(CHARLESTON, SC) – The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League is proud to announce the return of Megan Desrosiers to the League as its new executive director. Desrosiers is a passionate conservationist who has become one of the Southeast’s most accomplished and respected environmental leaders. The Conservation League has also promoted its chief conservation officer, Lori Cary-Kothera, to the position of deputy executive director. Cary-Kothera previously led coastal conservation, climate resilience, and policy initiatives at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has served adeptly as the interim executive director, energizing staff and preparing the Conservation League for its next chapter.
Desrosiers’ early career was shaped by ten years at the Coastal Conservation League, where she was instrumental in efforts to stop large developments and conserve land in the Ashley River Historic Corridor and fight unwise zoning and infrastructure projects on Johns Island. She also worked to establish the organization’s first climate and energy agenda, worked with a team to start GrowFood Carolina, South Carolina’s first local food hub, and collaborated with a group of diverse leaders to initiate Charleston County’s Greenbelt Program. Her selection followed a thorough search process by the Board of Directors.
“It’s hard to imagine a more opportune time to have Megan return to the Conservation League and South Carolina. Our rivers and rural communities are threatened by growth pressures that are chipping away at some of our most iconic natural areas. Megan’s experience makes her uniquely suited to face these challenges,” says the Conservation League’s Founder, Dana Beach.
In 2013, Desrosiers founded One Hundred Miles, a coastal advocacy organization where she was able to leverage her experience in South Carolina to secure protections for the wildlife, wild places, and coastal communities of Georgia. After 13 successful years in Georgia, Desrosiers is excited about her return to South Carolina to lead the Conservation League.
“For nearly 40 years, the Conservation League has united hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians to advocate for the protection of coastal resources and wildlife from the threats against them. I’m thrilled to come to the helm of the Conservation League at this pivotal time, where we are in the position to lead in finding solutions for a new set of threats that face us, including rapid population growth and habitat destruction, data centers and the problematic energy expansion they require, and a multitude of impacts from climate change including drought, sea level rise, and flooding. The problems are unprecedented, and our response will match the challenges,” Desrosiers says.
Lori Cary-Kothera has served as the Conservation League’s chief conservation officer and as the interim executive director, driving organizational growth and expanded opportunities. Cary-Kothera is a lifelong coastal advocate who has dedicated her career to protecting and restoring diverse communities and natural resources. The Conservation League benefits from her experience of working with a range of regional and national partners to leverage science and research to make our coastal communities more resilient. Cary-Kothera will continue as the interim executive director through the end of the calendar year, and Desrosiers will be serving as an executive advisor through the transition period. The two leaders will officially begin their new roles on Jan. 1.
“As a host of threats continue to plague our coast and threaten our quality of life, I’m more committed than ever to this work. I’m excited to continue supporting the Conservation League, our talented staff, our esteemed partners, and our energized community, as we move into this new chapter together,” says Cary-Kothera.
Shayna Howell, chair of the Conservation League board of directors, is inspired by the opportunities ahead. “The multitude of demands on the Conservation League’s team, which cover five offices in South Carolina, are growing with the challenges facing our coast. The Conservation League is responding by investing in a strong leadership team with critical strategic vision, expertise, and experience. We are thankful to Megan and Lori for their dedication at this crucial time for the South Carolina Coast.”