Board of Trustees
Pierre Manigault, Chairman
Chairman, Evening Post Industries
Chairman of Evening Post Industries (EPI), which publishes the (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier, Mr. Manigault has worked in media and communications since 1987 for The National Geographic Society, The Washington Post and EPI’s newspaper and network television affiliates. In 2007 he co-founded Garden and Gun magazine. He is a past-board member of Historic Charleston Foundation, The Preservation Society of Charleston, South Carolina Maritime Foundation, Gibbes Museum of Art, and International Crane Foundation. He currently serves on the boards of Middleton Place Foundation, Magnolia Cemetery, and the College of Charleston School of Business. He is a founding trustee of the American College of the Building Arts.
John LaVerne, Vice Chair
Owner, Bulldog Tours
A native of Charleston and 1991 graduate of The Citadel, Mr. LaVerne became fascinated with history and tourism while interning at the City of Charleston Tourism Department during his senior year of college. He began his career as a tour guide in 1991 and founded Bulldog Tours in 2001. Bulldog Tours is dedicated to the preservation of Charleston’s historic structures and a portion of all ticket sales are donated to his preservation-related nonprofits, including the Old Exchange Building, Old City Jail, Circular Congregational Church, Magnolia Cemetery, Cypress Gardens, and the USS Yorktown. Mr. LaVerne earned a Golden Pineapple Award in 2009 from the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Travel Council and joined their board of directors in 2010. His company has been featured nationally by USA Today, Southern Living, and the Travel Channel.
Francine Christiansen, Secretary
Principal, Christiansen Consulting
Francine Christiansen is a nonprofit management consultant whose practice focuses on strategic business planning, board development and executive coaching. She has completed strategic plans for more than 50 organizations in the past 10 years including arts, historic preservation, regional business development and social service organizations. She has lived in Hartford, CT, for more than 25 years where she chaired several boards, including the Village for Families and Children, Stanley-Whitman House, Junior League of Hartford and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Catalyst Endowment. Currently she serves on the Board of the Wadsworth Atheneum and Greater Hartford Arts Council Board of Governors. She and her husband split their time between Hartford and Charleston. Francine is a graduate of Douglass College and Claremont Graduate School and is a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer.
Steve Bottcher, Treasurer
Retired, EVP and General Manager, Sonnepar
Mr. Bottcher retired as the Executive VP and General Manager of Sonnepar North America, having previously been with Proctor & Gamble and PepsiCo, where he retired as a Vice President. He has held various leadership positions including manufacturing, engineering, procurement and distribution. Mr. Bottcher has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Lafayette College and a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers University. Since retirement, Steve has been active in the community, including serving as Chairman of Roper St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, President of Sea Island Habitat, and Trident United Way. Steve has an avid interest in wood working and has built a sailboat and a kayak with which he competed in the Adirondack 90 Mile Race. He and wife Marge have three sons and nine grandchildren.
Tyler Bickerstaff, Class of 2015
Partner, Robert Thomas Iron
A proud graduate of ACBA, Mr. Bickerstaff’s family background is steeped in respect for the built environment, and he previously served as a partner in Bickerstaff Webb General Contractors in Columbus, GA. In 2011 the Bickerstaff family relocated to John's Island, S.C., as Tyler began to deepen his understanding of the built environment and the role architectural blacksmithing played in it. Tyler lives in the Charleston area with his wife and three children and today is a business partner with world-renowned blacksmith Robert Thomas.
Thomas Carpenter
Director of Operations Mgmt, Walt Disney Co.
Tom Carpenter is an executive for the streaming division of The Walt Disney Company, providing operational oversight for ESPN+ and Disney+ around the world. He moved to New York City from his native Virginia in 1995 and his first job there - true to his namesake - was as a carpenter. A 25-year veteran of the digital media industry, Mr. Carpenter has been featured at many venues including NAB, Tribeca Film Festival, Streaming Media East & West, and Dig South here in Charleston. Prior to joining Disney, he led in various capacities across the industry including at iHeartRadio, USWeb, Viacom / MTV, and at 27 was the youngest Vice President ever at Bates Advertising and served as CTO of their web division. Mr. Carpenter is an expert witness in intellectual property litigation regarding digital media. He recently retired from the Board of Rocking the Boat, which operates wooden boat building, sailing and science programs for under-served youth in the South Bronx. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish from Purdue University and studied in Spain and France as an undergraduate. An avid sailor, Mr. Carpenter fell in love with ACBA – and Charleston - while crewing on First Light, which was raising funds for ACBA in the 2011 Charleston-Bermuda Race, and has been involved with the College ever since.
William Copenhaver
VP Marketing & Sales, Smithey Ironware Co.
Will Copenhaver is Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Smithey Ironware Company, designing and manufacturing heirloom quality cast iron and carbon steel cookware for those who love to cook and appreciate fine craftsmanship. He is responsible for leading the company’s consumer marketing, wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales efforts, leveraging the power of stories and craft to build the next great American cookware brand. Prior to Smithey, Will served as Director of Marketing Communications for Le Creuset for 10 years, where he fueled brand and sales growth while initiating many of the company’s direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives. Mr. Copenhaver’s career has also included roles with VF Corp / Nautica, Landor, Tribeca Film Festival and Lycos – all in New York City. He was born and raised in North Carolina and holds an MBA from Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor’s in history from Duke University. Will resides in downtown Charleston.
Robert "Bob" DeMarco
Retired, DeMarco Law Firm LLC
Mr. DeMarco is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. However, on graduation he decided to take his commission in the Air Force instead of the Navy. After more than 11 years of active duty, which included a tour in Vietnam, he left the Air Force and attended law school at the University of South Carolina. After graduation, he entered private practice while continuing his military career in the Air Force Reserve as a JAG. Mr. DeMarco has served on the Board of the Historic Ansonborough Neighborhood as a member and past president. He has served on the Hospice of Charleston Board (now called Bridges) and was also a past president. He served on the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) for the City of Charleston for more than 11 years, two of which as Chair. Living in Charleston’s Old and Historic District for more than 20 years and his service on the BAR have made him passionate about the city and the preservation of its historic treasures. He is also a member of the Charleston Men’s Chorus.
Brian Hussain
Portfolio Manager, MUSC Foundation
A native of Trinidad in the West Indies, Brian Hussain came to the United States as a young man. After a four-year stint in the Navy, he took advantage of the GI Bill to attend classes at Trident Technical College, where he earned an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering, and later at the College of Charleston, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. Brian practiced public accounting with several accounting firms in the Charleston area before assuming the position of Vice President of Finance and Chief Investment Officer at the Coastal Community Foundation. Brian served in that role for many years where he was responsible for the finance and investments of the $280 million foundation. He is currently the portfolio manager of the Medical University of SC Foundation. Brian is married to Edith Blakeslee from Buffalo, New York. He and his wife have two children, a son, Shaun, and a daughter, Natalie.
Carson Knizevski
Regional Vice President, Samet Corporation
Carson Knizevski is Regional Vice President for Samet Corporation in Charleston, S.C. Mr. Knizevski brings 20 years of leadership experience in the construction industry with a background of delivering successful projects in a variety of market sectors and for many Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Knizevski is a hands-on leader with direct involvement in all areas of real estate and construction for Samet including oversight of operations, preconstruction, risk management and business development. Prior to his joining Samet, he led the South Carolina office for HITT Contracting as Senior Vice President for more than 15 years. Mr. Knizevski is active in his community as well as his industry, having held board positions for Clemson School of Construction Science (Industry Advisory Board), Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, and American Cancer Society. He has also been a long-time volunteer basketball and football coach in the Charleston area.
The Hon. Harry B. "Chip" Limehouse, III
Commercial Real Estate Broker, Limehouse Properties
Mr. Limehouse was elected to represent the 110th district in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1994. In addition to his political career, he is also a commercial real estate broker and is involved with a wide range of organizations including the Association of Realtors, Charleston Trident Association of Realtors, Hunley Commission, East Cooper Republican Men's Club, S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank, Hibernian Society, and the Education, Labor, and Job Training Commission of the S.C. Assembly on Federal Issues. Mr. Limehouse received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina (where he played on the polo team), attends St. Michael's Episcopal Church, and has two children, Chase Alexander and Eliza Devereaux, with his wife Susan Ramsay.
Spencer Lynch
Partner, Lynch Cracraft Wealth Management of Raymond James
A native Charlestonian and lifelong resident, Mr. Lynch is a 1982 graduate of the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business with a degree in business and accounting. He began his career in the financial service industry in 1982 as a CPA with Deloitte. Mr. Lynch has been Managing Director of Lynch Cracraft Wealth Management of Raymond James since 2009 and was previously a Senior Vice President of Investments at Morgan Stanley, beginning in 1986. He is an avid art collector and architecture enthusiast and owns several historic buildings in Summerville, S.C. He currently serves as a board member of Gibbes Museum of Art and has served as a Past President of many local philanthropy boards including the Advisory Board of The College of Charleston School of the Arts, Charleston Stage Company, Charleston Jewish Federation, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Synagogue Emanu-El, and Jewish Endowment Fund of Charleston. Mr. Lynch has experience in finance, art, philanthropy and community involvement.
Richard Sammons
Chief Designer, Fairfax & Sammons
Richard Sammons has a rich background in traditional period design and is an internationally recognized expert in the field of architectural proportion, having taught at the Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture in London, Pratt Institute in New York, and the University of Notre Dame in Rome. Mr. Sammons received his B.A. at Denison University and Master of Architecture at the University of Virginia. He is a founding partner of Fairfax and Sammons Architects, established more than 25 years ago, an award-winning architectural design firm with offices in both New York City and Palm Beach, Florida. Among numerous awards he has received are the 2013 Arthur Ross Award for Architecture, which celebrates excellence in the classical tradition, and the 2015 Stanford White Awards for a row of seven terrace houses in Brooklyn. Fairfax and Sammons Architects has been featured in The New York Times, Country Life, Architectural Digest, Southern Accents, Old House Journal, Period Homes, Traditional Building, and New Old House. The monograph, “American Houses: The Architecture of Fairfax & Sammons” is published by Rizzoli International.
John Shannon
Retired, Emeritus Director & Almoner Emeritus, St. George’s Society of NY
A native of Washington, DC, John Shannon grew up in Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; and New York City, where he spent his working career. A 1977 graduate of Trinity College, in Hartford, CT, he was a loan officer at two major New York banks, specializing in European clients. Later he worked as a financial public relations executive with Ogilvy Adams & Rinehart and as a marketing executive for an orchestra before his appointment in 1994 as executive director of St George’s Society of New York, a British-American member-supported non-profit association that was organized by British colonists in Manhattan in 1770. At St George’s, he expanded the Society’s membership, fundraising, and charity program before retiring in 2015 and relocating to Charleston, a city that he discovered in 2011. In addition to his board service with ACBA, John also serves as a board member of the American Friends of the Georgian Group; the College of Arms Foundation; the American Friends of St George & Descendants of the Knights of the Garter; the Society of St Thomas & St Denis, 1706, which supports the historic church on Daniel Island; The Society of the First Families of South Carolina, 1670-1700; and the New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati. He completed terms on the vestry of St Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Charleston and on the Wadmalaw Island Land Planning Committee.
Cheryl Skoog-Tague
Principal, CORE Home
Cheryl Tague is a Principal and Founder of the Core Home companies. She is an avid student of classical architecture, the fine and decorative arts, and the building arts through the promotion of the traditional crafts of building. Ms. Tague founded her design business in 1996, changing course from a successful career in finance, with an MBA and a CPA. She graduated with highest distinction from the New York School of Interior Design. Currently based in New York and Connecticut with a home in Charleston, Cheryl lived and worked in London for nearly a decade. This international experience had a profound impact on her ideas about sustainability, architectural heritage, and how we can build and live smarter. She is a Certified Interior Designer and a Professional Member of the American Society of Interior Designers, member of the Decorators Club of New York, Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, and National Advisory Board of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. She holds a certificate in classical architecture from the ICAA. Her work has been published in Veranda, Westchester/CT Cottages & Gardens, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, and Home & Antiques.
Stephen Ziff
Founder, Ziff Real Estate Partners
Steve has lived a number of lives. He has a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan and in midlife gained his MA in Art History from Columbia. His business experience includes being a consultant to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chairman and CEO of Duallite; Cofounder of Tokyo Electron, Ltd., a joint venture with Tokyo Broadcasting and for the past 30 years; past Chairman and now Consultant to Ziff Properties, Inc. located in Mt. Pleasant, SC. His non-profit work has included many years of being Chairman of the New York Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and being on the Boards of Merkin Concert Hall, Turning Leaf, and now for the second time, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, Charleston’s Reform Jewish Congregation and the Charleston World Heritage Coalition which he founded. He and his wife, Julie, are long-time residents of Charleston.
Emeritus Members
Margaret Hawk O'Brien
Retired, Systems and Information Management, US Govt
Mrs. O’Brien, a retired Charleston native, holds a B.A. in history from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and an M.A. from American University. She built her career in systems and information management for the federal government and has worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Energy, and as a Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She has been active as a volunteer, organizational officer, and patron in a number of Washington, DC, civic, historic preservation, and cultural organizations. She is the eldest of the nine children of Nancy Hawk, a founder of ACBA and Chair of the Board of Trustees.
A. Bert Pruitt, Jr. MD.
Retired, Physician
Dr. Pruitt was born in Anderson, S.C. He completed his undergraduate education at Washington and Lee University before graduating from Bowman Gray School of Medicine in 1958. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a flight surgeon stationed in the United Kingdom. Upon completion of his military service, he completed his Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, N.C., in 1967. He then was a Fellow in Reproductive Biology at Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest. Dr. Pruitt has completed numerous other graduate courses throughout his medical career. In addition to his Air Force service, Dr. Pruitt worked at the Medical University of South Carolina as an Assistant Professor and was in private practice from 1969 until 2007 in Charleston. He was widely published in professional journals throughout his career. An active member of many professional and service organizations, Dr. Pruitt has also served on the boards of more than a dozen organizations. His numerous awards include the Order of the Palmetto, U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal, American College of Family Physicians Award, Community Teacher of the Year Award, and Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award from MUSC.