Sagacious Partners adds Schenk and Straus to project management roster

Columbia-based Sagacious Partners has added Will Schenk as a Project Manager and Selia Straus as a Senior Project Manager, boosting the economic development and consulting firm’s expertise in collaboration and project management, economic development and executive coaching.

Selia Straus, Will Schenk

Schenk, who joined Sagacious Partners in 2016 as part of its Fellow Program and was subsequently promoted to Project Manager, will be overseeing and contributing to regional projects related to education, regional competitiveness, insurance technology and more.

Straus oversees the company’s financial, administrative and human resource functions in addition to her project management duties in the technology, event and education realms.

“We pride ourselves on having a team full of accountable leaders and doers who love purposeful work. Will and Selia fit the Sagacious Partners core values beautifully,” said Meghan Hickman, COO and partner of Sagacious Partners. “Will’s ability to dig deeply into research, utilizing his strong background in economics makes him a huge asset to our team. Selia is obsessed with the details, has an incredible process-driven mind, and her excitement for her projects is contagious. Their impact has already been felt on the initiatives they’ve touched and I can’t wait to see how their abilities help move our firm and this community forward.”

Schenk brings a strong research background encompassing a wide variety of fields, including historical resource economics, voting patterns, efficiency in sports drafts, and aquaponics systems. The native of New Windsor, MD provides expertise in research and data analysis, strategic thinking and opportunity development. Schenk graduated from Clemson University with dual bachelor degrees in Economics and Environmental and Natural Resources.

Straus comes to Sagacious Partners with a background working in IT account development, recently with Modis, a technical recruiting firm, and Softdocs, a software company specializing in document management solutions for K-12 and higher educational institutions. Prior to moving to Columbia, she worked for an events-based marketing company that managed a nonprofit educational program with a focus on teaching children entrepreneurial skills/business. She served as Director of the program, called Lemonade Day, and the nonprofit itself. She was also part of the project management team working on a variety of projects, including the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics, the NCAA Final Four Fan Zone, the San Antonio and Austin Rock and Roll Marathons, as well as the NABE (National Association for Bilingual Education) Conference held in Tampa, Florida. A native of San Antonio, TX, she is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a degree in Psychology.

About Sagacious Partners

Sagacious Partners is a Columbia, SC-based executive coaching, economic development and project management firm dedicated to helping companies and communities grow for better jobs, better lives and better communities. As a company, we bring over 40 years of experience providing top tier strategy, executive coaching, economic development, and implementation experience to clients. Learn more at www.sagaciouspartners.com.