Community Foundation of the Lowcountry Welcomes New Board Members

The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry is pleased to welcome four new members to our Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2023. Board members serve three-year terms and can serve a total of two terms:

Laura A. Bush – Throughout an accomplished 40-plus year career in public service, Bush has been a fixture in her native Bluffton and continues to have a positive impact on generations of Beaufort County residents. Bush served 26 years as an elected member of the Beaufort County Board of Education and finished her tenure on the board as vice chair. She also spent 13 years as Emergency Assistance Coordinator for Beaufort County and created a countywide management system for local agencies and churches. Bush currently serves on multiple local boards, including Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry, and has served on several others. Bush has received numerous awards and recognitions, including from the South Carolina House of Representatives, Beaufort County Council, NAACP, South Carolina School Board, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bluffton MLK Committee.

Faye Gooding – A lifetime resident of the Lowcountry, Gooding retired in 2019 from Le Creuset, the world’s leading cookware brand, where she worked for nearly 40 years in various executive leadership roles, most recently as CEO of Le Creuset North America. During her tenure as CEO, Le

Creuset launched ecommerce in the USA and Canada and expanded to more than 100 retail stores in North America. Gooding’s footprint in Hampton County is vast: she served on the Board of Directors of Hampton Regional Medical center for six years and (two as chair) and currently serves on the Varnville town council. In 2021, Gooding created Hampton County Citizens for Active Restoration (HCCAR), a non-partisan citizens forum working to improve local government services, county facilities, schools, and work skills training. For her work with HCCAR, Gooding was honored with Rotary Club of Hampton County’s Citizen of the Year in June of this year.

Judi Levy – Born in Oceanside, CA and raised primarily in Norfolk, VA, Levy had a distinguished law career combined with a strong commitment to public service. Public service has always been a priority for Levy’s family. She began her law career assisting American industries impacted by foreign countries inundating the U.S. marketplace with their products. She established a scholarship fund at the Yale University Law School (with the sole requirement being a commitment to public service in their career) and took leadership roles with various organizations’ boards, including Juvenile Protection Association, Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools, Chicago Foundation for Women, and Montgomery County of Coalition for the Homeless. In 2011, Levy moved to Hilton Head and has volunteered for local community organizations, including Memory Matters and Volunteers in Medicine.

NEW BOARD from page 36A

President of Emory University, where he spent 13 years before retiring in 2016. Wagner has served on over 20 boards, including Atlanta Committee for Progress, and 10 society memberships, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Jim Wagner

Wagner was an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University (where he had earned his Ph.D. in the same discipline), and eventually elevated to professor and chair of the department. Wagner also spent time in senior leadership roles at Case Western Reserve University before becoming loss with up to 20% greater

The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry would also like to express their sincere appreciation for the four retiring board members and wish them the best in future endeavors: Shirley “Peaches” Peterson, David Rosenblum, Allen Ward, and Michelle Wycoff.

The 2023-24 board officers are Jackie Rosswurm (Chair), Sheila Mahony (Vice-Chair), Paul Moeri (Treasurer), and Al Panu (Secretary).

To learn more about Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, please visit cf-lowcountry.org or call 843681-9100.

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By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR

Every Tuesday and Friday morning, a lively group of 15 to 17 women gather in the meeting room at the Bluffton Public Library for an hour of yoga and laughter.

On a recent Friday morning, the session ended – as it usually does – with chatter, jokes and the anticipation of lunch at The Crazy Crab. Post-workout lunches at area restaurants are an occasional event, especially if there are reasons to celebrate, and this day it was for three July birthdays.

But that’s not why the women – not all of whom are of Gullah heritage – get together.

Beverly Youngblood leads the group through numerous yoga moves and generally ends the day with some thought-provoking words. She, Anne Cooke and Sandy Bedosky were the ones who got it started. Or, actually, got it restarted, as they explained around the table at the restaurant.

“Three of us were in a yoga class a few years ago, and then it disbanded,” said Anne Cooke. “And then I ran into Beverly, and she looked like she was going to be depressed. She said we need to do something, so I said let’s do something. So, we started talking, and then Sandy came along and we got going.”

Three years ago, a lot of programs were shut down due to COVID, and often those people who were leading such groups did not return, but the participants missed not only the activities but the people.

“We needed something to do. And to exercise and to get out, and just to be around,” said Youngblood. “We needed it for our health. A lot of us had high blood pressure w were working on, so that’s what really started this.”

Because the class had been held previously at the library, they approached the staff to return, and in March 2022, the group began to meet.

At first, it was just the three women and maybe one or two others popped in. They designed a flyer and the library posted it on their bulletin board.

“We told everybody else we knew, so word of mouth and I think a couple of people I’ve sent emails to and say join us,” Cooke said.

Youngblood says she is a teacher, not a certified instructor. She has been practicing yoga for years, and leads the women in

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“This is a big thing for me because if I didn’t have this to do, I wouldn’t be dressed. I’d tend to just schlep around, so it gives me a purpose to get up and get moving,” Youngblood said.

Elizabeth Thompson and Dottie Holman enjoy the sessions because it lifts their spirits.

“I have more flexibility and better balance,” added Thompson.

“Not only were they some of the universal benefits, but also more energy, being able to move the body easier (and sexier, said one member), as well as having a structure during the week,” said Bedosky who recently retired.

“I get more stretching and bending, and it’s great that I get up early enough to get out of the house at nine o’clock in the morning, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t get up that early, of course it’s good for myself,” said Cooke. “It’s also good for my mental health, because again, just breathing hard and getting oxygen into your head clears your head. It’s just really fun. It makes me feel better. Increasing your body image makes you feel better.”

Between answering questions, ordering lunch and generally having a lot of laughs, the consensus of everyone gathered around the table was those who showed up for the first time felt a warm welcome from those already in the group. The Gullah Women

Yoga was as much about being together and enjoying one another as it was about exercising.

“She gives us instruction on what to do. And she says she doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves, do what you can,” said Julie Cordray, who has been a member from the beginning. “And if you can’t do what the others are doing, don’t worry about it, you do what you can. That means so much.”

On new T-shirts made for everyone were the words “Breathing, Stretching, Relaxation.” The group calls itself Gullah Women Yoga but it is open to everyone, and occasionally a man shows up, does yoga but doesn’t return. There is no cost to attend, but the participants value being part of the group.

“I tell you, this lady, we owe the whole thing to her,” said Cordray about Youngblood. “She and her nice, quiet person, she leads this group of ladies. And you know, ladies are not easy to lead. It is so refreshing. We have the most wonderful ladies, and it just seems like everybody is on one accord. And we are not shy about smiling with one another. And correcting one another, as Miss Cooke will do from time to time. Call us out. And we all just laugh, and go on and do what Miss Cooke says.”

Gullah Women Yoga meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Friday at the Bluffton Public Library.

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By Dr. Ronald Finger CONTRIBUTOR

What are the problems that are seen with the lower body?

1. Cellulite is one of the most common problems seen for correction, and finally there are solutions. The cause of this deformity, which is present in mostly women of practically any age, is presence of fibrous bands between the skin and underlying tissue. This is much like the buttons on a pillow. If the cord between the buttons on each side of the pillow is cut the indentation goes away. With cellulite, the fibrous bands must be accurately cut, and occasionally any void of fat must be refilled with fat or another filler. Cellulite is present mostly on the buttocks and lateral thigh. The treatment is with a device called Cellfina, and the newest device is the Aveli, which has some advantages in my opinion. Both are performed under