Laura Von Harten
Our founder, Laura Von Harten, is a fifth-generation Beaufortonian who grew up working in her family’s shrimp business. Her father was a commercial fishermen, as were both her grandfathers. Von Harten is beginning her second term as a Beaufort County Councilwoman.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Von Harten graduated from Beaufort High School in 1982. She went on to receive an undergraduate degree in anthropology from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in applied anthropology from the University of Kentucky. Von Harten previously served on the faculty of the University of South Carollna Beaufort and Eastern Kentucky University. Von Harten has worked for cultural organizations including the Beaufort Museum, Historic Beaufort Foundation, Penn Center, the Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Commission, the South Carolina Arts Commission, the University of Kentucky Center for Developmental Change and the Kentucky Office of State Archaeology. She has served as a volunteer with organizations including the Charleston Museum, Historic Port Royal Foundation and the Beaufort County Historical Society.
