family. She actively supports local initiatives such as CAPA, Beaufort Water Festival, and Homes for the Holidays. Looking ahead, she envisions a future that encompasses endeavors ranging from publishing a cookbook and operating a food truck to offering vacation meal prep services, and potentially expanding through franchising opportunities.
Thank you Ms. Pingree, we look forward to you delighting the community with your delicious meals for years to come!
Shannon Erickson grew up in Florence, SC and graduated from USC-Beaufort with a BA in Early Childhood Education. Shannon is President of Lowcountry Building Blocks, Inc. which operates preschool and childhood development centers. Representing District 124 in the SC House of Representatives, she is a pro-business & pro-environment leader, advocate for children and families, “whole child” education supporter, higher education and workforce policy leader.
She is a member and supporter of many local groups and organizations such as AMI Kids, Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lady’s Island Business & Professional Association and Reconstruction Beaufort: The Second Founding of America Advisory Board, just to name a few.
Representative Shannon Erickson was first elected in October 2007, educator and business owner, she builds consensus and coalitions through grassroots citizen involvement and smaller, more accountable government. She leans across the aisle and works collaboratively across the aisle to achieve solid results. She serves as Chairman of the House Education & Public Works Committee which deals with K-12 education, higher education, Governor’s & Special Schools and early education as well as public safety, motor vehicles, roads & bridges, and regulatory policy. She is Co-Chairman of the General Assembly’s Child Care Study Committee. Ms Erickson is the ranking Republican Woman at the Statehouse and has previously served on the House Ways & Means Transportation & Regulatory Budget Subcommittee Chair, the House Labor, Commerce & Industry Committee as the Regulation Subcommittee Chair and on the Medical, Military & Municipal Committee. She served as Chairman of the General Assembly Women’s Caucus, Republican Women’s Leadership Caucus and as a Majority Party Whip.
The Erickson Family are active members of St Peter’s Catholic Church. Shannon and her husband CPA Kendall Erickson are proud parents of a son, Josh (Katie) of Mt Pleasant and daughter Mariah (Randall Owen) of Charleston, but even prouder of their five grandchildren, Wilson, Smith, and Walker Owen & Matilda and Frances Erickson.
Christine Cummings, affectionately called Chrissy, is the owner of Smokehouse BBQ in Port Royal and a native of Beaufort. A graduate of Battery Creek High School, Chrissy studied Business and Marketing at SC State University. Chrissy worked in retail for quite a few years and later built on her goal of starting her own business by taking computer classes at Technical College of the Lowcountry. Her dream was to open her own restaurant. After much experience in the food industry, including her brother Jason’s restaurant, Chrissy traveled near and far honing her cooking skills, reaching as far as Texas before returning home to Beaufort. She was now experienced and determined to use all she had learned to make her dream happen.
In January of 2021 Chrissy took over the Smokehouse. A hard-working self-made business owner she worked extremely hard during the challenges of COVID to keep the restaurant safe and open. Her idea of having a not for profit group selling tickets for pick-up meals of either shrimp or fish on a Sunday afternoon was very successful. Customers stayed in their cars and their dinner was delivered to them by masked and gloved club members to take home and enjoy. It helped her gain exposure and a new group of followers and help the non profit as well. Chrissy is well known for furnishing meals at cost for many non-profits. She even helps other businesses who are short staffed on her days off.
A true community minded entrepreneur, Chrissy is a mother of a College aged son, Christopher, and an active member of the Bethel Word & Worship Deliverance Temple.
Margaret Evans, the longtime co-publisher and editor of Lowcountry Weekly and co-publisher of The Island News started her career in local Journalism in the mid-90’s as the editor of Beaufort Magazine. Her articles and essays have appeared in magazines and anthologies throughout the South, including ‘State of the Heart: South Carolina Writers on the Places They Love’, Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy: and ‘Southbound’ magazine. The South Carolina Press Association named her the state’s top newsweekly columnist of 2021 and its top “humor columnist of 2022”.
Margaret believes she owes much of her career to the unwavering encouragement of her longtime friend and mentor, Pat Conroy, for whom she worked as a researcher in her late 20’s, then, much later, as an editorial assistant. Working with Pat on his literary imprint, Story River Books, remains one of the greatest honors of her life.
Locally, Margaret has served on the boards of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, the Beaufort Orchestra, the SC Playwright’s Center, and Lowcountry Shakespeare. She has an ongoing commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry and partners each year with the Beaufort International Film Festival. Ms. Evans has sung second soprano in the Chancel Choir of First Presbyterian church for 17 years. Margaret moonlights as a pro-age influencer on Instagram, where she encourages women in midlife and beyond to embrace the gift of aging in a youth-obsessed culture.
Pat Harvey-Palmer of Hometown Realty has been a quiet leader in our community, her church and in her professional life. One of the first women in Beaufort to have her own real estate business, she leads by example. She was named REALTOR of the Year multiple times by her peers at Beaufort-Jasper Realtors over the past 45 years. Pat was President in that organization in 2006 and 2007, Treasurer in 2009. She is a Lady’s Island/St Helena Fire Commissioner and Treasurer.
Ms. Harvey Palmer is a founding member of the Lady’s Island Business & Professional Association which was chartered in 1981. She has served in various leadership roles for this organization and is currently Treasurer. Pat is chairperson for the Beaufort Lions Club which is responsible for assisting adults in need of glasses and hearing aids. As a Lion Club member, she has organized the Beaufort Water Festival Parade and the Christmas Parade for a number of years. Recently she was asked to take the lead for the Beaufort Veterans Parade as well.
As a member of St John’s Lutheran Church Pat has served in many capacities over the years, including on the Pastoral Search Committee. She also organizes fellowship outings.
Pat was awarded the first Beaufort Person of the year award in 1986 given by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce. She was given a Civitas Lifetime Achievement Award this year. In addition to serving on the South Carolina Realtors Grievance and Professional Standards Committee for many years, she provides free mediation services to the public or Realtors, to assist in resolving issues.
Marie Lewis and her husband Tom opened Alvin Ord’s Sandwich Shoppe more than 40 years ago. Marie has always been the face that first greets you as you enter to order or pick up. Many of their staff have been with them for a decade or more. Their store is a favorite “taste of home” for many of us. There’s no telling how many deployed military have been treated to this taste of home by Marie & Tom. God bless our special MCAS transport service to them.
In early 2020, during unexpected back surgery, Marie was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and went through cancer treatment for the remainder of that year. Never one to back down from a challenge, she continued to work through Chemo and the Covid scare. Prayers answered she is cancer free and still the smiling face that greets you at Alvin Ord’s.
An avid and accomplished vocalist, Marie has been a member of Carteret Street Methodist Chancel Choir for more than 50 years and has shared her gift at many special events and theatrical performances. She steps up to direct the Choir when called upon.
Ms Lewis’ business acumen and success for so many years demonstrates her being a role model for other women to enter the business world.