Avery Institute Board Members for 2023
Click on an image to email.
Tony Bell
Tony graduated from the College of Charleston and Appalachian State University with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physics. He then worked as a computer analyst for a decade for the government and enterprise sectors. Next, he merged his analytical and artistic sides and mastered video production techniques in the field, becoming a video producer. His work in the media space in Charleston ultimately led him to being recruited by the Art Institute of Charleston and the College of Charleston as an adjunct professor.
After ten (combined) years of teaching science and digital media courses, he founded Bell Digital Media, a Charleston-based video production company specializing in cinematography and sound recording/editing. In 2022, Tony also became the Commercial Producer for Charleston, South Carolina’s local NBC affiliate TV station, WCBD TV 2. Tony is currently the chairman of the Avery Institute Executive Board and now serves on the AfroSouth Film Festival board and is a proud veteran of the United States Army.
Tony’s film, “A Tree Story – Gullah Geechie Roots and Resilience,” (Co-produced by Jessica Marcy and Tony Bell) premiered it at the AfroSouth Film Festival in Charleston in 2022 and was screened at the World Water Film Festival at the Columbia School of Climate in New York City in the Spring of 2023, and is an official selection to screen at the DC Black Film Festival August, 2023, and Le Festival International du Film Pan-Africain de Cannes in France October of 2023.
After ten (combined) years of teaching science and digital media courses, he founded Bell Digital Media, a Charleston-based video production company specializing in cinematography and sound recording/editing. In 2022, Tony also became the Commercial Producer for Charleston, South Carolina’s local NBC affiliate TV station, WCBD TV 2. Tony is currently the chairman of the Avery Institute Executive Board and now serves on the AfroSouth Film Festival board and is a proud veteran of the United States Army.
Tony’s film, “A Tree Story – Gullah Geechie Roots and Resilience,” (Co-produced by Jessica Marcy and Tony Bell) premiered it at the AfroSouth Film Festival in Charleston in 2022 and was screened at the World Water Film Festival at the Columbia School of Climate in New York City in the Spring of 2023, and is an official selection to screen at the DC Black Film Festival August, 2023, and Le Festival International du Film Pan-Africain de Cannes in France October of 2023.
Catherine Boags
Cathy Boags has been a member of the Avery Institute Board for over 6 years. She is a Tax Consultant who is licensed to practice before the Internal Revenue Service. She is a member of the Charleston Chapter of The Links, Inc. where she served as President of the chapter and as Financial Secretary. She is a member of the South Carolina Society of Enrolled Agents. She has traveled to numerous countries including to Ghana and Liberia. She served the Institute in the capacity of Treasurer for several years and is one of the Institute Board representatives on the Research Center Board. Currently she serves as the treasurer.
Monique N. Brown
Attorney & Community Leader
Monique Brown is an Assistant General Counsel for Privacy & Data Security with Rite Aid Corporation. She has held several leadership positions within Fortune 500 companies and private law firms. Prior to joining Rite Aid, Monique was a Senior Corporate Counsel & Privacy Officer for Benefitfocus.com, Inc., and a Data Privacy Lawyer and Data Protection Officer with Deutsche Bank. Also, Monique was an Adjunct Professor at Florida Coastal School of Law. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville, Leadership South Carolina and the Furman University Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative. Monique also holds several credentials from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and she is a member of the South Carolina Bar and the Alabama Bar. She received the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Ultimate Attorney Award for Corporate Counsel and was featured in Attorney at Law Magazine First Coast. Monique resides in Mount Pleasant, SC with her husband, and their 2 children. When she is not handling legal and data privacy matters, or improving the quality of life for the community, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and playing tennis.
Walter Brown
Walter G. Brown, Jr. is a native Charlestonian and a proud graduate of Avery High School. He continued his education at South Carolina State College where he received both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Education. For 38 years, Walter Brown served as an educator in both Columbia and in Charleston County Schools where he was the First African American Male to teach in a white school in Charleston, SC.. In 1991, Mr. Brown retired as the Director of Federal Programs for the Charleston County School District, which had the largest budget of all school districts in the State of South Carolina. For decades, Mr. Brown served in many roles in the community and received several honors for his work, including being the first African American to serve on the Mt. Pleasant Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Mt. Pleasant Historical Commission where he also served in a leadership capacity. In 2017, he was the recipient of the Town of Mt. Pleasant’s Cresco Historical Stewardship Award. Mr. Brown is also a Life Member of the South Carolina Coalition of Voter Participation (SCCVP), an NAACP affiliate. He also holds membership in Nehemiah Lodge #51, Sunsetter Elk Lodge # 1515, Mu Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and serves as President of the Benevolent Brotherhood Society of Mt. Pleasant. Walter Brown is married to Lois B. Brown, has three children, and is a member of the Friendship A.M.E Church in Mt. Pleasant where he served as the Church Secretary for 35 years. He has served as a Board member of the Avery Institute for 15 years and is currently the President of the Advisory Board to the organization.
John Buncum
John Buncum, Jr. was elected to the AIAAHC Board of Directors in June of 2006. He is a retired Category Manager after working 34 years in the Sales and Marketing organization of Kraft Foods Global Inc. and Mondelez International (formerly part of Kraft Foods Global Inc.). Mr. Buncum currently serves as Treasurer on the Board and is Chairperson of the Financial Committee. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Charleston Southern University. Mr. Buncum is married to Rita Roache-Buncum and they have two daughters. He is a member of Church of the Atonement Reformed Episcopal where he serves as the Junior Warden. Mr. Buncum is also a member of the Beta Kappa Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in Charleston.
Kimberly Greene
Kimberly Greene manages Human Resources programs at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. She earned a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership and has over twenty years in customer service and community volunteerism. Ms. Greene is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and serves as Chairman for the organization’s social and political action committee for the state of South Carolina. She serves as a member of the women’s missionary society within her church and is involved in local activities involving art, education, health promotion and family strengthening. Ms. Greene is a firm believer in the African proverb “…It takes a village…” She is glad to work towards positive outcomes to the mission, vision and commitment of the Avery Institute Board of Directors.
Rick Gutowski
Rick Gutowski is married with 3 children and a retired resident of Mt. Pleasant. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1968 with a BBA in Accounting, earned a MBA from Adelphi University in 1977, and served in the Army from 1969-1971. His first job was as an Examiner for the New York Stock Exchange. Other positions included Director of National Administration/Treasurer for Coopers and Lybrand. Real Estate First Vice President for Shearson Lehman Brothers/American Express, and CFO for 2 start-up telecommunications companies. He is currently the President of the Notre Dame Club of Charleston and Chairman of the Mt Pleasant Historical Commission. Other past outreach programs include Parish Council, Boy Scouts, Junior Sailing and Habitat for Humanity.
Roslyn Harper
Roslyn Harper's teaching experience began 31 years ago when she was hired to coordinate the Developmental Studies English program at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. She has had various positions in and out of the Developmental Studies department. She served as the Developmental Studies English Coordinator, Department Head, Interdisciplinary Studies Coordinator, and the Program Coordinator for the certificate Fundamental Skills for the Workplace. She has taught Developmental Studies English and reading, Introduction to College, English 100, and Critical Thinking. For the past decade, she has served as an adjunct professor teaching Learning Strategies – Reading and Study Skills.
Gwendolyn Long Harris, PhD
Gwendolyn Long Harris, PhD is retired and living in Charleston South Carolina with her husband, Jerome. Her professional career spanned 45 years and concentrated on addressing the issues faced by underserved people and places through policy and programmatic intervention. She held noteworthy positions in social services, and government, highlighted by founding Newark Emergency Services of Families, Inc., as well as serving as Chief of Staff, Business Administrator and Department Director during the Palmer Administration in Trenton City Government, and as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services during the McGreevy administration. Dr. Harris completed her doctoral studies in Urban Planning and Policy at the Bloustein School, Rutgers University (2010). She holds a Masters from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut.
Minerva King
Minerva T. Brown King is a native of Charleston, South Carolina and was educated in the public schools there. She received the B.S. Degree in sociology from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO and continued her education at Tuskegee University in Alabama and Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. She received the Master of Science Degree in library science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and went on to achieve the Master’s plus 30 hours certificate from the Citadel in Charleston. In 2007 she achieved national board certification in the area of library media. She is employed as the librarian at St. John’s High School on Johns Island, SC. When not working at St. John’s, she follows her true passion, that of multicultural storytelling and the oral tradition, including her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in Charleston.
Daniel E. Martin, Jr.
Hon. Daniel E. Martin, Jr. Daniel E. Martin, Jr. is a graduate of Howard University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is life-long member of Emanuel AME Church where he serves on the board of trustees. He also serves on the board of directors for the Coastal Carolina Boy Scouts. He is a member of the James L. Pettigru Chapter of the Inns of Court and is a member of the South Carolina Family Court Docketing committee. He is President of the South Carolina Conference of Family Court Judges and serves on the Family Court Advisory Committee. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and is a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Nehemiah Masonic Lodge No. 51., George Washington Carver Consistory No. 162, and Arabian Shrine Temple No. 139. Judge Martin is a 33° Prince Hall Mason. On February 2, 2011, he was elected to seat no. 1 of the South Carolina Family Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit.
Charles McKenzie
Charles McKenzie has always been an entrepreneur at heart. He started as a paperboy for the Charleston Evening Post at the age of 13. He sold sodas at his father's business when he was even younger. He attended Avery Institute until it closed, and graduated from Burke High School. McKenzie attended Maryland State College but decided that he wanted to be a professional photographer and went on to graduate from New York Institute of Photography.
Charles served in the U.S. Army as a photographer from 1962 to 1964 and upon his return from Korea that year he opened McKenzie's Fine Arts Studio on Rutledge Avenue which he owned and operated for over 15 years. Charles’ greatest satisfaction from that business venture was the high school students that learned the art of photography while working or just "hanging out" at the studio. McKenzie began his career with the Federal Government at the Charleston Army Depot and worked over 37 years as a Professional Photographer, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer and Housing Officer at installations in the U.S., Germany and Panama.
Charles founded C E McKenzie & Associates, LLC (which is commonly referred to as CEMA) in June of 2000. CEMA provides program management and environmental services to Federal, State and Corporate clients. CEMA’s first contract was with a large Defense Contractor as a consultant for the oversight of housing programs at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. CEMA secured its first Prime Federal contract in 2005 which was to oversee the Furnishings Management Office at Fort Benning, Georgia which involved an inventory of 350,000 pieces of furniture valued at $41.M. In the first six months of managing that Furnishings Program, McKenzie’s company saved the Federal Government $1.6 M. CEMA has won contracts to manage barracks for single Soldiers at Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Meade, Maryland and at Fort Benning, Georgia. CEMA has managed over 26,000 barracks spaces concurrently employing 150 full time employees. McKenzie’s major regret is that none of his contracts are in the Charleston area which would allow him to hire local people. Mr. McKenzie and his business supports numerous organizations which include, but are not limited to: the Burke High School Class of 1956 Scholarship Fund, the Colour of Music Festival, the South Carolina Jazz Festival, the United Negro College Fund, the MOJA Arts Festival, Low Country Aid to Africa, the American Red Cross and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. He is married to Georgette and together they have three grown daughters - Adrianne, Gia and Kellye and one grandson, Maxim Charles.
Charles served in the U.S. Army as a photographer from 1962 to 1964 and upon his return from Korea that year he opened McKenzie's Fine Arts Studio on Rutledge Avenue which he owned and operated for over 15 years. Charles’ greatest satisfaction from that business venture was the high school students that learned the art of photography while working or just "hanging out" at the studio. McKenzie began his career with the Federal Government at the Charleston Army Depot and worked over 37 years as a Professional Photographer, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer and Housing Officer at installations in the U.S., Germany and Panama.
Charles founded C E McKenzie & Associates, LLC (which is commonly referred to as CEMA) in June of 2000. CEMA provides program management and environmental services to Federal, State and Corporate clients. CEMA’s first contract was with a large Defense Contractor as a consultant for the oversight of housing programs at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. CEMA secured its first Prime Federal contract in 2005 which was to oversee the Furnishings Management Office at Fort Benning, Georgia which involved an inventory of 350,000 pieces of furniture valued at $41.M. In the first six months of managing that Furnishings Program, McKenzie’s company saved the Federal Government $1.6 M. CEMA has won contracts to manage barracks for single Soldiers at Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Meade, Maryland and at Fort Benning, Georgia. CEMA has managed over 26,000 barracks spaces concurrently employing 150 full time employees. McKenzie’s major regret is that none of his contracts are in the Charleston area which would allow him to hire local people. Mr. McKenzie and his business supports numerous organizations which include, but are not limited to: the Burke High School Class of 1956 Scholarship Fund, the Colour of Music Festival, the South Carolina Jazz Festival, the United Negro College Fund, the MOJA Arts Festival, Low Country Aid to Africa, the American Red Cross and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. He is married to Georgette and together they have three grown daughters - Adrianne, Gia and Kellye and one grandson, Maxim Charles.
Yvette R. Metz
Yvette R. Metz, Designer with Camens Architectural Group is a native of Charleston South Carolina. Camens specializes in custom home design on Kiawah Island. Yvette’s career expands over a decade of design and urban planning. She worked on projects such as, the master plan of Savannah River Landing, in Savannah Georgia, which won the 2010 AIA National Honor Awards for Regional Urban Design. Also a Condominium project Vinnings Mountain, Atlanta GA, which won ULI Development of Excellence Award. She is a graduate of Southern University with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree. Experience includes program development, consultant coordination, construction documentation, and administration. There’s also a hint of an Artist, which includes drawing and painting. Affiliations include Custom Residential Architects Network, Associate AIA, LEED AP, CSI CDT and a member of the Zonta Club of Charleston
Barbara V. Nelson
Barbara V. Nelson is a fourth-generation funeral director and the co-owner and manager of Dorothy's Home for Funerals. Barbara retired from the Department of Agriculture as a research assistant and has served on the Disability Board of Charleston County and was the President South Carolina Morticians Association, Governor of SCMA Congressional District One and presently serves as Chair of the Trustee Ministry of Calvary Baptist Church.
Priscilla McLeod Robinson
Priscilla McLeod Robinson was selected for participation in the AARP Voices of Civil Rights Project and she was featured on the website. Her essay from this project,” Apprehension Was My Constant Companion” was reprinted in the Africana Heritage, a publication for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. She has served on numerous Boards of Directors in Charleston including the Coastal Community Foundation, the Teachers’ Supply Closet, Gibbes Museum of Art, the Carolina Youth Development Center, The Center for Women, and Art Forms and Theatre Concepts. She received the first Benevolent Spirit Award presented by Charleston Magazine. She served as President of several local civic organizations including Charleston Chapter of The Links, Inc., The Charleston Continental Societies, Inc., and Charleston Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She has been a member of the Institute Board for over 10 years. She served as Membership Chairman for several years and wrote the Membership Column for the Avery Messenger. She serves on the Collections Committee, the Publicity/Publications Committee and is one of the Institute’s representatives on the Avery Research Center Board.
Kathy E. Smalls​
Kathy E. Smalls is a native of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The daughter of Elijah Smalls Sr. and Geneva Watson Smalls. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from the Citadel and a Bachelor’s Degree in History Education from South Carolina State University. She has been an educator in Charleston County School District for 24 years and currently teaches social studies at a middle school in Mount Pleasant.
She is the proud parent of two children, Genine and Walter. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Greater Goodwill A.M.E. Church and South Carolina State University Alumni Association. In her spare time, she enjoys weaving sweet grass baskets, walking the Cooper River Bridge, reading and spending time with family and friends.
She is the proud parent of two children, Genine and Walter. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Greater Goodwill A.M.E. Church and South Carolina State University Alumni Association. In her spare time, she enjoys weaving sweet grass baskets, walking the Cooper River Bridge, reading and spending time with family and friends.