About the Trust: Staff

Chris Marsh
Executive Director
(843) 987-4154

Chris has been the director of the Spring Island Trust since 1998. Chris was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He received his B.S. in Zoology in 1977 from N.C. State University and completed a PhD in Zoology from Oregon State in 1984. Prior to moving to the Lowcountry, Chris was a biology professor at Coastal Carolina University where he taught ornithology, ecology, and animal behavior. While at Coastal Carolina he also served as a regional director of a statewide program to improve math and science education in South Carolina. As Executive Director Chris coordinates the management and education programs of the Spring Island Trust and the LowCountry Institute. He also provide technical expertise to local policymakers and developers about the impact of development on local habitats and water quality.

Lisa Gravil (and Dixie)
Administrative Assistant
(843) 987-7008

Lisa has been working with the Trust since 2000. She grew up in Augusta, GA. Prior to coming to Spring Island, Lisa was an administrative assistant for the Environmental, Health, and Safety Department at International Paper. She also worked for the SC Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and was a Dental Assitant in Fairfax, SC for 17 years. Lisa's primary responsibility is to keep everything running smoothly among the Trust Staff (not an easy task!).

Tony Mills
Education Director
(843) 987-2073

Tony joined the LowCountry Institute staff in 2007. Tony has over 20 years of experience in environmental education and research. Prior to coming to Spring Island, Tony worked for the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (UGA) in Aiken, South Carolina. Past research trips have taken him on excursions into the jungles of Mexico and Costa Rica to conduct studies on snakes and lizards, and to the Everglades of southern Florida to collect introduced pythons and endangered crocodiles.

Karl Ohlandt
Landscape Ecologist
(843) 987-2016

Karl joined the Spring Island staff in 2007. Prior to coming to Spring Island, Karl was the Landscape Ecologist for Dewees Island (north of Charleston) since 1994. Karl got his B.S. degree in Biology from Presbyterian College; an Associates in Horticulture from Trident Technical College in Charleston, and his Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. His interests are in landscape management and native plant communities. Karl's primary responsibility is working with landscaping-related issues.