What we work on
Our Work
The Association does its work through committees — each focused on a part of neighborhood life, each posting its own updates.
At the October 14 HVA neighborhood meeting, presentations were made by the HVA Board, County Councilmember Robert Wehrman and City Councilmember Mike Seekings, followed by audience Q&A.
There’s a lot happening—from an update on knee wall construction and our continued push for better residential parking enforcement, storm response and storm drain maintenance, to successes in membership growth and Harleston Village community building. We discussed progress, ongoing challenges, and requests to the City that remain unmet.
See full details of the Board report and meeting notes here:
A unified voice
Advocacy, committee by committee
From the zoning code rewrite to flooding resilience and the future of Colonial Lake, Harleston Village's interests are represented by neighbors who show up — at City meetings, public forums, and around the table. Each committee tracks its issues and shares updates here and in the News feed. See the 2026 Priorities for the full year's plan.
Zoning & BAR
Chair · Wiley Becker
Preserves architectural integrity and quality of life in our historic district. Reviews applications to the Board of Architectural Review and Board of Zoning Appeals and weighs in on zoning, planning, and ordinance amendments, working with preservation groups and affected neighbors.
Resilience
Chair · Susan Lyons
Safeguards Harleston Village against flooding and climate change — monitoring the Low Battery redesign, the potential Calhoun-West Drainage project, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies to protect against storm surge, tidal flooding, and inadequate drainage.
Parks
Chair · Ashley Hughes
Keeps the Board informed on matters related to neighborhood parks and represents neighborhood consensus at the Colonial Commons Committee and other parks meetings.
Livability
Co-Chairs · Rick May and Chuck Duffy
Keeps the board informed on matters affecting livability — crime, traffic, safety, noise, special events, and film/TV production — and represents the neighborhood's interests at public forums.
Programs
Chair · Joshua Hughes
Plans and coordinates board meetings, membership meetings, and meeting venues. The Vice President serves as chair of this committee.
No updates yet — check back soon.
Membership & Publicity
Chair · Meghan Friday
Maintains the membership roster, grows membership, and manages communications and outreach — the website, social media, email updates, newsletters, and press. Promotes the Association's role and the benefits of membership.
HVA Hearts & Hands, the Association's community-service arm, operates under the leadership of this committee's chair.
Who represents us
Your elected officials
These are the City and County representatives for Harleston Village. They're who we work with — and who your voice reaches when you weigh in.
Charleston City Council · District 8
Mike Seekings
Represents Harleston Village on City Council. A key partner on storm response, inlet maintenance, and getting Calhoun Street drainage onto the Transportation Sales Tax list.
Charleston County Council · District 3
Rob Wehrman
Represents the area on County Council. Worked with HVA on the Transportation Sales Tax project list, including Calhoun Street drainage and Cowans Street improvements.
Get involved
Lend a hand on the issues you care about
Committee work is open to members. Tell us where you'd like to help and we'll connect you with the chair.