Gaillard Center honors Yungman (’07) for shaping service and advocacy

The Charleston Gaillard Center announced three Charlestonians to be honored in Monuments, an outdoor projection-based installation by internationally acclaimed artist Craig Walsh.

Charleston School of Law alum Jeffrey Yungman (’07) and adjunct professor at the Law School is among the honorees.

“These honorees reflect the spirit of Monuments—individuals whose impact is deeply felt in everyday ways,” said Lissa Frenkel, President and CEO of the Charleston Gaillard Center. “By elevating unsung heroes through this work, we are invited to reconsider who we honor and why, and to recognize the people shaping Charleston through service, advocacy, and care.”

Yungman’s career has focused on legal advocacy for vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness.  He currently serves as an assistant public defender for the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense.

Yungman, an Ohio native, earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio State and his master’s from Tulane University before moving to Charleston.

From 1999 to 2007, he was the Clinical Director of Crisis Ministries, the homeless shelter in Charleston. Recognizing the homeless community’s need for legal services, he enrolled in the first class of Charleston School of Law. Upon graduation, he created the Crisis Ministries Homeless Justice Project. For 16 years, he was the Legal Director of the Project, which provided free legal services to anyone in the Charleston area who was unhoused.

As part of his work, he started the state’s second Homeless Court and its first Housing Court. In 2023, rather than retire, he joined the staff of the Charleston County Public Defender’s Office, where he now represents primarily unhoused individuals in criminal matters.

Monuments is a globally recognized public art project that challenges traditional ideas of commemoration. Using large-scale projected portraits mapped onto trees, Walsh creates temporary, luminous monuments honoring living community members rather than historical figures. Each installation is site-specific and ephemeral, encouraging reflection on visibility, legacy, and collective memory.

Free and open to the public, Monuments transforms the streetscape into a shared space for recognition and reflection, underscoring the Gaillard’s commitment to accessible, community-centered art experiences.

Nominated by the community and selected by a jury of local leaders, the honorees will be featured in the installation, on view from February 27 to March 31 (nightly; 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm; 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm on Friday, February 27) on George Street in front of the Gaillard.

Diane Hamilton, a West Ashley educator, historian, and community advocate, and Leroy Moore, a case manager with North Charleston–based nonprofit Neighbors Together, are also being honored.