Lowcountry Resilience Conference

Lowcountry Resilience Conference:
Engineering Solutions for Coastal Resilience

Thursday, July 31, 2025
University of South Carolina Beaufort at Bluffton Campus
(Campus Center, 1 University Boulevard
Bluffton, South Carolina 29909)

The Beaufort Regional Civil Engineers Club, Lowcountry Branch of the American Public Works Association, and South Carolina Lowcountry Sentinel Landscape are excited to host this one-day event! The conference will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the University of South Carolina Beaufort's Bluffton Campus.

In the past year, the Lowcountry region of South Carolina has endured several historic weather events, including Hurricane Helene and Winter Storm Enzo. The South Carolina Office of Resilience defines “resilience” as the ability of communities to anticipate, absorb, recover, and thrive when presented with environmental change and natural hazards.

The intent of this conference is to facilitate and promote collaborative, inclusive conversations about resilience and to showcase innovative projects and research that advance community resilience.

Schedule

7:30-8:15amCoffee and Registration

8:15-9:10amKeynote Address

Thomas S. Mullikin, PhD, JD, Director of South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

9:15-9:45amThe Architecture of Community Action from Insight to Impact

Speaker: Kristi Sturtz, ALM, AICP, Sturtz Public Management Group, LLC

9:15-9:45amTransforming the Scale and Equity of Living Shorelines in SC

Speaker: Susanna Hopkins, The Nature Conservancy

9:45-10:45amResilient SC: Elevating Infrastructure Resilience through Comprehensive Digital Elevation and Connectivity Mapping

Speaker: David Vaughn, Clemson University

9:45-10:45amA Dream within a Dream – A Multi-Layered Plan to Improve Coastal Community Resilience

Speaker: Aaron Akin, PhD, Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, Inc.

10:50-11:20amEvaluating the Hydrological Performance of Release Systems Retrofitting Rainwater Harvesting Cisterns

Speaker: Sarah Waickowski, PE, PhD, and Beatriss Calhoun, Clemson University

10:50-11:20amSullivan's Island Resilience and Sea Level Rise Adaptation

Speaker: Kim Morganello, Weston & Sampson; Rebecca Fanning, Town of Sullivan's Island

11:20-11:50amOpportunities for Nature-Based Solutions to Provide Resilient Shoreline Enhancement

Speaker: Maura Boswell, PhD, PE, HDR

11:20-11:50amResilience and Sustainability: A Laymans Explanation for Environmental Preparedness

Speaker: Mark Johnson, Beaufort County

11:50am-1:00pmLunch

A boxed lunch will be provided.

1:00-2:00pmBuilding Smarter: Enhancing Infrastructure Resilience through the Envision Framework

Speaker: Jennifer Ninete, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

1:00-2:00pmBuilding Statewide Resilience: Planning, Coordination, and Project Implementation with the SC Office of Resilience

Speakers: Lisa Falta, EIT, Phleisha Lewis, Karen Hardison, and Hope Warren, SC Office of Resilience

2:00-2:30pmCity of Folly Beach Model Living Shoreline

Speakers: Kim Morganello and Lucas Hernandez, Weston & Sampson; Jenna Stephens, City of Folly Beach

2:00-2:30pmThe Nature-Based Exchange: Fostering the Implementation of Natural and Nature-Based Solutions in SC

Speaker: Nicole Pehl, The Nature Conservancy

2:35-3:35pmMaximizing the Value of Disaster Recovery Efforts: How to Turn Natural Disaster Pain into Resiliency Gain

Speaker: Lisa Wells, PE, CFM, Ardurra Group, Inc.

2:35-3:35pmEngineering with Nature Pilot Projects at MCAS Beaufort and MCRD Parris Island

Speakers: Kat Cerny-Chipman, Amy Hunt, PE, and Taber Midgley, PE, EA Engineering; Dan Tomczak, CFM, Jacobs; Zak Ruehman, UGA

3:35-4:05pmCharleston Medical District Drainage Improvements

Speaker: Joe Fersner, PE, Davis & Floyd

3:35-4:05pmUniversity of Georgia Defense Community Resilience Program

Speaker: Scott Pippin, UGA

4:10-4:40pmSea Level Rise and Community Planning - Isle of Palms Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan

Speaker: Ryne Phillips, PE, PhD, Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, LLC

4:10-4:40pmSand River CMAC Stormwater Project - Reviewing The Effectiveness of a Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Control Solution After One Year Of Operation

Speaker: Jason Hetrick, PE, CFM, McCormick Taylor

4:40-5:00pmClosing Remarks and Thanks

5:30-7:30pmNo-Host Social/Networking Event

Beaufort Civil Engineers Club invites you to join their monthly meeting at Southern Barrel Brewing Co. (375 Buckwalter Pl Blvd, Bluffton, SC 29910) for a social and networking opportunity following the conference.