Board & Staff

Bob Knight

Chair

Public Strategy, LLC

Bob Knight is a Principal in the government affairs firm Public Strategy, LLC. For more than 20 years he has advised corporate clients in political and public affairs matters at all levels of government.

Sally Purnell

Vice Chair

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd

Sally Purnell is a shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. and represents hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers in a wide range of matters. She has over 25 years of experience defending and litigating medical malpractice claims in state and federal courts and serves as lead defense counsel for the Greenville Health System.  Additionally, she frequently advises hospitals and physicians on matters such as risk management, EMTALA, informed consent, patient confidentiality, peer review, and discharge planning.

Alan Mitchell

Secretary

Greenville Health System

Alan Mitchell has served as a member of the Piedmont Health Foundation Board since 2013 and currently serves as the Secretary. He brings more than 25 years' experience in Architecture, Community & Strategic Planning as well as a wealth of knowledge from school clinics design and hospital board experience in Ohio. Along with his community organizations involvement, Alan works in Facilities Development with the Greenville Health System.

Janet Kouten, CPA

Treasurer

Elliott Davis Decosimo, LLC

Janet Kouten, CPA is a tax manager in the personal financial services group at Elliott Davis Decosimo, LLC. She serves high net worth individuals and family groups, working closely with the businesses connected to them.  She focuses on providing quality income tax planning and compliance services for estates, trusts, and investment partnerships.  She also advises clients on philanthropic planning, including assisting with the formation of and compliance for various nonprofit entities.  Janet is also a member of the Greenville Estate Planning Council.

David Bolton

Foothills Family Resources

David Bolton graduated with a degree in Wildlife Biology from Clemson University and transitioned to a career in human services after working with adjudicated youth as a wilderness instructor in 1999. Since then he’s developed a diverse skill set while working with those living in poverty in rural Appalachia, inner city middle/high school students in Philadelphia and fundraising while at Clemson University and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. In his current role as executive director of Foothills Family Resources, David has helped to guide an historical rural charity from one focused on crisis services only, to one that not only meets people in their crisis, but has the programming to help them move to self-sufficiency.

Ben Clauss

The Clauss Ellison Group, Merrill Lynch

Ben Clauss, CFA, is Senior Vice President with Merrill Lynch. Ben joined Merrill Lynch almost 20 years ago and is now partner in The Clauss and Ellison Group. He became a CFA Charterholder in 2006 and earned his mechanical engineering degree from Clemson University. He is also a Community Foundation Board member.    

Andy Coburn

Wyche Law Firm

Andy Coburn is an attorney with the Wyche law firm where he has assisted clients with mergers and acquisitions, executive compensation and other corporate matters for 19 years. Before becoming an attorney, Andy spent almost four years as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Arlen Specter on Capitol Hill. He is currently a trustee of the Greenville Little Theatre Endowment and the Premier Foundation and has served as a trustee of the Meals on Wheels of Greenville endowment.

Martina Durham

Venice PRTF

Martina Durham is a Quality Assurance Assistant for Venice PRTF. She has a passion for children and their well-being as well as their overall success in life. She is an active volunteer for SAVeverydaysc.org, Upstate Circle of Friends, and a member of the International Free and Accepted Modern Mason, Inc and Order of the Eastern Star.

Hesha Gamble, PE

County of Greenville

Hesha Gamble, PE, PTOE, is County Engineer at Greenville County.  She is responsible for a 77 employee staff and oversees the engineering and maintenance of all County roads, approximately 1600 miles. She has previously served as Traffic Engineer for Greenville County and has held leadership roles with the American Public Works Association (at a national and regional level), the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Hesha was named 2015 South Carolina Civil Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Alex Garvey

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

Alex Garvey, Ph.D. joined Bon Secours Francis in 2016 as Senior Vice President of Mission. Alex was born in Cork, Ireland, at a Bon Secours sister hospitals, and speaks Gaelic and English. He previously served as Vice President of Mission and Ethics for Bon Secours Hampton Roads as well as the Mission leader for Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center, Harbour View, Maryview Nursing Care Center, and Province Place of Maryview. He earned his Master of Arts degree in Practical Theology from Barry University and his Doctoral degree in Ethics from Duquesne University. Alex oversees the Spiritual Care team, Healthy Community Initiatives, Human Trafficking Initiatives, and leads the Ethics program. Alex enjoys spending family time with his wife and son, and meeting the friendly people of South Carolina.

Sara Montero-Buria

Hispanic Alliance

Sara Montero-Buria is the Community Engagement and Strategy Manager for the Hispanic Alliance (hispanicalliancesc.com). Previously, Sara worked for eight years in the Language Services Department of the Greenville Health System and as a Patient Relations Advocate with the Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.

Sara was born in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico and immigrated to Greenville, SC with her family in 1999. Sara earned a B.A. in International Studies from Bob Jones University in 2007 and is a graduate of Furman University’s Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative, Class XVII and Carolina Academy: Nonprofit Leadership Development, Class of 2015.  In 2012, Greenville Business Magazine named Sara as one the Best and Brightest 35 and Under.

Glenda Morrison-Fair

Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees

Mrs. Glenda Morrison-Fair serves on the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees representing Area 23. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Math from Hampton University and a teaching certificate from Park University. Mrs. Morrison-Fair has received the Milken Award and is a life time member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

She is married to Kerry H.B. Fair, President of Chow Fair Co., Inc. a residential and real estate developer. Mrs. Morrison-Fair has two daughters, two step-sons and 5 grandchildren.

Sabrina Preston

Dixon Hughes Goodman

Sabrina Preston is with Dixon Hughes Goodman and is a manager in the DHG Healthcare Greenville, South Carolina office and a member of the Firm’s notforprofit and healthcare team. She provides audit services for not-for-profit and healthcare clients, including a variety of governmental clients. Sabrina manages several engagements under the Uniform Guidance. She has completed consulting engagements to assist clients better their internal control processes. She has presented at various educational events for healthcare entities and not-for-profit organizations sponsored by trade associations and/or DHG.

Sabrina is currently assistant treasurer on a not-for-profit board in Greenville, South Carolina. She also participated in the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants Leadership Institute.

Kerry Sease, MD

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center

Kerry Sease, MD  is the medical director of the Greenville Health System's newly established Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health and Advocacy.  In this role, she seeks to reduce existing health disparities by fostering public and private partnerships that align and improve resources for the health of our children.

Meghan Slining, PhD

Department of Health Sciences, Furman University

Meghan M. Slining, PhD is Assistant Professor of Health Sciences at Furman University. She has an MS in Food Policy and an MPH in Epidemiology from Tufts University and received her PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Meghan’s research focuses on the determinants and consequences of overweight in early life, and she is interested in supporting communities in improving health and nutrition. She works with the LiveWell Greenville At Worship and Early Childhood Workgroups.

Gaye Sprague

Sprague and Sprague Consulting Engineers

Gaye Garrison Sprague, P.E. is owner of Sprague & Sprague Consulting Engineers (sandsce.com).  Her engineering specialty is traffic engineering and transportation planning.  

Elected in 2009, Gaye serves as one of two at-large representatives on Greenville City Council (greenvillesc.gov) where she works to make Greenville a thriving community with a quality of life that attracts and keeps our young people here.

Katy Smith

Executive Director

Katy Smith, MSW, has served as Executive Director of Piedmont Health Foundation since 2005. She brings more than 20 years’ experience in community planning and nonprofit strategy to the policy and systems focus of the foundation.  She also leads the Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy (greenvillephilanthropy.org).