SCBIO Chief Executive Sam Konduros honored by South Carolina Governor McMaster with Order of the Palmetto
November 6, 2017
SCBIO CEO Sam Konduros was presented with the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor, during SCBIO’s annual conference at the Gaillard Center in Charleston last week.
Governor McMaster was one of the featured keynote speakers at the gathering, where he extolled the state’s virtues as a growing life sciences cluster. Following his comments, he surprised Konduros and the crowd of nearly 300 life sciences executives and leaders by presenting the honor, citing Konduros’ long service to the state.
The Order of the Palmetto is the highest civilian honor in the State of South Carolina and is awarded for extraordinary lifetime service and achievements of national or statewide significance. The selections are screened and vetted by a bipartisan committee and then forwarded on to the governor for final consideration. Governor John C. West presented the first Order of the Palmetto in the summer of 1971 as a way to recognize outstanding achievements, service, and contributions to South Carolina.
Konduros, who became CEO at SCBIO about six months ago, says he was humbled by the honor.
“I have had a love affair with South Carolina for as long as I can remember, so to receive the state’s highest civilian honor directly from the governor — in the midst of the SCBIO Annual Conference — was one of the most humbling and overwhelming experiences of my life,” he said. “I was beyond surprised, and am extraordinarily grateful.”
Konduros began serving as President and CEO of SCBIO (South Carolina Biotechnology Industry Organization) in Spring 2017, and has focused on leading the statewide organization to its next level of development. SCBIO is committed to building, advancing, and growing the life sciences industry in South Carolina, working closely with strategic partners from industry, academia, and the public/private sector – including complementary local, regional, and state economic development agencies such as the SC Department of Commerce. SCBIO is the official state affiliate of BIO — the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology organizations.
Konduros has also served as Founder of SK Strategies, LLC – a Greenville-based consulting firm that specializes in economic development, public-private partnerships, integrated marketing and business development strategies for such clients as CU-ICAR, Clemson University, Greenville Health System, and KENTWOOL. He formerly served as Executive Director of the Greenville Health Research Development Corporation (RDC), as well as Senior Project Manager for the SC Department of Commerce, Alfmeier Corporation’s Executive VP for North America, and Founding CEO of Upstate SC Alliance in past years.
A licensed attorney since 1989, Konduros currently serves as board member and past chair of the Cancer Society of Greenville County, South State Bank Greenville Advisory Board, Palmetto Conservation Foundation board, and is a past executive committee/ and board member of the SC Chamber of Commerce.
SCBIO is South Carolina’s investor-driven economic development organization exclusively focused on building, advancing, and growing the life sciences industry in the state. The industry has an $11.4 billion economic impact in the Palmetto State, with more than 400 firms directly involved and 15,000 professionals employed in the research, development and commercialization of innovative healthcare, medical device, industrial, environmental and agricultural biotechnology products.
SCBIO is the official state affiliate of BIO — the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology organizations – SCBIO members include hundreds of academic institutions, biotech companies, entrepreneurial organizations, service providers, thought leaders, economic development organizations and related groups whose members are leading the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products that transform how we heal, fuel and feed the world.
For additional information on SCBIO, visit www.SCBIO.org.
