Lauren Ackley, PA-C

to Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists

Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists has added boardcertified physician assistant Lauren Ackley, PA-C, to its clinical team, enhancing and expanding surgical care for residents north and south of the Broad River.

The Little Rock, Ark., native earned a Master of Science

A World Book Day Celebrity Gala to benefit Libraries for Kids will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. April 22 at Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary St. in Bluffton.

Cocktail attire is suggested.

Music will be provided by The Chiggers, the 2020 recipient of the Readers’ Choice best local band award.

There will be a celebrity or local hero with his or her guest at each of the dinner tables. Celebrities will have pre-assigned seats but ticket buyers will not, which means that after ticket buyers choose a table, the celebrities will find their table number and join them.

The following is a list of local celebrities who have made a commitment to attend.

• Arthur V. Martin, Ph.D., 2021 Nobel Peace Prize finalist

• Cassandra King Conroy, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author

• Dr. Bobbi Tenwolde, first woman born and raised in Bluffton to become a family practice doctor (member of the first graduating class USCB-Bluffton; has done medical mission work in Africa and in the U.S.)

• Chief Bruce Kline (Lady’s Island), Twotime winner of an award for best firefighter, a hero who has risked his life to save others.

• Sallie Ann Robinson, Gullah chef, author, tour guide, TV personality, sixth-generation native Daufuskie Islander, and former student of author Pat Conroy

• Pat Branning, award-winning Southern cookbook author

• Dennis Stokely, celebrity hairdresser who traveled with Paula Abdul and who continues as “stylist to the stars”

• John Warley, award-winning Southern author and Citadel graduate

• Robert Gwaltney, award-winning debut Southern author, advocate for early childhood literacy, and vice president of Easter Seals North Georgia

• Monty Jett, renowned local radio personality, announcer, and emcee for 40-plus years

• Ken Francis, South Carolina children’s author

• Dana Ridenour, retired undercover FBI agent and award-winning author

• Susan Beckham Zurenda, award-winning Southern author

• Capt. Woody Collins, popular retired

Please see LIBRARIES on page 40A in Physician Assistant Studies in 2022 from University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, graduating second in her class, and a Bachelor of Science in biology, magna cum laude, in 2019 from University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

At the practice, Ackley will assist the general surgeons in both the operating room and the clinic, evaluating surgical patients before and after their procedures, as well as patients referred to the practice from the emergency department and hospital floors.

CALL 843-524-8171 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

Ackley joins general surgeons Drs. Deanna Mansker, Schilling Nechtman and Stephen Sisco; and vascular surgeon J. Chadwick (Chad) Tober.