Upstate Forever
Board News
Thank You, Wes!
 Wes Cooler joined the Upstate Forever Board just a few months after the organization was founded and served with distinction through the end of last year. No one has been more dedicated to our organization than Wes – not only has he supported us financially, but he wrote the software program for our membership records, chaired our land trust committee, spoke at many of our conferences, and wrote articles and op-eds on important issues.
As vice-chairman of the Pickens County Planning Commission, Wes played a key role in revising the comprehensive land use plan and the county’s development standards. As the first chairman of the Foothills Resource and Development Council, he initiated several exciting “on the ground projects,” such as restoring riparian buffers and improving trout habitat. In recognition of his hard work and commitment to both Upstate Forever and our region, Wes received our first Extraordinary Achievement Award in 2003.
Thank you, Wes, for all that you have done for us and for the Upstate!
Kester Named New Board Chair
 We are proud to announce that Tom Kester was elected chair of the Upstate Forever board of directors at the annual meeting in November. He assumes this mantle from outgoing chair Carlton Owen, continuing the line of extraordinary leadership that has immeasurably benefited our organization. A retired CPA, Tom served as Board treasurer for the past two years and used his tremendous expertise to substantially improve our accounting systems as well assist the organization in innumerable other ways. Thank you, Tom!
Habisreutinger, Cann, and Creighton Join Board
Upstate Forever is honored to have three talented new additions to our Board of Directors:
With her extensive involvement in education, health care, and the arts, Marianna Black Habisreutinger has deeply enriched her native Spartanburg as well as the entire Upstate community. A graduate of Mt. Vernon Junior College and the University of Mississippi, Marianna is a former Spartanburg County public school teacher and currently serves as an officer of Champion Investment Corporation. She currently holds leadership roles with numerous Upstate charitable organizations, including the Urban League of the Upstate, Converse College, USC Upstate, Ellen Hines Smith Girls’ Home, Junior League of Spartanburg, St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, and Children’s Advocacy Center. For twenty years, she was a trustee of both Mary Black Foundation and Mary Black Memorial Hospital.
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| Left to right: Marianna Black Habisreutinger, Signe Cann, and Allen Creighton, new Board members |
With over 25 years of experience in financial operations and management, Signe Cann brings vast accounting knowledge to her role as Upstate Forever board treasurer. Currently a principal in Cann Financial, Signe has held executive and management positions in The Harrison Group, Cann Consulting, Beverage Properties Group, Duffie and Company, Spartanburg Steel Products and Ernst & Young. A native of St. Joseph, Michigan, she holds a BA in English literature from Duke University and a Masters in Accountancy from the University of South Carolina.
Allen Creighton is General Counsel and Director of Public Relations for Fuji Photo Film, Inc. in Greenwood. A native of Atlanta, Allen graduated from Emory University and the University of Georgia School of Law. Prior to joining Fuji, he practiced law with the McNair firm in Columbia, SC, and the Gudeon & Ferrell firm in London, England. He has extensive experience in immigration matters, U.S. Customs work, registration of trademarks and copyrights, technology transfers, licensing, business incentives, importing and exporting issues, and general corporate matters. Allen currently serves on the boards of various civic and charitable organizations including the Columbia World Affairs Council, Chapin Rotary Sunrise, the South Carolina World Trade Center, and Salem United Methodist Church.
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