The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) South Carolina Lowcountry Chapter has named Wes Carter, President of Atlantic Packaging and Founder of A New Earth Project, its 2025 Individual of the Year.
Presented during National Philanthropy Day, Nov. 4, the award celebrates Wes’ leadership in conservation and his belief that business and the environment can thrive together.
“National Philanthropy Day celebrates individuals whose generosity strengthens our communities,” said Taryn Mason, President of the AFP South Carolina Lowcountry Chapter. “Wes Carter’s leadership in conservation and sustainability reflects the spirit of this day and shows how philanthropy can inspire lasting change.”
Voluntary Mitigation Offset
Through Atlantic Packaging’s partnerships and his personal advocacy, Wes has helped develop a conservation model that calls on businesses to take responsibility for their environmental footprint by investing in the permanent protection and restoration of natural ecosystems, aligning corporate responsibility with environmental stewardship.
“Industry creates the largest environmental footprint on the planet, and with that comes responsibility,” said Carter. “At Atlantic, we are choosing to act voluntarily to balance that impact. Conservation and sustainability are two sides of the same coin.” Carter believes that progress and preservation can exist together when business, conservation, and community leaders work toward a shared purpose.
Values in Action
Wes and Atlantic Packaging are helping pilot a framework in South Carolina’s Lowcountry that unites business, conservation, and community to balance growth with long-term environmental stewardship.
Wes played a key role in the Pee Dee Basin Initiative, a landmark conservation effort that has permanently protected over 62,000 acres of forested land along the Pee Dee, Santee, and Black Rivers — the largest conservation easement in South Carolina’s history. This achievement secures vital habitats, strengthens rural economies, and sets a new benchmark for collaborative, large-scale environmental stewardship.
Atlantic and A New Earth Project also maintain strategic partnerships with industry associations and non-profits that are working on various conversation projects around the globe.
We believe in the power of radical collaboration and community led conservation. When business and community unite, we can safeguard the planet’s future.