New Carolina Announces New Board Members
October 31, 2008
Some of South Carolina’s top business leaders to help New Carolina fulfill its mission of raising state’s per capita income.
COLUMBIA, SC — October 31, 2008 – Four new members have been added to the board of New Carolina—South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness.
New Carolina’s board members help determine the strategic direction of the organization and help it build industry clusters, change the economic environment through innovation in business and education, and start conversations around positive change.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome these new board members who will work with us to raise per capita incomes and improve the standard of living in the Palmetto State,” says New Carolina Executive Director George Fletcher. “Each of these individuals has a proven record of service to South Carolina and a great dedication to making our state a better place to live and work.”
The new board members are:
S. Hunter Howard, Jr.
From 1992 until his retirement earlier this year, S. Hunter Howard served as the president and chief executive officer of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce, the largest broad-based business and trade organization in the state. Under his leadership, in 2006 the organization received recognition by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the first state chamber to be Accredited with Distinction. Howard served in the S.C. House of Representatives from 1974 until 1982. In 1982, Gov. Richard W. Riley appointed him to the S.C. Tax Commission, which he later chaired. During his service he worked actively with practitioners, legislators and the taxpaying public to simplify the tax laws of South Carolina. He has served on numerous boards including the S.C. Board of Economic Advisors, the Charleston Southern University Board of Trustees, the S.C. Retirement System Investment Panel, and the United Way of South Carolina. He currently serves on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, the advisory council of the S.C. Commission on Higher Education, S.C. Law Enforcement Division task force, and in other leadership capacities.
Eric C. Schweitzer
Eric Schweitzer is the managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins’ Charleston office. He has practiced in the labor, employment and environmental law fields for more than 32 years. In his law practice, he is experienced in all aspects of labor relations and frequently helps employers establish and maintain union-free employee relations programs. He also focuses on environmental matters and has extensive experience conducting due diligence investigations in the course of acquisitions or sales of manufacturing and other facilities. He is a past president of the Greenville County Bar Association and currently serves on the professional responsibility committee of the South Carolina Bar Association. He has been listed in all editions of The Best Lawyers in America since 1994. He is a former Medical Service Corps Officer in the United States Air Force, where he served in the Philippines and Vietnam and participated in the release of POWs from Hanoi.
Jane S. Sosebee
Jane Sosebee is director of external affairs for AT&T in South Carolina. She has more than 29 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Jane has been very involved in economic development. She chaired the boards of the Upstate Alliance and Innovate Anderson (formerly the Anderson County Development Partnership) and was one of the founding board members of the Oconee Alliance. She also chairs the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and is vice chairman of the Clemson University Foundation. She serves on the boards of Clemson University’s Finance Corporation, the Tri-County Technical College Foundation and Palmetto Bank.
Irv Welling, III
Irv Welling III, CPA is shareholder and chairman emeritus of the Greenville office of Elliott Davis. He has practiced public accounting for more than 35 years with concentrations in business planning, medical, real estate, estate and trust planning, personal wealth management and general areas. He is extremely active in professional and civic activities including the Upstate South Carolina Regional Alliance, the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities board, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce board, the Greenville Convention & Visitor’s Bureau board, the Clemson University Board of Visitors, the USC Upstate Board of Visitors and numerous others.
About New Carolina
South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness is a public-private partnership working to increase per capita income and drive the movement towards a New Carolina – a South Carolina with a brighter future and a competitive, winning economy. The focus is on a strategy to play to the strengths of the state’s core industries, emphasize education, and build an environment that fosters innovation. Visit www.newcarolina.org for more information.
