Greenville’s Poet Laureate Glenis Redmond to speak at the 2025 ForeverGreen Luncheon

April 22 luncheon to include recognition of award recipients, poetry reading 

Upstate Forever is excited to host the annual ForeverGreen Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at The Annex at Judson Mill in Greenville. The luncheon celebrates those that have made significant contributions in fields related to conservation and sustainable growth in Upstate South Carolina. 

This year’s award recipients are: 

• Tommy Wyche Land Conservation Champion: Honorable Ted Shehan, for his decades-long commitment to public service and volunteer efforts to expand awareness of natural resource conservation initiatives.  

• Clean Water Champion: Melanie Ruhlman, President of Save Our Saluda, for her tireless efforts to protect rivers and streams in the Saluda River Basin and across the state of South Carolina. 

• Public Servant of the Year: Representative Patrick Haddon, for his visionary leadership role in the Working Lands Preservation Act, which makes land conservation more accessible for South Carolina’s farmers. 

“Each of these three individuals has made an indelible impact on Upstate South Carolina’s natural resources — from treasured public greenspaces to our recreational and drinking water sources, and even the local farms that support our food systems,” said Aldon Knight, Upstate Forever’s Executive Director. “We’re also thrilled to be joined in celebration by Glenis Redmond, whose nature-inspired poetry illustrates the beauty and importance of our region’s life-giving lands and waters.”

In addition to the awards ceremony, Upstate Forever is honored to welcome Greenville's inaugural Poet Laureate, Glenis Redmond, who will give a special poetry reading as part of the event program. Glenis is a Baldwin Fellow 2024-2025 and a Poet Laureate Fellow 2023 as selected by the American Academy of Poets. She was chosen to be a Citizen Diplomat with the Jonathan Green Maritime Cultural Center. 

About Upstate Forever’s 2025 ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon 

Tuesday, April 22 | The Annex at Judson Mill |  701 Easley Bridge Rd Suite 4010, Greenville, SC 
Registration: 11:00 am | Luncheon & Awards: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm 

Seating for this event is limited. Individual tickets are for sale on Upstate Forever’s website at upstateforever.org/forevergreen-2025. 

For more information or opportunities to sponsor the ForeverGreen Luncheon, please contact Murray Benson at murray@smoakpr.com.