The Beaufort Regional Civil Engineers Club, Lowcountry Branch of the American Public Works Association, and South Carolina Lowcountry Sentinel Landscape are excited to host this one-day event! The conference will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the University of South Carolina Beaufort's Bluffton Campus.

In the past year, the Lowcountry region of South Carolina has endured several historic weather events, including Hurricane Helene and Winter Storm Enzo. The South Carolina Office of Resilience defines “resilience” as the ability of communities to anticipate, absorb, recover, and thrive when presented with environmental change and natural hazards.

The intent of this conference is to facilitate and promote collaborative, inclusive conversations about resilience and to showcase innovative projects and research that advance community resilience.

Thomas S. Mullikin, PhD, JD, Major General (Ret.), SCSG
Director, SC Department of Natural Resources

Keynote Speaker

Thomas S. Mullikin currently serves as Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, where he functions as chief administrator responsible for the management and supervision of the agency's five divisions. A distinguished environmental attorney, author, professor, and award-winning documentarian, Dr. Mullikin's environmental and energy law practice has taken him to every continent on Earth representing numerous multinational corporate clients and the United Nations.

In his work with the UN, Mullikin has assisted in drafting chemical laws for the Republic of Moldova, reviewed and drafted recommendations for Sierra Leone's proposed Constitution, and assessed legal best practices for the Maldives. He was recognized by the Fijian Permanent Secretary of Lands and Mineral Resources for leading a team of experts on behalf of the UNDPABA (United Nations Development Programme–American Bar Association) while serving as a liaison to the Fijian government in drafting expansive comments and recommendations for legislation aimed at protecting the Pacific Island nation's rich mineral resources.

Dr. Mullikin has had an impressive military career, retiring in 2018 as Major General/ Commander of the S.C. State Guard and President of the State Guard Association of the United States. He served as Special Assistant to Chief Prosecutor of Military Commissions, overseeing the trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and the four 9/11 co-defendants, and as an International Legal Officer and Trial Counsel with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps.

In the academic realm, Dr. Mullikin served as a research professor at Coastal Carolina University (School of Coastal Environment), a professor of practice at the University of South Carolina (Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management), Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, and a visiting professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito - Galapagos campus. He also served as the Director of the Mullikin Institute for Environmental Law and Policy at Coastal Carolina University.

Dr. Mullikin was the founding chair of the gubernatorially established S.C. Floodwater Commission and served as a member of the S.C. Energy Advisory Council. He was co-chair of the International Environmental Law Committee of the American Bar Association, membership officer of LAWASIA Environmental Law Committee, and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He was chairman of Global Eco Adventures and director of the GAIAS Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness and support for research, inclusion, education, and cultural activities in the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon Basin.

In addition to his numerous awards and military decorations, Dr. Mullikin has received a commendation for heroic action from the State of South Carolina and is a recipient of the ORDER OF THE PALMETTO, South Carolina's highest award presented by the state's governor.