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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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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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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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Deborah Dunbar

Community Engagement Coordinator - PeeDee Region

Deborah joined our team in May 2024. She most recently served as the State Manager for The Balm in Gilead where she oversaw the implementation of Diabetes Prevention Programs throughout several counties in the state. She previously served on the Smokefree SC Board of Directors for 5 years and worked on the Smokefree Florence Initiative. She also worked with SC DHEC in a variety of roles after moving to South Carolina where she has now lived for over 25 years. 

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Shaye Thoroughman

Health Communications Intern

Shaye joined our team in October of 2023. She is a junior at the University of South Carolina studying Information Science and Law with plans to pursue an Accelerated Masters in Business Analytics. Growing up in the American school system, Shaye has witnessed her peers suffer from tobacco addiction and the prevalent marketing of e-cigarettes to youth in our community. She is particularly passionate about aiding young people in their journey to combating addiction.

Board of Directors

Lamar Suber, MA, President

Evidence-Based Associates

Elgin

Addie Gill, Treasurer 

Elevance Health, Inc.

Charleston

Sharon Biggers, MPH, CHES (non-voting)

​SC Department of Public Health

Columbia

Ranya Chakra, MD

Atrium Health​

Fort Mill

Brenda Jones

BlueCross BlueShield of SC

Columbia

Maya Pack, MPA

SC Institute of Medicine and Public Health

Columbia

Taquina "TQ" Davis, PhD, Vice President

Health E Strategies

Columbia

Tammy Timms, RN, BSN, CDCES, TTS, Secretary

Spartanburg Regional Health System

Spartanburg

Irene Pericot-Valverde, PhD

Clemson University

Greenville

Avery Roberson, MPH

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston

Evita Woods

Building Healthy Military Communities

Blythewood

Andrew Wylam, J.D.

American Heart Association

Ridgeway

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