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

S.C. Economic Developers’ Association

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.