Ben Geer Keys is a life long resident of Greenville, SC and retired from Keys Printing. He Is married to Martha Hardeman Keys and they have four sons.

He is a graduate of Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Ben is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hiking in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and photographing wildflowers, waterfalls and mountain vistas.

Ben now spends some of his volunteer time with such groups as Friends of the Reedy River, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Naturaland Trust, Warren Wilson Environmental Leadership Center, The South Carolina Conservation Bank Board and Lake Conestee Foundation.