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Our Team

Staff

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Barbara Derrick

Executive Director

Barbara was appointed Executive Director in October 2022. She originally served as our Finance & Operations Director beginning in May 2019 after retiring from 36 years in SC state government. Barbara is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a BS in Business Administration in Accounting. Barbara leads our Point-of-Sale project, and having teenage daughters who are surrounded by vaping daily, she is particularly passionate about the issue and glad to be able to help affect change.

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Terra Bell

Community Engagement Coordinator

Terra joined our team in April 2022 following five years as the Program Coordinator for the Citizen Scholars Institute in Spartanburg, SC. Terra received a Bachelor's degree in English from Wofford College and a Master's degree in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson. Having several close family members who suffered from smoking-related illnesses, Terra is especially passionate about the importance of promoting cessation options and local tobacco-free policies in communities throughout the state.

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Nancy Cheney

SC CAN Quit Coordinator

After a distinguished career with the American Cancer Society, including being a founding member of the SC Tobacco-Free Collaborative (now Smokefree SC) and the South Carolina Cancer Alliance, Nancy continues to work part-time on cancer prevention initiatives. As the SC CAN Quit Coordinator, she has engaged cancer centers around the state to participate in promoting smoking cessation to cancer patients to help improve treatment outcomes.

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Emily Marois

Health Communications Intern

Emily joined our team in August 2022. She is a senior at the University of South Carolina. She is studying public health and business administration with plans to pursue a Master's in Public Health after graduation. As a college student surrounded by peers whose lives have been negatively impacted by tobacco use, Emily is particularly interested in distributing cessation resources for young adults.

Board of Directors

Jim Thrasher, PhD, President

University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health

Columbia

Addie Gill, Treasurer 

Elevance Health, Inc.

Charleston

Sharon Biggers, MPH, CHES (non-voting)

​SC Department of Health and Environmental Control

Columbia

Ranya Chakra, MD

Atrium Health​

Fort Mill

Joey Current, MPH

Trident United Way​

North Charleston

Deborah Dunbar

The Balm in Gilead

Dalzell

Taquina "TQ" Davis, PhD, Vice President

Health E Strategies

Columbia

Beth Johnson, Secretary

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Hartsville

Lamar Suber, MA

Evidence-Based Associates

Elgin

Tammy Timms, RN, BSN, CDCES, TTS

Premise Health at BMW

Greer

Irene Pericot-Valverde, PhD

Clemson University

Greenville

Evita Woods

Building Healthy Military Communities

Blythewood

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