The Alliance is a nonprofit 501c3 organization with membership open to public charters schools and public charter school supporters including families, community leaders, and business leaders. Since our inception in 2001, a dedicated group of staff members, volunteers, and member schools have worked for significant legislative change to benefit South Carolina's charter public schools and to develop resources and supports for South Carolina's charter schools. Our strategic plans call for developing critical resources and powerful new ways to advocate for public charter schools in South Carolina.

Originally, from Canada via Denmark, Carol has over sixteen years’ experience supporting and advocating for charter schools in South Carolina. During the past seven years, she has worked for the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina in many different roles providing advocacy, new school development, member engagement, expanding business partnerships and operational support services for charter schools and now serves as our executive director.

Carol’s interest in the school choice movement started 16 years ago as a founder of (CCSMS) Charleston Charter School for Math and Science. She served on the founding CCSMS executive board for 3 years and was instrumental in bringing the community together in downtown Charleston. She currently serves on the Tax Credit Advisory Board of the SC Community Loan Fund. Carol was a long time board member of The Charleston Catholic School. In 2011, while serving as president, the Charleston Catholic Board was recognized and awarded the “Catholic School Board of the Year” by the National Catholic Educational Association.

Prior to working in the charter school sector, Carol worked in finance and property management overseeing several affordable housing complexes. Raised in Europe and Canada, she offers a unique understanding of multi-cultural and socio-economic issues. Carol is an avid cook, volunteer of the Trident Head Injury Support Group, enjoys traveling, and is a graduate of Roskilde Handelsskole, Denmark.

Joe joined the Alliance in 2017, to assist with member and business support services.  Prior to joining the Alliance Team, Joe was very active in the Lowcountry community advocating for school choice. He is involved in local and state politics, having worked on numerous political campaigns.  Elected in 2014 as the top vote-getter of the four seats on the ballot, he served for four years as a member of the Board of School Trustees of St. James-Santee Constituent School District No. 1 of Charleston County. In 2016, he served on Charleston County School District’s Strategic Planning Committee, appointed by the county superintendent of education.

Joe is an eighth-generation native South Carolinian, a member of the Monsignor John L. Manning Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Charleston Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, the South Carolina School Administrators Association, and the South Carolina Society of Association Executives. He has served on the Awendaw Blue Crab Festival Committee, appointed by the mayor, and was a founding committee member of the Bull’s Bay Nature Festival.  He attended Bishop England High School and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from The Citadel.

Margaret became deeply engaged in the school choice movement twelve years ago, while advocating for her children’s education. She has been actively involved in charter schools for the past six years while volunteering and working at her sons’ charter school, Palmetto Scholars Academy, in every capacity she could. She has experienced first hand what it takes to build and grow a successful charter: the committed and exceptional parents, faculty, staff, and community leaders passionately working together to bring a vision to life for the enrichment of the students. She feels fortunate to now be able to assist charter schools throughout the state to successfully provide the opportunity for alternate choices for each child to be able to flourish and grow in the best environment for them. Margaret helps support members with the Alliance policy program and as a resource for general legal questions and additional legal services unique to charter schools.

Margaret is a member of the SCSBA Council of School Attorneys and the NCSBA Council of School Attorneys. She graduated from the University of Washington, in Seattle, where she was recruited to practice law in Alaska. During her time in Alaska, Margaret developed an expertise in employment and human resources law.  Coming to the realization she would rather live at the beach and visit the snow rather than vice versa, Margaret relocated to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where she still currently lives with her two children, assorted pets- and where she happily keeps a beach bag packed and ready.  

Kevin S. Mason
Director of Communication & Engagement
Kevin joined the Alliance as the Director of Communication and Engagement in 2020. Although the newest member of the Alliance team, Kevin has worked for more than a year volunteering and helping the PCSASC before joining them full-time. His work with charter schools began in 2015. Through communication and engagement, he builds awareness, understanding, and support for charter schools and school choice across South Carolina.

Previously, Kevin worked at High Point Academy, a K-12 charter school, as the Director of Communication. His responsibilities included internal and external communication, public relations, media relations, marketing, brand awareness, campaigns, and content management for the website and social media accounts. He started his career as a journalist working as a TV news producer for local television stations in Upstate, South Carolina, and Piedmont, North Carolina.

Kevin is a graduate of Winthrop University, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. He is a native of Spartanburg where he currently lives with his wife and daughter.