Upstate Forever celebrates successful fundraising campaign, local conservationists - April 24th 2025

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Upstate Forever announces successful fundraising campaign at event celebrating local conservationists 

Local nonprofit Upstate Forever celebrated the region's conservation leaders this week at the 2025 ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon. The organization also announced the culmination of its "Generations Campaign” at the event, an initiative to fund its work for the years to come.  

Held Tuesday at The Annex at Judson Mill in Greenville, the ForeverGreen luncheon recognized outstanding contributions to land conservation, water resource protection, and public service in Upstate South Carolina. This year's award recipients included: 

• Clean Water Champion: Melanie Ruhlman, President of Save Our Saluda, for her tireless efforts to protect rivers and streams in the Saluda River Basin and across the state of South Carolina.  

• Public Servant of the Year: Representative Patrick Haddon, for his visionary leadership role in the Working Lands Preservation Act, a bill passed in 2024 which makes land conservation more accessible for South Carolina’s farmers.  

• Tommy Wyche Land Conservation Champion: Honorable Ted Shehan, former Mayor of Pickens and long-time member of Upstate Forever’s Land Trust Committee, for his decades-long commitment to public service and volunteer efforts to expand awareness of natural resource conservation initiatives.  

“It is an honor to bring attention to the devotion of those whose work can often fly under the radar,” said Aldon Knight, Executive Director of Upstate Forever. “The dedication and leadership shown by Melanie Ruhlman, Representative Haddon, and Ted Shehan has helped ensure the Saluda River remains safeguarded, our state’s farmers have a means to preserve their lands, and some of our region’s most treasured landscapes can stay protected in perpetuity.” 

Guests at the luncheon also enjoyed a performance from Glenis Redmond, the City of Greenville’s inaugural poet laureate. Redmond read a selection from The Song of Everything, a collection of poems published in 2024 that documents the poet’s experiences in South Carolina State Parks. 

At the conclusion of the celebratory luncheon, Executive Director Aldon Knight announced the successful closure of Upstate Forever's “Generations Campaign.” Spanning two years, the campaign surpassed its $7 million goal by almost 25 percent, resulting in a total of $8.7 million raised. All funds raised during the Generations Campaign will provide support to continue the organization’s critical conservation and advocacy efforts. 

Upstate Forever expressed gratitude for the members of the campaign’s Steering Committee for their dedication and support throughout this journey: Christie Nachman and John Bauknight (Co-Chairs), Brad Wyche, Evan Cramer, Nikki Grumbine, Gina Hartness, Doug Harper, Carson Johnson, John Keith, Erwin Maddrey, Rob Howell, and Mark Taylor. 

The organization also expressed gratitude for the sponsors who supported the ForeverGreen Luncheon: Milliken & Co., Mountain Bridge Trout Unlimited, The Community Foundation of Greenville, Greenville Journal, Greenville Water, Spinx, UBS Financial Services – The Gallivan Group, ALINE – A Marketing Company, CAPTRUST, Conservation Voters of South Carolina, EarthDesign, Friends of the Reedy River, Furman University’s Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission, Mast General Store, Milo’s Tea Company, Naturaland Trust, Palmetto Technology Group, Sauna House Greenville, Scansource, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, and Walker Wallace & Emerson Realty.