The Post and Courier Greenville

GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 19, 2025) – As part of the YMCA of Greenville’s recreational capital improvements at its oldest family branch in Greenville County, the Caine Halter Family YMCA hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the official dedication of two courts in its newly renovated gymnasium. While the gymnasium had been previously named in memory of Buck Alston Mickel, the event also marked the naming of two of the gym’s courts in honor of the Goldsmith and Ryan families. In a special moment during the event, community donors were recognized for their collective support that helps ensure the YMCA can continue to strengthen the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Gymnasium enhancements
Generations of Greenvillians from all walks of life have learned to play, grow, and compete in the Buck Alston Mickel Memorial Gymnasium at the Caine Halter Family YMCA. Today, the gym serves more than 2,000 youth annually through basketball and volleyball programs, while also providing adults with opportunities to stay active and connect through pick-up basketball and indoor pickleball. The space is also a hub for year-round programming, including the YMCA’s popular summer day camps and afterschool activities.

Thanks to the philanthropic support of the community, including the Goldsmith and Ryan families, the gymnasium has recently undergone a major transformation, creating a safer, more modern, and more welcoming environment for all.

Enhancements include new retractable basketball goals, resurfaced and restriped floors, improved acoustics, new scoreboards and modern safety features like new wall padding.

To honor their impact, Court 1 now bears the name of Paul Goldsmith and his family, while Court 2 honors Joe Ryan —both symbols of community volunteers, leaders, and teammates that embody the YMCA’s values and the families’ lasting influence.

Greenville, S.C. – (May 21, 2025) – Hughes Agency, a full-service public relations, marketing, advertising and event management firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Linnea Rahlf as Senior Account Executive.

Rahlf is responsible for account services for clients, including those in the hospitality and real estate sectors. Bringing 6 years of experience in marketing strategy, media relations and digital content creation, Rahlf has developed a diverse portfolio of campaigns covering a wide range of topics.

Before joining Hughes Agency, Rahlf worked as Marketing Director at a community bank where she led the marketing team for multiple branches. She first attended Furman University before completing her degree in Business Management with a Communication Studies minor at Luther College.

At Hughes Agency, Rahlf will leverage her expertise in account services to drive successful marketing campaigns, ensuring precision and meaningful results for every partnership. To learn more about Hughes Agency, please visit www.hughes-agency.com.

About Hughes Agency
Hughes Agency is a full-service public relations, marketing, advertising, and event management agency that embodies forty years of marketing and communications expertise for a wide variety of local, regional, national, and international clients.
###

FUEL Accepting Applications for 2H25 Nonprofit Grant Program

Greenville, S.C. – FUEL, a Greenville, S.C.-based branding and marketing agency, is accepting applications until June 13, 2025, for its FUEL for Good Grant program for the first half of 2025. As part of its commitment to community service, FUEL selects local nonprofits each year and provides pro bono marketing services, enabling them to further their missions and address important needs in the Greenville community.

Applicants must be based in Greenville County, S.C., serve the local community, hold a valid 501(c)(3) certification, and have a clearly identifiable need for marketing assistance. Nonprofit organizations meeting these requirements are encouraged to complete an online application at www.fuelforbrands.com/fuel-grant by the June 13 deadline.

In its sixth year, the FUEL for Good Grant program allows the agency’s team to collaborate and dedicate strategic marketing and branding expertise to help local nonprofits with specific marketing challenges. To date, FUEL has awarded the grant to 17 local nonprofits and donated more than 1,600 hours, providing services ranging from logo refreshes and rebrands to social media campaigns and collateral development.

Following an internal review of the grant applications, FUEL will select the recipient and begin work in February. For more information or to apply for the FUEL for Good Grant, please visit www.fuelforbrands.com/fuel-grant or contact Christina Strayer at christina@fuelforbrands.com.

About FUEL
Founded in 2011, FUEL is a branding and marketing agency specializing in brand-building strategies. They partner with creatively-minded marketing leaders who believe that a strong brand is key to standing out—and succeeding—in loud and crowded markets. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., FUEL drives results for companies in a variety of industries throughout the Southeast region. For more info, visit https://www.fuelforbrands.com/.

Medicinal Whiskey Charity, an organization founded by local bourbon enthusiasts to help fight childhood illness, raised $150,000 at their Kentucky Derby Party event on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 to benefit Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center. The event, presented by Foster Victor Wealth Advisors and Bardstown Bourbon Company, featured a viewing of the Kentucky Derby, bourbon tasting, and a performance by The 502’s at Revel Event Center.

Since its founding in 2021, Medicinal Whiskey Charity has donated more than $1,000,000 to medical charities across SC, NC, KY and VA that directly support patients and their families. Locally, through their partnership with Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center, they are able to help meet medical, psychological, social, emotional, and financial needs of Upstate families impacted by pediatric cancer and other serious blood disorders.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 13th Habitat Greenville CEO Build started Wednesday morning with a ceremonial wall-raising and a simple request.

More community and business leaders are needed to come together to help create homeownership for a local family in the coming months.

“The people here today believe in the need for affordable homeownership here in Greenville,” said LaTonya Phillips, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County. “They have pledged their support, but we are calling for others to take this pledge.”
Each participating CEO pledged company funding and volunteer hours to help build a house in Greenville County. This year, they are building on Zora Street in the Nicholtown community, where Habitat Greenville has already built 15 houses in the past few years.

“This is about more than building a home, this is about building a community,” said Beth Paul, general manager of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and the co-chair of the 2025 CEO Build.

The CEOS and their teams also work on-site personally during construction alongside their own team members, community volunteers, and future Habitat families to broaden their perspectives on issues of importance to our community.

“Today is just the start of an amazing process,” said Heath Dillard, President and CEO of VisitGreenvilleSC and the co-chair of the 2025 CEO Build. “We are coming together to help a family for generations to come.”

The 13th Habitat Greenville CEO Build will include: Dan Russian of Sage Automotive Interiors, Chris Heard of Safe Automotive Interiors, Chris Bailey of Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, David Lominack of TD Bank, Hank McCullough of Piedmont Natural Gas, Stephen Davis of Davis & Floyd, Dr. Keith Miller of Greenville Technical College, Phil Howard of Ethox Chemicals, John Boyanoski of Complete PR, Randy Hunter of Terminix, Tim Vieira of Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Heather Meadors of Auro Hotels.

Upstate Women in Software Engineering (UpWiSE) Announces New Leadership and Bold 2025 Initiatives

Greenville-based nonprofit expands programming and community reach with strengthened leadership team

Upstate Women in Software Engineering (UpWiSE), a nonprofit initiative dedicated to empowering women in technology across Upstate South Carolina, today announced the launch of several new initiatives for Q2 2025 — alongside a refreshed organizational structure and expanded leadership team.

Effective immediately, Jen Bauer has been named Executive Director. She will be joined by Kara Mansel as Director of Technology and Empowerment, and Em Blitstein as Director of Communications. This leadership trio brings a wealth of experience in technical education, community engagement, and strategic storytelling, positioning UpWiSE for deeper impact in the region’s growing tech ecosystem.

“UpWiSE has always been about creating projects for building skills, networking opportunities, and support for women in tech,” said Jen Bauer. “This next chapter allows us to scale that mission — with intentional planning and a team built to meet the moment.”

In Q2 and beyond, UpWiSE will launch:
More robust in-person and virtual meetups to foster connection and peer learning
Expanded educational programming, with workshops and career support for all experience levels
A stronger presence in local schools, companies, and tech spaces to raise awareness and representation
Originally founded as an independent organization following the global dissolution of Women Who Code in April of 2024, UpWiSE is now proudly nested under RefactorGVL, a Greenville-based software and innovation hub dedicated to growing a vibrant, inclusive tech community across the Upstate.

About UpWiSE

Upstate Women in Software Engineering (UpWiSE) is a nonprofit initiative based in Upstate South Carolina. As part of RefactorGVL, UpWiSE empowers women and gender minorities in

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new 78-unit affordable housing community has opened in northeast Charlotte.

Ovata at Reedy Creek is a mixed income community — affordable to households at 30%, 50%, 60%, and 70% of area median income, and accepts housing choice vouchers. It features an elevator-style building with interior hallways and a covered drive-through allowing for pick-up and drop-off area at the entry door. It is a joint project between NHE, Inc., and SCG Development Partners. Learn more at www.ovataatreedycreek.com.

“Ovata at Reedy Creek will provide much needed affordable housing for Charlotte. This development had to sail through the rough waters of the post-Covid inflation on construction pricing and the rising interest rates on loans,” said Joseph Kass, NHE Development Manager.

It is located at 7725 Grier Road near two full-sized grocery stores, a pharmacy, two general retail stores, two doctors’ offices, two dentists, six gas stations, five restaurants, and Central Piedmont Community College.

In addition, Reedy Creek Park is nearby, and it includes basketball, softball, soccer, cricket, volleyball, a community garden, 18-hole disc golf, three ponds, a fishing pier, nine picnic shelters, two playgrounds, a dog park, and 10 miles of hiking trails.

An existing bus stop is on site that serves two separate bus routes. Other nearby public transportation options less than 2.5 miles away include the Lynx Blue Line light rail, which features a “park-and-ride” lot.

The project broke ground in June 2023 to help address the soaring demand for quality affordable housing while faced with a significant undersupply in communities across the country, said Taylor Davis, President of NHE.

The project was made possible with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and support from the Charlotte Housing Trust Fund. Other key partners include United Bank, Stratford Capital Group, Centrant Community Capital, and C. Herman Construction.

McMillan Pazdan Smith, an architecture, advisory, planning, and interior design firm with studios throughout the Southeast, is pleased to announce recent additions to its Principals.

Team members promoted to Principal are Katherine DeMoura, Regional Business Development Leader based in Charleston, SC; Samer Hamde, Healthcare Practice Leader based in Atlanta, GA; Neil Kanipe, Hospitality, Food Service and Retail Director in Greenville, SC; Nathan Schutte, Commercial Segment Leader in Charleston; and Jeff Tiddy, Higher Education Senior Architect in Greenville.

“Our firm purpose is to create a meaningful and lasting impact for the good of our clients and communities through advisory and design services which elevate and inspire. Each of these accomplished professionals regularly demonstrate our core values in their actions, attitudes, and commitment.” said MPS CEO, Chad Cousins, “By accountably leading within and outwardly representing our firm well, they are all contributing to client and team success on a daily basis.”

When selecting someone for a Principal role, MPS leadership looks closely at several key characteristics, such as community, client, and market impact while being respected and collaborative among peers by living out the firm’s values. Principals provide professional oversight to the public health, safety, and wellbeing associated with architectural services, and are also expected to contribute to the firm’s thought leadership, business and organizational development, and pursuit of design excellence.