Upstate SC Alliance Enhances Team with Four Promotions

UPSTATE, SC – April 28, 2011 – Upstate SC Alliance, the public/private economic development group designed to market the 10-county Upstate South Carolina region to the world, has promoted four employees to positions that finely align their skillset with the goals of the organization.

Jennifer Noel is being elevated to executive vice president, Richard Blackwell becomes vice president, Jennifer Miller is now director of marketing, and Jacob Hickman is taking on a new role in business development and strategic projects.

“The Upstate South Carolina region is blessed, as I am as the CEO of the organization, to have an incredible team that works tremendously hard to market this 10-county region so jobs are created and capital investment occurs within our borders,” stated Hal Johnson, president and CEO of Upstate SC Alliance.  “I’m proud of and thankful for the valuable contributions made by each one of these very talented members of our team.”

Jennifer Noel

As executive vice president, Noel will oversee all external marketing efforts and focus on collaboration among the region’s economic development partners.  She will also handle operations for Upstate SC Alliance and serve as its lead contact for the automotive industry, one of four the organization is specifically targeting for economic development opportunities.

Noel joined the Upstate SC Alliance team in 2003 after 16 years of experience in marketing and economic development.  She earned her undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of South Carolina, and also graduated from the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and Leadership South Carolina.  In 2005 Noel was named one of Greenville Magazine’s “Best and Brightest Under 35,” and she currently serves on the executive committee of South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association (SCEDA) board of directors, where she is also the organization’s secretary and midyear meeting planning chairperson.

Richard Blackwell

Prior to joining Upstate SC Alliance in 2007, Blackwell worked in politics, government relations and local economic development.  As vice president he will be responsible for fundraising, contributor services, event planning, public affairs, media relations and all other forms of communication.

Blackwell holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/public relations from the University of South Carolina.  He successfully completed the Basic Economic Development course at Georgia Tech, received the Non-Profit Management Certificate from Duke University, graduated from two leadership programs and was selected as one of the “Best and Brightest” by Greenville Magazine in 2008.

Jennifer Miller

As director of marketing, Miller assumes responsibility for the direction and execution of the Alliance’s branding and strategic marketing objectives, inbound events, research and intern programs.  She will also serve as the organization’s lead contact for the advanced materials industry, another of the group’s key targets. 

Miller joined Upstate SC Alliance in 2006 after working for the Mississippi World Trade Center, where she served as the information specialist for two years.  She received an undergraduate degree in international business from the University of Southern Mississippi, graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute, and is a member of Leadership Greenville Class 37.

Jacob Hickman

Hickman arrived at Upstate SC Alliance in 2010 as a business development coordinator.  In his new role he will be responsible for a wide variety of marketing and economic development strategies while interfacing with and directly supporting the organization’s marketing and business development efforts.  Hickman will also become the lead contact for the group’s economic development efforts within the energy industry.  He previously worked for Select Corporate Housing as a regional sales director, earned his Bachelor of Arts from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree at North Greenville University.

ABOUT UPSTATE SC ALLIANCE
The Upstate SC Alliance is a public/private regional economic development organization designed to market and brand the 10 counties in South Carolina’s Upstate – Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union.