S.C. Leaders graduate from Economic Development Training Program

The South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association (SCEDA) and the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC) have announced the state and community leaders who recently graduated from The SC Economic Institute (The Institute), a statewide economic development training program.

The Institute offers participants a highly interactive curriculum, affording them a more immersive “hands-on” economic development learning experience. The Institute, a decades-long partnership between SCEDA and SCDOC, has graduated more than 1,500 participants since its inception.

Now in its 34th year, The Institute consists of quarterly, two-day sessions that are hosted in various locations throughout the state.

The Institute is open to individuals from a wide variety of organizations and entities, including city, town and county councils; local economic development practitioners; county economic development boards; county school boards; regional economic development boards; utility companies; and local and state governments.

Congratulations to the 2024 South Carolina Economic Development Institute graduates, listed alphabetically by last name:

John Alexander, Global Management Partners (GMP)
Allyson Barbier, SC Department of Commerce
Noah Beason, Cherokee County Development Board
Scott Biering, Colleton County Government
Kendall, Blackmon, Lynches River Electric Cooperative and RiverNet Connect
Travis Bowman, SC Technical College System
Taylor Boykin, SouthernCarolina Alliance
Will Brennan, City of Columbia
Kelli Brunson, Beaufort County
Katherine Busbee, Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd, P.A.
Quinetta Buterbaugh, Duke Energy
Alana Caddell, Charleston County Public Library
Amy Carnes, Lancaster County Economic Development
Eric Carrier, Lower Savannah Council of Governments
J.R. Charles, Ryan, LLC
Kelly Coakley, S.C. Department of Commerce
Melissa Collins, Central SC Alliance
John Daniels, S.C. Department of Commerce
Dawn Deck, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Eric Delgado, City of Laurens
Larry Eberhart, Reeves Young
Chris Forster, Town of Bluffton
Lisa Gainey, Chesterfield County Economic Development
Kevin Hart, Town of St George
Marilyn Hemingway, Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce
Mark Hopper, City of Greer
Anna Huffman, City of West Columbia
Yaunna Hunter, S.C. Department of Commerce
Lynn Hutto, LIH Consulting
Karen Jenkins, KRJ Consulting, LLC
Alexis Kiser, City of Goose Creek
Angelle LaBorde, Lexington Chamber & Visitors Center
Heather Lynch, Sumter Economic Development/TheLINK
Prenita Mack, Charleston Regional Development Alliance
J.D. McCauley, City of North Augusta
David McCully, S.C. Department of Commerce
Ryan Merritt, Alliance Consulting Engineers Inc.
Brooke Morris, City of Myrtle Beach
Mike Norris, Scott Insurance
Rick Norwood, City of Rock Hill
Kari Pait, County of Lexington Economic Development
Lauren Phillips, SCDOT
Rita May Ranck, Dorchester County
Grace Salter, City of Columbia Economic Development
Brian Schmitt, City of Myrtle Beach
Patrick Sellars, ReadySC
Cameron Shepard, South Carolina Technical College System
Mary Porter Shull, LS3P
Rochelle Smith, City of Cayce
Lisa Smith, Edifice Construction
Robert Still, Cranston
Jack Stuart, Town of Lexington
Michelle Suarez, Upstate SC Alliance
Brison Taylor, City of Clinton, SC
Jimmy Trippe, Colleton County Government
Regina Turner, Saluda County
Rebecca Walker, Town of Moncks Corner
Lynn Wilson, Florence County Economic Development Partnership
Terry Wise, Richland County Economic Development
Mark Wright, ECS Southeast

Since 1965, the S.C. Economic Developers’ Association has served as the Voice of Economic Development in the Palmetto State. A professional trade association of more than 580 members, with representation from all 46 counties, SCEDA includes local and regional economic developers, as well as officials from municipal, county, and state government agencies, construction and engineering firms, utility companies, attorneys, consultants, financial institutions, and higher education. To learn more, visit www.SCEDA.org.