Cypress Adventures honors Aimee Cox-King for 10 years of leadership
Cypress Adventures founder Aimee Cox-King.
After more than a decade of visionary leadership, Cypress Adventures announces that its founder, Aimee Cox-King, will transition from her full-time role with the organization, marking the close of one extraordinary chapter and the beginning of another devoted to advancing Positive Youth Development through research, scholarship, curriculum development, and professional collaboration.
Founded in 2015, Cypress Adventures has become one of South Carolina’s most innovative youth development organizations, serving hundreds of young people through experiential learning, leadership development, environmental education, and community engagement. Under Cox-King’s leadership, the organization has grown from a bold idea into a highly recognized and respected model for Positive Youth Development, demonstrating what is possible when communities intentionally invest in adolescents as capable, valued, and emerging leaders.
Reflecting on her decision, Cox-King emphasized that her departure is not a departure from the mission that has guided her life’s work.
“I’m not leaving because I no longer believe in this work. Quite the opposite. I’m leaving because I believe the impact of this work deserves to extend beyond the place where it began.”
Over the past eleven years, Cypress Adventures has challenged conventional thinking about adolescence by creating environments where young people are trusted, challenged, and empowered to discover their potential. The organization’s impact extends beyond individual students to families, schools, and the broader Hartsville community.
Looking back on the organization’s journey, Cox-King reflected:
“Together, we’ve built far more than an organization. We’ve built a community that sees adolescents as assets rather than problems. We’ve watched young people discover confidence, purpose, resilience, and leadership. We’ve seen families strengthened, friendships formed, and lives changed.”
As she begins this next season, Cox-King will serve as an independent scholar, researcher, curriculum developer, and professional collaborator, focusing on expanding the reach of Positive Youth Development by helping communities, schools, and organizations across the country apply the lessons learned through Cypress Adventures.
While her professional focus is expanding, Cox-King made it clear that Hartsville remains home.
“Hartsville is my home. I will continue living here, investing here, and serving this community. My scholarly and creative work may take me to classrooms, conferences, and communities across the country, but my roots remain here.”
In June 2025, the organization welcomed Jerod Bishop as its Executive Director, transitioning from a founder-led organization to a board-governed nonprofit positioned for its next phase of growth. Under Bishop’s leadership, Cypress Adventures has expanded its strategic vision with new initiatives coming down the pipeline.
Jerod Bishop, Executive Director of Cypress Adventures, reflected on Cox-King’s legacy:
“Aimee’s vision changed the trajectory of countless young lives and transformed the way our community thinks about adolescents and youth development. Her leadership has left an enduring legacy that will continue to shape Cypress Adventures for generations to come. On behalf of our Board of Directors, staff, students, families, alumni, and community partners, we extend our deepest gratitude for her unwavering commitment, bold leadership, and the extraordinary foundation she has built. We are excited to see her influence expand through her scholarship and research while continuing the mission she so passionately began.”
Board Chair Erin Vincent also recognized Cox-King’s contributions:
“Founding an organization requires courage, vision, and perseverance. Sustaining it for more than a decade while transforming lives requires extraordinary leadership. Aimee has given our community an incredible gift through Cypress Adventures. We are profoundly grateful for her service and excited to see how her work will continue to influence youth development far beyond Hartsville.”
Although stepping away from her day-to-day responsibilities, Cox-King will remain a valued supporter of Cypress Adventures and its mission.
“I have complete confidence in Cypress Adventures and the people who will carry this work forward here in our community. Every season of an organization calls for different gifts. The gifts required to launch and build an organization are not always the same gifts required to sustain, diversify, and grow it over the next decade.”
Today, Cypress Adventures continues to build upon that vision by preparing young people to become confident leaders, creative problem-solvers, and engaged citizens through innovative educational experiences that meet the evolving needs of the community.
As Cox-King concluded in her message to the community:
“This doesn’t feel like an ending to me. It feels like the natural continuation of a journey that began eleven years ago.”