SCRA announces new finance and administration director
June 8, 2023
The South Carolina Research Authority announced its new director of finance and administration, Laura Terry, who is responsible for leading the strategic direction of SCRA’s finance and administration function. She also serves as treasurer of SC Launch Inc., the investment affiliate of SCRA, which invests in eligible SCRA Member and Portfolio Companies that create higher-paying jobs in the state.
Laura Terry comes to SCRA with over twenty years of executive leadership experience in finance and administration, most recently as vice president and chief financial officer of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Foundation owns and operates Monticello, the only U.S. presidential and private home on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage List. She also served as treasurer of the Darden School Foundation, which supports the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, whose full-time MBA program was recently ranked the 9th best program in the country by Bloomberg Businessweek.
“I am happy to welcome Laura to the SCRA team. We are a close-knit group of professionals passionate about fueling innovation in South Carolina, and Laura has already displayed this same level of passion. In addition, she has a wealth of experience and new ideas for supporting our mission and helping those we serve,” said SCRA Executive Director Bob Quinn.
Laura Terry earned two degrees from the University of Virginia, a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the McIntire School, and an MBA from the Darden School. She is a licensed CPA and a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional.
Terry is replacing John Sircy, who retires on June 30. “John Sircy has been a vital and effective leader in the SCRA family. We had many successes and reached many milestones with him leading our finance and administration. We wish him the best in his retirement,” said Bob Quinn.
About SCRA
Chartered in 1983 by the State of South Carolina as a public, nonprofit corporation, South Carolina Research Authority fuels the state’s innovation economy through the impact of its comprehensive services to technology-based startups, academia, and industry. SCRA provides funding and support to accelerate the growth of academic startups; high-quality lab and administrative workspaces; facilitation and funding for partnerships between and among industry, startups, and academic institutions; assistance and funding for the relocation of technology-based companies to South Carolina; and coaching and funding for startups that may also receive investments from its affiliate, SC Launch Inc.
