Meet Our Team
Clint Gaskins
Managing Partner [Vested]
Charleston,SC | USVI
Born and raised in Charleston, Clint is an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in the local hospitality scene. Through the course of his life he has held nearly every position in the restaurant, from dishwasher and busboy, to server and bartender, to front of house management, and in ownership roles for the last 7 years. Post graduation from the College of Charleston, Clint spent several years working for Ginn Clubs & Resorts, before finding his way back to Charleston to work in a high-end downtown hotel.
His first solo-endeavor was the ever-popular Squeeze Bar, a flagship for years on East Bay Street until a fire devastated it in the Spring of 2013. From the brick-and-mortar location, Clint and his wife launched their next business, an on-site beverage catering service, featuring the high-end offerings, hand-crafted cocktails, and unparalleled customer service they were known for in the bar and taking it on site to events around the Lowcountry. Now known as Squeeze Cocktail & Beverage Catering, Clint and his team have executed over 1,000 events in the local area, from intimate weddings to 5,000+ person concerts. They have a strong presence in the event industry, and have a huge focus on managing bar services for 3rd party food catering & exclusive venue clients, alongside their own in-house beverage catering services.
In 2014, Clint pursued his passion to the Caribbean, and began to work on a restaurant project in Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI. With a highly-anticipated opening, The Longboard opened for business on May 1st, 2015, and has quickly won the attention and accolades of many regional and nation publications. In September of 2017, Clint weathered hurricanes Irma & Maria on St. John with his staff, and was responsible for contracting with the Red Cross to implement a feeding program based out of The Longboard’s kitchen, and served over 35,000 free meals to the residents of the island over a 6-week period post-storms.
In May of 2017 he signed a lease in St. Thomas with the intent to open a second concept in the Red Hook area, with similar standards to the elevated food product & dining scene he crated on St. John with The Longboard. After 2+ years of government (hurricane-related) delays and construction, he was successful in opening The Easterly in January of 2020.
He currently resides in Charleston with his family, and is always seeking the next business opportunity to continue growing and expanding his companies.
Kristen Gaskins
business & accounting manager [vested]
Charleston,SC | USVI
Kristen moved to Charleston in 2007 after attending Auburn University, assuming a role as a senior buyer for a local high-end men’s clothing company. After meeting her husband, Clint, she switched career paths and took on more a hospitality-based role in their local flagship business, Squeeze Bar, and was an integral part in launching their catering division in 2011, known as Squeeze Cocktail & Beverage Catering. She continued to be an asset to the Charleston wedding & event industry, and in 2012 launched and managed all operations of their local rental company (Polished) until it was sold in December of 2015.
While operating successfully in the local Charleston event market with their bar service, Kristen and her husband worked to pursue their passion to open a restaurant in St. John, USVI, and in May of 2015, The Longboard opened for business. Today Kristen continues to hold roles in all aspects of the businesses, and is in charge of business management, bookkeeping & payroll, website management, social media & marketing, and health & benefit management for all concepts. She also manages the reservation/waitlist systems and handles bookings for all private events for their two USVI based restaurants.
Adam Meehan
Project Manager & Facilities Maintenance
Charleston,SC
Originally from Pennsylvania, Adam relocated to Charleston, SC by means of Daytona Beach, FL, where he spent several years as a Certified Flight Instructor. He started his hospitality career in one of Charleston’s finest restaurants as the kitchen manager, and quickly moved to front-of-house responsibilities. Adam joined our team in July 2012, taking on a role of guest services and facilities maintenance. Eventually growing to oversee all warehouse, logistics, and on-site operations for Squeeze Cocktail & Beverage Catering, and facilitating that role until the sale of the business in the fall of 2020. At that time, Adam’s role with the Ballast team evolved further, as he took on the role of Project Manager. He is a highly skilled woodworker and jack-of-all-trades; a great asset to the company and its growth, and has been instrumental in the build-out for both The Longboard - St. John, and The Easterly - St. Thomas to date. He currently handles facilities maintenance for all restaurant concepts, and directly oversees the Longboard project underway on Sullivan’s Island.
Christine Whiteley
Director [us + usvi concepts]
Charleston,SC
Bio coming soon.
Billy Rockefeller
beverage director [US & USVI Concepts]
charleston,sc
Bio Coming Soon!
“Leadership is creating an environment in which people want to be part of the organization and not just work for the organization. Leadership creates an environment that makes people want to, rather than have to, do.”