Leslie Skardon

CEO

Leslie is the CEO of Sustain SC, a nonprofit organization connecting sectors across South Carolina to optimize the use of our natural resources in a way that is sustainable for both our economy and our environment. With a business development background and passion for sustainability, Leslie unites smart growth with conservation to sustain South Carolina’s economic prosperity. 

Prior to joining Sustain SC, Leslie built and executed strategies to drive business growth for Fortune 500 companies, governments, non-profits, and institutions. As a strategic communications and public affairs professional, Leslie specialized in advising purpose-driven clients to uncover strategies to meet business goals while positively impacting their communities.

Leslie is a community leader. She represents District 12 on the Charleston City Council. As a non-partisan elected official, she focuses on delivering solutions on infrastructure, traffic, flooding and quality of life to the citizens of James Island and across Charleston.

Leslie was named as South Carolina Business Journal’s Top 50 Influential People, South Carolina's Top 50 Women to Admire, and Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 40 under 40 and ‘Women of Influence.’ Leslie was appointed by Governor McMaster to serve on the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. Leslie founded the non-profit Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3) and served on the Charleston Chamber of Commerce's Regional Policy Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership South Carolina, the Port Ambassador Program, the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative and Leadership Charleston. Leslie completed her MBA from Georgetown with a focus in Non-Market Strategy to help business be a force for good in the world.

Kristen Austin Gunter

Senior Vice President of Conservation

Kristen knows the value of bringing together diverse groups to create solutions for nature and people. In her role as Senior Vice President for Conservation, Kristen works with key stakeholders and partners to help fulfill Sustain SC’s mission.

Prior to joining Sustain SC, Kristen spent more than 25 years with The Nature Conservancy where she built conservation programs in the Midwest, South Carolina, and the Southern Appalachians. It was during this time Kristen learned how to create change through real-world solutions, policy expertise, sustainable financing, and collaborative partnerships. Believing strongly that the key to success is trusted relationships, Kristen’s depth of experience includes negotiating complex land transactions to expand public lands and managing natural resources in partnership with agencies, non-profits, and public utilities.

Kristen has called Greenville home for twenty years and enjoys engaging in, and giving back to her community. She was appointed by Greenville City Council to serve on their Sustainability Committee and is a graduate of Leadership Greenville and the Urban Land Institute’s Sustainable Leadership Program. Kristen’s alma mater, University of Tennessee, is, located in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains where she grew up, and where her love of conservation was fostered.

Emily Skaggs

Director of Sustainability

Emily Skaggs is a leader in marketing, corporate events, sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement. Since 2019, she has worked across numerous roles, managing corporate marketing and sustainability projects and leading strategies for sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, marketing operations and communications.  

Previously, Emily held key leadership roles at Milliken & Company, where she made significant contributions to the company’s sustainability and marketing initiatives. These roles included Global Customer Experience Manager, Marketing Operations Project Manager, Sustainability Marketing Lead, and Advanced Sustainability Engagement Specialist. In these positions, Emily led corporate sustainability reporting efforts, managed impactful marketing and communications projects, and led a variety of corporate events aimed at engaging both internal and external stakeholders around sustainability. Emily is also a proud SLI Class 3 Alumni, further demonstrating her commitment to driving sustainable growth in South Carolina. 

In her current role as Director of Sustainability at Sustain SC, Emily plays a key role in advancing Sustain SC’s mission to create a more sustainable future for South Carolina through strategic marketing, effective stakeholder communication, statewide reporting, supply chain and circularity stakeholder engagement and designing and executing impactful events.  

Outside of her professional work, Emily is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She currently serves on the board of The Spartanburg Little Theatre, where she helps support and promote the local arts scene. Emily also regularly volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and Winter Warmth Mission, working to provide shelter and warmth to those in need.  

Brent Kossick

Director of Partnerships

As Director of Partnerships at Sustain SC, Brent Kossick leads efforts to connect and strengthen relationships across the organization’s diverse network of industry, government, higher education and nonprofit stakeholders. He is passionate about bringing people together around shared goals and building collaborative solutions that advance both economic prosperity and environmental stewardship in South Carolina. 

Brent brings nearly two decades of experience in environmental conservation, disaster resiliency, sustainability, and workforce development. Prior to joining Sustain SC, Brent served in leadership roles with Service Year Alliance, the South Carolina Service Commission, SBP Inc. and Texas Conservation Corps, where he worked closely with partners to build capacity, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and drive mission‑aligned outcomes. 

A Columbia resident for the past fifteen years; Brent is deeply committed to the community he calls home. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children, exploring South Carolina’s natural landscapes, and staying active outdoors. A long‑time advocate for active transportation in the capital city, Brent can often be found navigating Columbia by electric bike and supporting efforts that make the region more connected, healthy, and sustainable. 

Megan Dix

Marketing and Events Coordinator

Megan Dix is a passionate and dedicated marketing and events coordinator with experience in stakeholder engagement and strategic planning that has supported the growth and sustainability missions of non-profit organizations throughout her career. 

Prior to joining Sustain SC, Megan held roles with Education Week and served as an Event Coordinator for the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) in Washington, DC, where she helped deliver strategic events that strengthened member connections and increased awareness of the organization’s mission.  

In her current role as Marketing and Events Coordinator at Sustain SC, Megan supports the organization’s mission by strengthening connections with members and the broader community. She helps elevate Sustain SC’s work through communications and event support, bringing a passion for sustainability, collaboration and purpose-driven impact across South Carolina. 

Megan received her degree in Digital Multimedia Communications: Journalism at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. Megan’s passion for conservation and sustainability was shaped early through her involvement with community cleanups, local sustainability projects and time spent exploring and appreciating the outdoors.