Member Luncheon — May 2026

On May 13, members enjoyed the final luncheon of the year at the River Course Clubhouse.  They were entertained by Meleana Cabales with three stunning popular opera selections to kick off the event. Meleana has served for several years as the Communications Coordinator for Arts, etc. A Vocal Performance and Arts Management graduate of College of Charleston, she has had leading roles in several opera productions in Charleston and Atlanta.

President Karen Curth thanked retiring board members, Joanne Hill and Jennifer Tesoro, and welcomed the new members who will begin their terms in the Fall. She also announced the date for the 2027 Art and House Tour – April 2, 2027 – and encouraged members to sign up for Committees focused on Events, Fundraising, and House Tour logistics.

The speaker was Robert Vingi, Kiawah resident and long-time Wealth Advisor at Wells Fargo. Robert explored the history of Kiawah dating back to its roots as an Indian hunting and fishing ground through the 1980’s sale to Charleston-based partners. He organized the podcast Local and Uncommon with four episodes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Kiawah since the 1970’s. For his talk after lunch, he went back much further back in time, sharing the importance of our Island for oyster harvesting and fishing for both local Indians and settlers followed by its days in the hands of the Vanderhorst and Royal families. Old maps and photographs of oyster boats were on display and we all learned new stories about the island we treasure.