Upstate Forever Staff News

     We welcome Angela Viney as the Director of our Sustainable Communities Program, working out of and also responsible for our Spartanburg office. Angela comes to Upstate Forever from the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, where she had served as Executive Director for the past 10 years and became one of our state’s most respected and effective leaders in the conservation field. Angela is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received a B.S. degree in Business Administration with a major in marketing. Her career has been totally focused on nonprofit management with twenty years of service in various capacities with the American Red Cross prior to coming to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. She has received the Charlie Shaw Conservation Partnership Award from the National Wildlife Federation and the Evelyn Thayer Chace award from Audubon South Carolina.

The oldest of six children and the daughter of a West Virginia coal miner, Angela’s conservation ethic can be traced to her roots. Angela is most proud of her son Jeffrey, who resides in Greer with his wife Wendy and their three children.

Ralph Settle joins Upstate Forever as Membership and Development Director. He received his B.A. in business economics from Wofford College in 2004 and has a background in corporate sales and management. Ralph’s responsibilities include membership acquisition and renewal and seeking major gifts for our organization.

Having spent his entire life in the Upstate, Ralph feels that our natural surroundings are more of a privilege and a gift, rather than a birthright. His interests include hunting, fishing and otherwise enjoying the great outdoors.

Tonya Ward is the new Administrative Assistant in the Spartanburg office.

A native of North Carolina, Tonya attended Cleveland Community College and Converse College. Her previous work experience includes six years at the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, working with various community leaders and activists and four years in banking and finance. Tonya remains active in the development of her small hometown and in local church ministries, and stays busy with her three children, Micah, Laila and Elijah.

As we welcome these new staff members, we also bid farewell to Kimberly Ferlauto, Mary Bennett Greene, Christina Kocisko, Jennifer Rennicks, Cindy Young, and Meredith Retsinas. Mary Bennett has “retired” to be a full-time parent, while Kimberly, Christina, Jennifer, Cindy, and Meredith are all pursuing opportunities in other states. We deeply appreciate the great work all of them did for us and wish them the best.