Brian R. Turner

<p><em>President & CEO, Preservation Society of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina</em> </p> <p>In May 2022, Mr. Turner was appointed President & CEO of the Preservation Society of Charleston, the oldest grass roots preservation organization in the country. The Society, originally founded in 1920, is a membership organization and widely-acknowledged advocacy leader for the preservation of Charleston’s distinct character, quality of life, and diverse neighborhoods. Turner had previously served as the organization’s Director of Advocacy beginning in January 2021 and is a licensed attorney. </p> <p>Turner obtained his B.A. in History at Grinnell College and J.D. from Vermont Law School. During law school, he served as a Fellow with TheEuropean Academy while studying comparative law at The University of Trento in Italy. After two years as an attorney in private practice in California, he joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation in its Western Regional Office where he worked for 12 years.</p> <p>In his role with the National Trust, Turner gained wide exposure to federal, state and local preservation law and policy and has written and lectured extensively on the topic with special focus on heritage tourism and the protection of public lands and cultural resources. He helped expand the Trust’s reach in the American West, in particular, working to empower communities and managing advocacy campaigns. In late 2020 he relocated to Charleston with his family to join the PSC as it engages in its second century of work.  </p>