Leadership

Born in Boston and raised in Virginia, Casey Lavin is the sixth of eight children. His firsthand experience of the uplifting, healing energy of gathering around the family dinner table each night revealed the greater role hospitality can play in making the world a better place — and inspired a career dedicated to it.

An accomplished leader in luxury hospitality, Lavin has a record of achievement in driving world-class operations in highly competitive markets. Most recently, he led the successful repositioning of Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina. In an array of roles at iconic properties including The Sea Island Company, The Woodlands, The Greenbrier Resort, and The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island, Lavin led operations and teams that achieved multiple Forbes Five-Star designations, won accolades, dramatically increased revenue, and developed strategies, concepts, and events that transformed properties into renowned, legendary destinations. As President of BHC, Lavin sets the vision, balances business growth and flow through, assembles and nurtures award-winning teams, identifies new development opportunities, and ensures guest, employee, and community loyalty.

He has served as a board member and officer for an array of organizations, including Forbes Travel Guide Executive Advisory Board, Hilton Head/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Glynn County Airport Commission, Golden Isles Conventions & Visitors Bureau, Coastal Georgia Historical Society, Explore Charleston, and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance. He is also a member of the Southern Innkeepers Association and the Young Presidents Organization. Through his church community, he supports people experiencing homelessness. A devoted husband to Monica and father to Julia, Lavin is a voracious reader, music fan, piano player, and private pilot.

Hospitality is… “a powerful healing antidote to a busy and sometimes divisive world that craves meaningful connection.”

Courtney Long is a native Charlestonian, born into a family of entrepreneurs who instilled in her a strong work ethic at an early age. Her first trip abroad transformed her both personally and professionally, giving her a deeper appreciation for different cultures, experiences, and perspectives, and inspiring her to share those experiences with others. A College of Charleston alum, she spent 15 years in New York City honing her craft in hospitality and travel PR before returning to the Holy City.

Long’s career includes 10+ years at MMGY NJF in numerous roles, most notably as Vice President, where she led campaigns for iconic brands including Sea Island, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, and Waldorf Astoria. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded her own successful PR firm, to play a critical role in the recovery of the travel and hospitality industries she loves. She has continually distinguished herself as a sought-after communications expert, working with some of the world’s top travel and luxury lifestyle brands, including Veuve Clicquot, Kimpton Hotels, Visit Savannah and Travel Texas.

As Vice President of Communications for BHC, Long is responsible for developing the strategic vision for the company as well as overseeing all communications activities including creative storytelling and programming, brand messaging, public relations, community partnerships and reputation management. An active Child Life volunteer at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, Long also supports Charleston’s thriving arts scene as a Board member of The Gibbes Museum’s Society 1858.

Hospitality is… “welcoming others with open arms and creating memorable, enriching experiences they will remember long after they leave.”

As a kid born and raised in Pennsylvania, Joe Kropiewnicki took many road trips to Disney World with his family. Those trips instilled in him a fascination for the storytelling built into the park experience and created a lifetime of wonderful memories. A lifelong sports fan, he’s always been most interested in the players’ stats, a likely spark for his passion for and skills in finance and accounting.

A BA in Business Administration and Finance and a Master’s in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management launched Kropiewnicki into his hospitality career with positions in finance and accounting at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. Building upon a lifetime of family memories and early inspiration, he spent 15 years with the Walt Disney Company in Financial Management and Analyst roles. Prior to joining the BHC team, Kropiewnicki served as Director of Asset Management for Palmetto Bluff, a 20,000-acre, luxury, master-planned community in Bluffton, South Carolina. There, he oversaw land development, asset management, and third-party operations.

As Vice President of Asset Management at BHC, Kropiewnicki drives value through a group of asset properties through collaboration with financial and operating partners to maximize their potential in revenue, net operating income, employee engagement, guest satisfaction, capital investment and value preservation. A devoted husband and father to three incredible children and a golden retriever, Kropiewnicki loves time outside, playing golf, and spending time with his family and friends.

Hospitality is… “taking someone away from the everyday and allowing them to escape among friends and family in an environment where they feel completely welcome.”

Born in Tennessee, Margaret Furniss found herself most “at home” in New York City. The pulsing energy of life in the global city inspired and empowered her — shaping her passion and creative career. A Master’s in Communication Design from Pratt Institute led to her first graphic design position at fashion magazine, W, and soon after, a marketing and branding role at global OMNICOM agency, Arnell Group.

Returning to Charleston, Furniss co-founded a nationally recognized restaurant group, and following, set the vision and led a team of designers as Creative Director for a renowned national public relations and marketing firm.

Prior to joining the BHC team, Furniss earned a certificate in The Science of Wellbeing from Yale University, and co-founded B\YOND WELL, an experiential wellness design studio creating spaces and programs for connection, healing, and rejuvenation for luxury travel, hospitality, real estate, and corporate clients. As VP of Wellbeing Strategy + Experience at BHC, Furniss leads both guest-facing and in-house experiences through the lens of wellbeing for the company. Through design, programming, and activations, she helps create a positive impact on everyone the company touches.

Furniss’s passion for travel, good food, and all things wellness extends to her home and community life. She serves as a board member for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, and previously served on the boards of The Gibbes Museum and South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts. Her family includes her husband, two amazing, thoughtful sons, a French bulldog and a Golden retriever.

Hospitality is… “the ability to transcend the physical by affecting someone’s mood or a moment in time by making them feel cared for in an unexpected and thoughtful way.”

Born in Maryland to a military family, Mary Shields spent her childhood relocating every few years. From California to Germany to the East Coast, she realized from an early age that the most formative part of life was learning to be adaptive, embrace change and new cultures, and to be curious and resilient.

Mary earned two undergraduate degrees from the College of Charleston, in Accounting and Political Science, as well as a graduate degree from Mercy College of Ohio in Health Administration. Prior to joining the BHC team, she spent six years with Bon Secours Mercy Health as Senior Manager for the Joint Venture Internal Audit. In this role, Mary led the Internal Audit Service for a regional healthcare system comprised of four hospitals and 5,900 employees. She joined Beemok Capital in 2022 as Controller, supporting financial operations for the sports, philanthropy, hospitality and entertainment divisions of the company. Now in her role as CFO for BHC, Mary oversees the financial activities and overall health of the organization.

Mary has found many surprising parallels between healthcare and hospitality. “When I first transitioned to CFO at BHC, a colleague at The Charleston Place shared the following quote with me: ‘Hotels are the hospitals we check into to take care of our well-being during the flood times of life, and hospitals are the hotels we check into to bring us healing during the hard times in life.’ Both industries are focused on how to care for others, and it stuck with me.”

Mary lives in Charleston with her two sons and their beloved miniature schnauzer. In her spare time, Mary enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, and being outside. From biking and running to water sports, she loves all the outdoor recreational activities that Charleston has to offer. She’s also an active member of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare Ethics Committee.

Hospitality is… “embracing someone’s presence and ensuring they feel seen and heard.”