Rick Huffman, Emeritus Board Member

Rick Huffman is principal and founder of Earth Design Inc. a landscape architecture and environmental design firm dedicated to the principals of sustainability in the design and built environments. Passion, commitment and social responsibility drive the company’s mission to combine art, design, and ecology to create unique spaces and solve environmental issues.  In a complicated world, nature brings perspective and a sense of place. For over thirty five years, Rick Huffman has been an advocate for land ethic values and education. 

1993 Graduate of School of Environmental Design and landscape Architecture, University of Georgia. Sigma Lamba Alpha National Honor Society for Landscape Architects. 

In 1996, Rick Huffman founded Earth Design in tandem with the formation of the South Carolina Native Plant Society.  Ricks mission was to create an awareness of our beautiful unique indigenous plants and demonstrate how good design can bring nature home to all our communities and every backyard. 

In 1999, Rick assisted with formation of the National Native Plant Conservation Alliance. Rick spent two weeks at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center collaborating with partners from across the nation. 

In 2003, Rick Huffman received the Environmental Educator of the Year Award from the Environmental Educators Association of South Carolina. Rick worked with school districts, administrators, and teachers to build the environment into the teaching curriculum. 

In 2005, Ricks collaborated with fellow authors to create ‘Life at the Water’s Edge’ a book that serves water quality and quantity issues by combining science and application. ‘Life at the Water’s Edge’ received the 2006 Natural Resource Publication of the Year.   

In 2006, Mr. Huffman received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Awareness recognizing his contribution to education and the environment. 

In 2010, Mr. Huffman received Upstate Forever’s Volunteer of the Year Award. 

Currently Serving:     

• Green Ribbon Advisory Committe Ad hoc Committee for Greenville South Carolina

• USGBC SC state board executive committee