Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation

Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation – established by a group of community and business leaders inspired to take action to honor those who were killed in the tragedy – is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that operates as a separate legal entity from Mother Emanuel with an independent 501c3 designation.

In addition to leading the charge of designing, constructing, and maintaining the Memorial, the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation will develop and implement programs that acknowledge the existence of racism, foster reconciliation, inspire forgiveness, and empower individuals to build a strong and inclusive community.

Memorial Foundation Board

Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation is guided by a dedicated Board that manages the fundraising, construction, endowment, and outreach for the Memorial.

Rev. Eric Manning, Co-Chair
Senior Pastor, Mother Emanuel AME Church

John Darby, Co-Chair
CEO, The Beach Company

Thomas Anderson, Treasurer
Wells Fargo

Karen Brewerton
Vice President of Marketing, The Beach Company

Timothy Brown, PhD
Assistant VP, Academic Programs, Trident Technical College

Henry Givens
Area Executive, TD Bank

Willi Glee
Board of Trustees, Mother Emanuel AME Church

Councilman Dudley Gregorie
Member, Mother Emanuel AME Church

Kay Hightower
Manager, South Carolina Office on Aging

Helen Hill, Secretary
CEO, Explore Charleston

Wilbur E. Johnson
Managing Parnter, Clements Rivers, LLP

Polly Sheppard
Survivor of June 17, 2015 Shooting

Kevin Simmons
Vice President, First Capital Bank

Reverend Anthony Thompson
Author and Pastor, Holy Trinity Reformed Episcopal Church

As a working committee of the Memorial Foundation, the Memorial Design Committee is charged with advising the Memorial Board on the tribute’s design and construction.

History of the Emanuel Nine Memorial

Prior to the formal establishment of the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation, The Beach Company partnered with with Mother Emanuel AME Church to form an Executive Committee and a Memorial Design Committee to lay the groundwork for building the memorial.

Emanuel AME Memorial Executive Committee
The executive committee established the mission for the memorial, set up the 501c3 organization, and began fundraising efforts.

Rev Eric Manning
Senior Pastor, “Mother” Emanuel A.M.E. Church

John Darby
CEO, The Beach Company

Willi Glee
Emanuel AME Church, Board of Trustees

Dr. Maxine Smith
Memorial Project Co-Manager, Public Relations, Emanuel AME Church

Dr. Brenda Nelson
Director, Mother Emanuel Empowerment Center

Councilman Dudley Gregorie
Emanuel AME member, Charleston City Council

Sandy Tecklenburg
Advocate for Social Justice

Memorial Design Committee Members
A Design Committee of Charleston area arts professionals was created to establish design principles for the memorial, and to guide the search for the memorial’s architectural designer.

Marcus Amaker
First Poet Laureate of Charleston, SC, graphic & web designer, videographer and musician

Karen Brewerton
Memorial Project Co-Manager, Vice President of Marketing The Beach Company

Dr. Timothy Brown
Dean, Humanities and Social Sciences, Trident Tech
Emanuel AME Church member

Dr. Karen A. Chandler
Dir., Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture Assistant Professor of Arts Management, College of Charleston

Scott Parker
President, DesignWorks
Landscape architecture, town planning, and urban design services

Mark Sloan
Director and Chief Curator
Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art

Arts Advisor
Janet Kagan, Founding Principal of Percent for Art Collaborative