Three join Community Foundation of the Lowcountry board

The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry has appointed three new members to its board of directors, effective July 1.

The new board members are Paula Harper Bethea of Bluffton, Gene Varn of Colleton County and Dr. Jane T. Upshaw of Bluffton.

Bethea, a Hampton County native, is chair of the board and CEO of J M Smith Corp. She previously served as chief advancement officer and senior adviser to the president of the University of South Carolina and as executive director of the South Carolina Education Lottery. She also serves as chair emeritus of the United Way of America’s Board of Governors.

Varn, a lifelong Colleton County resident, earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of South Carolina. He spent 25 years as branch manager of Enterprise Bank of South Carolina’s Cottageville office before moving to the bank’s main office in Ehrhardt, where he serves as chairman of the board. He also serves on the boards of the Lowcountry Artisan Center and the University of South Carolina Board of Visitors.

Upshaw is distinguished chancellor emerita of the University of South Carolina Beaufort. During nearly 30 years at the university, she served as an instructor, professor, director of development and dean of the campus. She became the institution’s founding chancellor when it transitioned to a four-year university in 2002. She retired in 2015 and received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

According to the foundation, board members serve three-year terms and may serve up to two terms.

The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s officers for the 2026-27 board are Lynn Jennings Taylor, chair; Steve Fanelli, vice chair; Doug Wetmore, treasurer; and Yolanda Branche, secretary.