Meet the 2026 Symposium Speakers
Dan Rummel
ArborOne Farm Credit
Harry Lesesne
Darla Moore Foundation
Helen Rogers
Open Space Institute
John Brooker
Conservation Voters of South Carolina
John Truluck
Dorchester County Economic Development
Jonathan Yarborough
Dominion Energy
Katherine Ross
Parker Poe
Kevin Yokim
Florence County Administrator
Leslie Skardon
Sustain SC
Matt Holt
Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences
Ming Kibel
Meta
Rep. Heath Sessions
District 46, York County
Keynote: Robert Bonnie
Founder of Sage Agronomics and former USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment
Sole Peresin
Clemson University’s Wood Utilization and Design Institute
Dan Rummel
ArborOne Farm Credit
Dan Rummel is a senior loan officer with ArborOne Farm Credit, the Florence-based agricultural lending cooperative that finances farms, timberland, rural homes, and agribusiness across the Pee Dee, Lowcountry, and Grand Strand. ArborOne is part of the Farm Credit System and operates offices in Florence and Conway, serving borrowers throughout eastern South Carolina.
Dan is also a landowner of several conservation minded properties and has recently completed a conservation easement with the Pee Dee Land Trust; permanently protecting some of these properties.
Harry Lesene
Darla Moore Foundation
Harry Lesesne is president of the Darla Moore Foundation, where he oversees all foundation operations and grantmaking. Under his leadership the foundation has concentrated its giving in the Pee Dee and rural South Carolina, funding a $5 million scholarship program at Francis Marion University, a partnership with the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, and preservation work at South Carolina’s Revolutionary War sites.
Before joining the foundation, he spent roughly eight years as executive director of the Charleston Parks Conservancy, where he grew annual revenue, led major renovations of Colonial Lake and Hampton Park, and launched three community vegetable gardens. Earlier he served as senior advisor to Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., and worked with The Conservation Fund and the University of South Carolina. He is a U.S. Army and South Carolina Army National Guard veteran, has authored or edited two books including a history of USC from 1940 to 2000, and holds a degree from Duke University plus an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of South Carolina.
Helen Rogers
Open Space Institute
Helen Rogers is conservation initiatives manager for the Southeast at the Open Space Institute, working from OSI's Charleston office. Founded in 1974, OSI is a national land conservation organization that has partnered in protecting more than 2.5 million acres across the eastern United States. Its Southeast program is run out of South Carolina under senior vice president of land Maria Whitehead, and Rogers is one of a Charleston-based team of five.
OSI's Southeast work centers on climate-resilient landscapes and flood protection — protecting undeveloped floodplain that absorbs storm water and releases it slowly, at sites such as Snow's Island on the Pee Dee and Waties Island near Myrtle Beach — alongside regional grant funds that help local land trusts finance acquisitions.
John Brooker
Conservation Voters of South Carolina
John manages CVSC’s efforts to develop and implement state and local environmental policy for land, water, and energy issues. He has been with CVSC since 2021, with previous roles focusing on energy policy at the state Legislature and the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
John’s passion for conservation is rooted in the understanding that our health, wealth, and prosperity are deeply tied to the health of our natural ecosystems.
Prior to joining the CVSC team, John worked at the Medical University of South Carolina, managing energy and sustainability projects. Before that, he worked in medical and environmental research. He has also held various leadership positions in community nonprofits across the Lowcountry region of South Carolina.
On evenings and weekends, he can often be found fishing in the marsh, foraging for mushrooms deep in the woods while fending off mosquitoes, or spending quality time with his family.
John Truluck
Dorchester County Economic Development
John M. Truluck serves as the Director for Dorchester County Economic Development, a position he has held for over 11years. During his tenure, the County has announced over 40 new companies or existing company expansions totaling 5001 new jobs and $9,415,408,000 in new capital investment. Before joining Dorchester County, John previously led the industrial recruitment efforts in another county in South Carolina. He has over 24 years of experience and is a South Carolina Certified Economic Developer.
John holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina.
A native of Lake City, South Carolina, John, his wife and two daughters reside in the Summerville area.
Jonathan Yarborough
Dominion Energy
Jonathan W. Yarborough is Director of Government Affairs and Economic Development for Dominion Energy in South Carolina. In this role, he oversees Dominion’s efforts with South Carolina state government and economic development including the General Assembly, the Governor’s Office, and various state agencies.
He works closely with policy makers in shaping energy policy for the state. Most recently, he provided hours of education and testimony to the general assembly in what resulted in the Energy Security Act of 2025.
On the economic development front, Jonathan and his team work to recruit companies such as Scout Motors and Google to the Dominion Energy electric and gas service territory.
Jonathan began working in the SCANA Government Affairs department in 2015. Prior to joining SCANA, Jonathan handled legislative and intergovernmental affairs for the SC Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Environmental Control. He also worked on the federal level as a congressional liaison for the Department of Agriculture and a senior advisor to the assistant secretary for Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy in Washington, DC. Prior to College, Jonathan served in the United States Army Infantry. Jonathan is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. Jonathan has served on various boards including the SC Manufacturing Alliance and Southern Carolina Economic Development Alliance. Jonathan and his wife Stephanie attend First Presbyterian Church in Columbia with their four children.
Katherine Ross
Parker Poe
Katherine Ross leads Parker Poe’s Energy Industry Team. She advises renewable energy developers, independent power producers, utilities, investors, and commercial businesses on the development, acquisition, financing, and operation of energy projects across the Southeast. Katherine regularly counsels clients on regulatory, environmental, land use, and transactional matters involving renewable energy facilities and infrastructure. She is recognized by Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America for her work in energy and environmental law.
Kevin Yokim
Florence County Administrator
Kevin currently serves as County Administrator for Florence County. Prior to his time with the County, Kevin served for three years as an Assistant City Manager with the City of Florence. Prior to his time with the City, Kevin served as Finance Director for Florence County, a position he held for over 23 years. Prior to his time as finance director, Kevin worked for ten years in public accounting, first with the firm of Arthur Young and Company and more recently with Webster Rogers LLP.
Kevin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Bob Jones University in 1986 and his Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University in 2014. He became a CPA in 1988, a Certified Government Finance Officer in 2001, and an ICMA Credentialed Manager in 2022.
Kevin has been a member of numerous professional and community organizations and has held leadership roles in most of these organizations. In 2024, Francis Marion University named him as Public Servant of the Year.
Kevin has been married for 39 years to his wife, Kim, and they have three adult children, Jeanette, Stephen, and Michael, one granddaughter and three grandsons.
Leslie Skardon
CEO
Sustain South Carolina
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 specializes in advising purpose-driven clients to uncover strategies to meet business goals while positively impacting their communities.
Leslie is a community leader. She was recently named as South Carolina's Top 50 Women to Admire and is a Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative Fellow. Leslie was appointed by Governor McMaster to the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission and serves on the City of Charleston Commission on Women. Leslie founded the non-profit Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3) and serves on the Charleston Chamber of Commerce's Regional Policy Committee. Leslie completed her MBA from Georgetown with a focus in Non-Market Strategy to help businesses be a force for good in the world
Matt Holt
Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences
Coming Soon
Ming Kibel
Meta
Ming Kibel is a Water Program Manager at Meta, leading water and wastewater compliance, utility coordination, and risk management across the company's data center portfolio. She joined Meta in 2019 as an engineer supporting the Southeastern data centers and has spent her career translating site-level engineering requirements into programs that scale. Her focus is long-term resource planning and water risk reduction in the communities where Meta operates. Ming holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the District of Columbia.
Rep. Heath Sessions
District 46, York County
Representative Heath Sessions serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he is a member of the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee. A native of Spartanburg, he graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Outside the Statehouse, Rep. Sessions is active in the Rock Hill community, serving on the boards of Historic Rock Hill, Camp Canaan and the Winthrop Stakeholder Board. He is also a member of Oakland Baptist Church, where he has served as a deacon and as chair of the personnel committee.
Rep. Sessions and his wife, Kristin, have three children: Emma, Ben and Asher.
Keynote, Robert Bonnie
Founder of Sage Agronomics and former USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment
Robert Bonnie is the founder of Sage Agronomics and former USDA Under Secretary for both Farm Production and Conservation (2021–2025) and Natural Resources and Environment (2013–2017). A longtime leader in working lands conservation, he spent 14 years at Environmental Defense Fund and holds degrees from Harvard and Duke.
Sole Peresin
Clemson University’s Wood Utilization and Design Institute
Coming Soon