Board of Trustees

Heathwood Hall is a South Carolina non-profit corporation that is governed by an independent board of trustees. In keeping with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) guidelines, our Board of Trustees is responsible for a number of critically important tasks: 

1. Keeping the Mission of the School
2. Developing and Reviewing Policy
3. Planning Strategically (Why Do It)
4. Planning Strategically (The Process)
5. Ensuring Financial Sustainability
6. Fund Raising for the School
7. Selecting New Trustees
8. Orienting New Trustees
9. Developing the Board
10. Serving as Community Ambassadors

Please click on the names below to read brief bios of our Trustees.

Simone Ansley 

Simone Ansley was born in London, England and came to the United States at the age of 10.  She attended the University of Massachusetts where she obtained her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse.  Simone practiced medical surgical nursing in Boston at Beth Israel Hospital where she met her husband, John Ansley.  John was completing his  residency in Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School.  Currently Simone works as a clinical research nurse conducting clinical trials in the field of otolaryngology, allergy and nutrition.

Simone and John are the proud parents of Justin Ansley class of 2022. Justin is a member of the football and track teams. They reside in Orangeburg, SC and are members of the Highlander Club and the 1951 Society.  Simone and her family are members of SeaCoast Church and Unity Fellowship Community Church.

Allison Barry

Allison Amick Barry grew up in the Midlands for all of her childhood. She received a Bachelor of Science in Political Economy and a Master of Arts in Economics from Clemson University. While at Clemson, she taught various economics classes. Upon graduation, Allison worked in project management and business development for the Commerce department before leaving to work in finance and operations for multiple family-owned businesses.

Allison and her husband reside in Lexington, SC and are the proud parents of Lukas (Class of 2032) and future Highlander Micah (Class of 2037). 

H. Freeman Belser '97, Board Chair

Freeman attended Heathwood from the age of four until his graduation in 1997. He then matriculated to Davidson College, earning a BA in History in 2001. While at Davidson, Freeman was a three-year starter linebacker on the football team, and a member of the winningest team in school history. He then returned to Columbia and attended the University of South Carolina School of Law. Upon his graduation from law school in 2004, he joined Belser and Belser, the family law firm. Freeman and his father are now the fourth generation of Belsers to practice law together in Columbia.

Freeman is civically active and has served in leadership positions for the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, the Midlands Chapter of the National Football Foundation, the Young Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art, the Columbia Kiwanis Club, the Columbia Area Davidson College Alumni Association, and Trinity Cathedral.

Freeman and his wife Maryanne have three sons, Hill '27, Heyward '28 and John '32, and are active in the Heathwood community.

Peyton Bryant '06

Peyton is a Heathwood Alumnus from the Class of 2006.  After Heathwood, Peyton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with minors in religion and entrepreneurship from Wake Forest University.  Peyton is a Partner and Director of Business Development at Trinity Partners, specializing in the sale and leasing of office/medical office and investment property sales of all types. 

Peyton has been named one of Columbia's leading young professionals by Columbia Metropolitan Magazine and named to The State newspaper’s "20 under 40" list of high achieving professionals in the Midlands.  Most recently, Peyton was named to Columbia Business Monthly’s list of the “Best and Brightest 35 and Under.” 

Peyton's current community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Chapter of CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member), United Way of the Midlands, Midlands Housing Trust Fund, and the Diaconate of Eastminster Presbyterian Church. In 2018, he was awarded Heathwood Hall's Anne Thornhill Weston Award, given each year to a Heathwood graduate who has made significant contributions to the community.

Peyton and his wife, Lyndey, an attorney at Adam & Reese Law Firm, have two young daughters.

Rion Cobb

Rion Cobb grew up moving around South Carolina, but ultimately finished high school in Columbia at Hammond School in 1996. He attended Wofford College, earning a B.A. in English in 2000.  After Wofford, his graduate studies took him to Duke University, where he finished with a Master of Divinity degree.  After Duke, he continued his education at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, and was ordained as a Lutheran pastor.  After interning as a vicar in Texas, and serving as a pastor in Virginia, he returned home to SC in 2007 to join his family’s business, Terminix Service, Inc.  He is proudly part of the fourth generation of family members to work in the company, which is an independently owned and operated company, licensed to serve as part of the Terminix system by the Terminix International Company, L.P.   He currently serves as the Vice President of Human Services, directly overseeing the Human Resources, Recruiting, Payroll, and Training/Technical departments.

Within the broader community, Rion serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Palmetto Project, the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Urban Entomology Charitable Alliance, and as an appointed member of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce Review Committee.  He has previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alston Wilkes Society and as a member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Pest Control Association.  

Rion and his wife, Charlotte, have four children, William (class of 2033), Jackson (class of 2033), Lucianna (class of 2033), and Henry (class of 2036).  They consider themselves blessed to be active in the Heathwood community.

The Reverend Caitlyn Keith

Caitlyn grew up on the High Plains of Colorado but came East to attend the College of William and Mary.  There, she earned a B.A. in religious studies, focusing on Hebrew scriptures and Christian ethics.  After graduation, she served two years in the Episcopal Service Corps in Winston-Salem, NC, where she worked with both the local Habitat for Humanity chapter and as a youth minister.  While in North Carolina, she also worked on a new diocesan project called a Movable Feast, a mobile young adult ministry based out of a food truck that she helped design and create.  She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Berkeley Divinity  School at Yale.  Caitlyn now serves at the Associate Rector at St. Martins-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church.

Dewey Nelson Ervin

Dewey graduated from Davidson College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.  In 2007, he earned his Master of Architecture degree from Rice University.  He has practiced with architectural firms in Charleston, Florence and Columbia, South Carolina.  He has been the project architect of medical, judicial, government and academic projects.  He currently owns his own practice in Columbia.  Dewey has served  on the local chapter board of the American Institute of Architects as well as the South Carolina AIA Political Action Committee.  He has served on committees of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, including the test writing committee for the Architect Registration Exam.

Dewey and his wife, Heathwood Alum Ann Harriott Fisher Ervin, M.D., are the parents of Phillip '27 and Eloise '28.  Dewey and Ann Harriott, both are members of the  Davidson College Class of 1999, are active in the Columbia Area Davidson College Alumni Association.  They are members of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Judi Gatson

Judi Gatson is an evening anchor for WIS News at 5 and 6 p.m. She is a graduate of Indiana University - Purdue University. During her tenure at WIS, Judi has worked as a general assignment reporter, weekend anchor and anchor of WIS Sunrise. 

Judi's heavy involvement in the community previously included serving on the boards of Healthy Learners, the Palmetto Health South Carolina Cancer Center, Palmetto Center for Women and United Way's Palmetto Society. She also speaks at many schools and community events and enjoys making regular visits to mentor teenage girls in the transition program at the Department of Juvenile Justice. 

Judi is married to Dwayne Gatson, who served 22 years in the military and retired as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army. Judi and Dwayne have two sons that attend Heathwood Hall Middle School and are members of the 1951 Society. The Gatson's are active members of Brookland Baptist Church and live in Columbia with their two labs, Shadow and Spirit.

Judi and her husband Dwayne have two sons, Aiden '29 and Nicholas '30.

Northan Golden

Northan graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research and holds an MBA from Pepperdine University.  He was  4-year letter winner for the Air Force Academy track team and was Captain and Most Outstanding Competitor of the 1986 team.  After graduating from the Academy, Northan served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Systems Analyst and Personnel Officer.  He is blessed to be a survivor of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.

Since 2007, he has been the owner of Express Employment Professionals, a local staffing company responsible for providing employment to hundreds of associates in the Columbia Metropolitan area each year.  He is a member of the American Staffing Association, the Military Officers Association of America, and serves on the Midlands Technical College Business Advisory Council.

Northan and his wife, Audrey, are the proud parents of Robert '22 and Matthew '25 who have each attended Heathwood since kindergarten.  During this time, Northan has actively supported Heathwood, serving on the Highlander Booster Club Board, the Heathwood Hall Diversity Committee, and as a Track and Field volunteer.  Northan and Audrey have contributed to the Annual Fund at the 1951 Society level for years.  The Goldens attend Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Orangeburg.

JoLee Gudmundson '86

JoLee Becker Gudmundson is a 1986 graduate of Heathwood and has a BA in Mass Communication and Journalism from Winthrop University. She is married to Gus Gudmundson (class of 1980). Both of her sons are lifers at Heathwood, Alex Knoll (class of 2010) and Gus, III (class of 2017). They are members of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

JoLee is an active leader and volunteer in South Carolina and within the Columbia community. She serves on the Advisory Board of the South Carolina Small Business Development Center. She has previously served as Highlander Club President, a grade representative to the Heathwood Parent Association as well as on the Auction Committee. She is a Paul Harris Fellow to the Rotary Club of Five Points and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Columbia.

She is President of Gudmundson Consulting, a government relations firm that represents a wide range of public policy issues for her clients’ advocacy interests. Her expertise includes healthcare, criminal law, banking, and finance as well as business and nonprofit interests. She is a frequent speaker, providing continuing education lectures for her clients as well as to other nonprofit organizations.

The Reverend Canon James P. Hartley

The Reverend Jimmy Hartley currently serves as Canon for Christian Formation Congregational Vitality, and Mission Communities for the Diocese of Upper South Carolina.  He earned a Bachelors degree in Religious studies from the University of South Carolina.  After college, he served at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in North Augusta. Later he served as youth minister for Grace Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. While Jimmy's wife, Caroline graduated from dental school, they moved to Birmingham, Alabama so that Carolina could do her general dentistry residency.  While in Birmingham, Jimmy served at All Saint's Episcopal Church as a your ministry consultant.   Jimmy attended seminary in Alexandria, Virginia where he earned his Masters in Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary.  After seminary, he served as assistant to the rector at St. David's Episcopal Church, Columbia SC. 

Jimmy  spent many summers as a camper and staff member at Camp Gravatt. During his youth, he was involved in youth and young adult ministries.  Both Gravatt and the diocesan ministries were places and communities where he began to experience the loving nature of God.  

Jimmy and  Caroline have three children who attend Heathwood Hall,  William '28, Robert '31 and Sinclair '34.

Kenny Hastie Jr. '97

Calvin K. “Kenny” Hastie Jr.  graduated from Heathwood in 1997.  He then spent a year at Duke University before deciding to continue his education at Wofford College where he received his BA in Government in 2002.  While at Wofford, Kenny was a four-year varsity letterman in basketball as well as being selected team captain and most valuable player his senior year.  Following Wofford, Kenny attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and is now Legislative Counsel for the South Carolina Association for Justice.

Kenny  remains active with Wofford College athletics by being a former member of the Terrier Club Board of Directors, serving on the Alumni Council, and being a member of the Wofford College Hall of Fame Committee.

Kenny and his wife Celita Proffitt Hastie have two sons Calvin 5 and Foster 2.

Michael Hitchcock

Michael Hitchcock joined the South Carolina Retirement System Investment Commission in 2014 and serves as the Chief Executive Officer. The RSIC manages and invests the assets for the South Carolina Retirement System, a $36.5 billion defined benefit pension plan serving approximately 600,000 participants. 

Prior to joining RSIC, Mr. Hitchcock served as Chief Counsel and Assistant Clerk of the South Carolina Senate. In this role, he served as Deputy Administrator of the agency and directed the Office of Senate Research which provides legislative drafting, research, and legal services to all forty-six members of the State Senate. 

Mr. Hitchcock earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina and his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina, School of Law. He has served in the South Carolina National Guard since 2000, earning the rank of Major in the Judge Advocate General Corps. 

Michael and his wife Regina have two children, Christian '27 and Charlotte '31.

Matt Holycross

Matt Holycross grew up in Spartanburg, but moved to Columbia to attend the University of South Carolina Honors College.  After graduating from the Moore School of Business, he went into public accounting, obtained his CPA license, and spent the next decade leading various financial functions within the insurance industry.  In 2016, he joined Palmetto Consulting of Columbia, LLC; a captive insurance management and consulting firm, where he currently serves as its Managing Member.  

Matt currently serves as a Director for numerous member-owned insurance companies.  His industry leadership responsibilities have included positions within the National Risk Retention Association, the North Carolina Captive Insurance Association, and the Self Insurance Institute of America.  Within the Columbia community, he has served as a past Chairman of the Young Alumni Council of the USC Alumni Association, and as past Treasurer of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate.  

Matt and his wife, Julie, have two children, Claire '33 and Edwin '36. 

Marshall James '85

Marshall James attended Heathwood Hall for 12 years and graduated in the Class of 1985.  He attended Morehouse College and graduated with a B.A. in English Literature. After Morehouse, he moved to Kurobe, Japan and taught English to kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school students for three years. In 1993, Marshall returned to Heathwood and began teaching upper school humanities and other electives until 1999. After Heathwood, Marshall worked as Student Affairs Director at the South Carolina Honors College at USC until 2006. Marshall earned an M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Marshall has also earned the J.D. and LL.M degrees from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He has served as a law clerk for the Hon. J. Michelle Childs, U.S. District Judge and the Hon. Kaymani D. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge.  Marshall is currently an attorney with the City of Columbia.

Dr. Stanley Juk

Stan graduated from Winyah High School in Georgetown, SC in 1963.  He finished the University of South Carolina in Columbia with a chemistry major in 1967.  He then finished Duke Medical School with his MD degree in 1971.  After internship and residency at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL, he returned to Duke for his cardiology fellowship in Durham, NC.  He completed this in 1975 and returned to Columbia SC to practice cardiology.  He currently works at Lexington Medical Center with LM HVC Cardiology and currently has an office practice only.

He is married to the former Miss Ann McDonald of Columbia.  Ann was also a member of Heathwood Hall School Board for two terms.  They have two adult children, Steven Juk '89 and wife Mary; Katherine Draffin '94 and husband Stephen Draffin '91.  They also have four grandchildren: Walker Draffin '22, Ellie Draffin '23, Ann Nelson Draffin '28 and Maggie Juk '38.

Ann and Stan are members of Shandon Methodist Church.

Stephanie Kimbrough

Stephanie grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Irmo High School in 1989. Her college adventure began in Clemson where she dabbled in several different majors before deciding on Public Health. After graduating from Clemson, she attended USC and received a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology. During her graduate program, she interned in Cardiac Rehabilitation, and this experience sparked her interest in medicine. She spent two years working as an Exercise Physiologist in a local cardiology office, but then moved to Charleston to begin her studies in MUSC's Physician Assistant Program. After graduating in 2001, she worked as a Physician Assistant in Nephrology for 13 years. Her primary role was caring for patients with End Stage Renal Disease on dialysis in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Stephanie is married to ‘87 HHES alumnus, Ted Kimbrough, and with the birth of their second son, they decided it was time for her to begin a new chapter as a stay at home mom. When their two sons began in Heathwood's EC4 and EC3 programs in 2017, Stephanie wasn’t quite sure what to do with her new found free time, so she devoted most of her days to helping out at school. As a parent volunteer, she has worn many hats, including the EC/LS HPA co-chair for 2 years, homeroom parent for several of the boys’ classes, member of auction and homecoming committees, parent ambassador for new families, tour guide during open house, member of Heathwood Connections, founder (along with Molly Roddey) of the EC teacher's Lunch Bunch, and a dedicated participant in various campus beautification projects. Additionally, the Kimbroughs have been annual contributors to the Highlander Club and the 1951 Society. Stephanie enjoys gardening, flower arranging, reading, running, playing tennis and spending time at Pawleys Island. Stephanie and Ted, a gastroenterologist with Columbia Gastroenterology Associates, have 2 sons, Zach ‘32 and Thompson ‘31. Big brothers Edward and Henry '19 are also part of the Highlander family. If all goes as planned, when Zach graduates from HHES, it is believed that the Kimbroughs will have the honor of having had a student attend HHES for the most consecutive years (24!).

Dr. McIver Leppard '99

McIver attended Heathwood from kindergarten until graduation in 1999. In high school, he had the honor of representing Heathwood and the Columbia community as an Olympic Torch Bearer.  He then attended Wofford College where he met his wife, Sunny.  After graduation, he spent 12 years at Medical University of  South Carolina completing medical school, General Surgery Residency and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery fellowship.  He is board-certified in Plastic Surgery and General Surgery.  After completion of his training, he moved back to Columbia and practices at Providence Hospitals where he is Chairman of the Department of Surgery.

McIver is serving on the Heathwood Alumni Council and MUSC Board of Visitors.

McIver and Sunny have two daughters who attend Heathwood, Cate '29 and Cora '32.  Sunny is active in the Heathwood community serving on the auction committee and as teacher appreciation coordinator

Kevin Martin

Kevin is a computer science graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, and also attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University before starting a career in Chicago working on pinball and arcade games. In 1995, Kevin founded one of the first Web hosting companies in the world, pair Networks, Inc., where he continues today as owner and CEO.

Kevin also founded the Replay Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit private operating foundation dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of pinball; Replay operates the largest pinball tournaments in the world and maintains a collection of more than one thousand pinball and arcade machines, as well as hundreds of classic gaming systems.

Kevin and his wife Amanda both grew up in Anderson, where they were in the same first grade class. They reside in downtown Columbia with their two children Lilly (class of 2018) and Owen (2023) Hart. Amanda is a member of the Auction Executive Committee and volunteers with the Heathwood Parent Association. Kevin and Amanda are members of the 1951 Society, as well as Super Blue donors to the Highlander Club. The family enjoys worldwide travel, Clemson football, and hosting gatherings at their home for friends.

Dr. Alicia McFarland

Alicia McFarland is a pediatrician practicing at Sandhills Pediatrics in Columbia, SC. She grew up on the coast of North Carolina and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From there, she moved to Columbia, where she attended the University of South Carolina for medical school and residency. 

Alicia is married to Steven McFarland, an attorney at Nelson Mullins. They have three daughters, Kaitlyn '25, Sarah '27, and Emily '29, who all attend Heathwood Hall. Alicia enjoys traveling, adventure sports such as skiing and SCUBA diving, and spending time with her family. 

W.D. Morris '92

W.D. grew up in Columbia, attending Heathwood from 4K until graduation (Class of 1992). He attended Clemson, earning a B.S. in Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Wildlife Biology in 1996. After Clemson, W.D. started his career in insurance, where his focus is on construction surety bonds. He is currently a partner with Propel Insurance.

W.D. has been very active in the Coastal Conservation Association of SC for over 20 years and is the current state treasurer and serves on the national finance committee. He has been a member of the Highlander Club for several years and is the current treasurer.

W.D. and his wife, Blair, have two sons: William '22 and Henry '26, and they are members of Eastminster Presbyterian Church.

Josh Nelson, Vice Chair

Josh is currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer of Global Life Insurance, a Chubb Corporation.  Josh holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a MBA from the University of St. Thomas in MN.  Josh has spent the last 20+ years in the Financial Service industry, holding a variety of Finance roles for Fortune 250 companies.  Josh's experiences span the U.S. and international markets, including 8 years as an expatriate in Tokyo Japan.

Josh and his wife, Heidi have two boys, Jay '26 and Christian '29. The Nelsons joined the Heathwood community in 2016 when the family relocated to Columbia.  Heidi has been active in the Heathwood community by serving as a room parent to her son's classroom as well as serving on the Auction Committee.  Josh serves as an assistant coach in the Palmetto Baseball league and the Nelson family are members of Shandon Baptist Church.

Beth Burke Richardson

Beth and her husband Matthew both practice law in Columbia, SC and have three children, Jed (class of ‘24), James (class of ‘26), and Raye Beth (class of ‘28).  Beth’s undergraduate degree is from Duke University in Women’s Studies and she received her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis Law School with honors.

While in law school, Beth served as Editor in Chief of the Law Review. She later worked for federal judges at the district and appellate level and as an associate attorney practicing employment law, business litigation, and appellate advocacy. Currently, Beth is a member at Robinson, Gray, Stepp & Laffitte, LLC focusing on commercial litigation and business dispute resolution and appellate law.

She is very active in the community, on the board of several organizations, and participates in various legal associations, including serving as President of the South Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association in 2020.

Drew Rowley

Drew Rowley is the parent of Heathwood students Eamon '34, Reagan '31, and James '29.

John Peyre Scurry '95

J.P. Scurry is a retail broker specializing in advisory services and investment properties, focusing mostly on retail. He works on acquisitions, dispositions, sale leasebacks, tenant representation, buyer representation and landlord representation with Colliers International. He also leads a team that works with companies on multi-city location expansions across South Carolina, and the Southeast.

 JP is a Heathwood Alumni; graduating in 1995.  He attended Washington and Lee University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1999.  Before joining Colliers, JP attended University of South Carolina where he earned an International Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis on finance and real estate investment, as well as proficiency in Spanish. In 2017, JP was named a CoStar Power Broker in retail leasing transactions in Columbia. He has gained recognition as a Life Member of the Circle of Excellence by the Central Carolina REALTORS Association. 

JP serves on the South Carolina CCIM Board of Directors and is very involved in the South Carolina ULI Chapter.  He also serves on the Columbia Museum  of Art Finance and Building Grounds Committees.  JP is active on the Columbia Commercial Real Estate Market Forecast Committee.  He is an usher at Trinity Cathedral and a member of the United Way Young Leaders Society.  In 2006, he graduated from Leadership Columbia.

JP and his wife, Pence, are parents to  two Heathwood students; Thomas ‘26 and Mary Henley ’28.

Jessica Shand

 

Roy Shelley

Roy grew up in Columbia and Orangeburg.  He graduated from Wade Hampton Academy in 1985, where he played football on the 1984 team that won the State Championship.  He then attended Rice University ( where he played what is now "old school' lacrosse) and graduated in 1989 with degrees in Business Management and Psychology.  He worked for an oil company in Houston for two years while his future wife, Rebecca Monroy, finished her law degree at the University of Houston.  He then returned to South Carolina to attend law school. He graduated from the USC School of Law in 1994.

Roy began his legal career with the Richland County Public Defender Office, then went into private practice.  He is now a partner and the head of the litigation department at the Rogers Townsend law firm.  His current practice consists mainly of the defense of environmental litigation (property contamination and personal injury toxic exposures), trucking accidents, and other serious personal injury cases.  He also taught as an adjunct instructor in criminal law at USC for 14 years.

Roy serves on a number of legal and community boards, including the SC Bar Mock Trial Committee since 1996 and he is currently the Co-chair), SC Fact Forward(a reproductive health non-profit; current co-chair), the Columbia Running Club (current president), the Friends of Harbison State Forest, and others.  Roy is also currently president of the Highlander Club at Heathwood.

Roy and Rebecca's three children all attended Heathwood: Rachel '16, Riana '20, and Ryan '22.  Roy's hobbies include running (road and trail), growing oak trees, and playing lacrosse on the Local Masters (i.e. old guys) team.

Ainsley Stone

Ainsley currently stays at home with her children. She is pursuing a postgraduate certificate in nurse-midwifery. Before staying at home full-time, she worked as a family nurse practitioner specializing in women's health. Ainsley grew up in a military family. Her parents and extended family have called Beaufort home for nearly 20 years. Brandon and Ainsley moved to Columbia to be nearby. They met while Brandon was in medical school, and she was in nursing school in Pittsburgh. Ainsley and her family attend Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. 

Ainsley has been involved in the Heathwood Parent Association and has served as a homeroom parent for multiple classes, volunteered at many Heathwood community events, and chaired the Heathwood 40th Annual Auction. Ainsley and Brandon are proud to contribute yearly to the Heathwood Annual Fund, are members of the 1951 Society, and support the capital improvement campaign at Heathwood. They have also been annual members of the Highlander Athletics Booster Club. 

Ainsley and her husband Brandon have three children, Holly '32, Maddie '34, and Alexander '37.

Childs Cantey Thrasher, Esq. '96

Childs Thrasher is an attorney and mother of Alexander (class of 2032) and Jimmy (class of 2034).

Alana Williams

Alana Odom Williams is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the State Fiscal Accountability Authority. An attorney by trade, Alana is a former litigation partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. Alana currently serves as a Commissioner for the Riverbanks Parks Commission and is a member of the Columbia chapter of The Links Inc. and a member of the Columbia Junior League. She is also a member of Hope Interdenominational Church, where she leads a women's Bible study and has taught Sunday School. She has previously served on the boards of Hope In Christ Ministries and March of Dimes. Alana is married to Derrick L. Williams, Esq. and has two daughters, Regan '24 and Deana Grace '28.