Ten at the Top Announces Panelists for Upstate Regional Summit

Registration approaches maximum capacity, with more than 800 expected attendees

 

GREENVILLE, SC – With three weeks until Ten at the Top hosts its Upstate Regional Summit – “Re-Checking Our Reality”, the event has drawn more than 65 sponsors and 800 expected attendees from all ten counties of the Upstate. The organization has released its slate of confirmed panelists for the event, which is being held on Tuesday, September 16, from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm at the TD Convention Center.

Recognizing the fifth anniversary of the successful “Upstate Reality Check” event held in 2009, the Upstate Regional Summit will highlight what has been done to promote collaboration and enhance economic vitality and quality of life in the Upstate over the past five years, discuss key systemic issues facing the Upstate today and into the future, and generate constructive dialogue on how to continue building collaborative efforts that increase capacity and maximize resources.

Speakers and panelists for the Upstate Regional Summit will include:

Opening Session: 9:00 – 10:00 am

• Amy Wood – Anchor, WSPA (Ms. Wood is serving as Emcee of the Summit.)
• Carol Burdette – Board Chair, Ten at the Top and Chief Professional Officer, United Way of Anderson County
• Irv Welling, III – Founding Board Chair, Ten at the Top
• Neal Workman – Immediate Past Board Chair, Ten at the Top and Chairman of the Board, Trehel Corporation
• Sue Schneider – Second Vice Chair, Ten at the Top and Chief Executive Officer, Spartanburg Water
• Dean Hybl – Executive Director, Ten at the Top

Breakout Sessions: Idea Generation Exercise 10:00-11:45 am, Panel Discussions 10:50-11:45 am

Breakout Session: Community Vibrancy

• The Honorable Knox White – Mayor, City of Greenville
• Suzette Cross – Executive Director, Blue Ridge Arts Council
• Abe Goldberg – Professor, USC Upstate (Dr. Goldberg will be serving as the Moderator.)

Breakout Session: Economic & Entrepreneurial Vitality

• John Warner – President, Innoventure
• A. J. Kramer – Commercial Relationship Manager, TD Bank
• Gustavo Nieves – Government Affairs Director,South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Erin Ouzts – Director, Center for Innovation and Business Engagement, USC Upstate
• Jim Price – Member, Nexsen Pruet (Mr. Price will serve as the Moderator.)

Breakout Session: Human Potential

• Stan Means – President, Elder Source Senior Ministries
• Peggy Baxter – Community Advocate
• Zach Eikenberry – Chairman, NEXT High School
• Paul Corbeil – Vice Chairman, Oconee County Council (Mr. Corbeil will serve as Co-Moderator.)
• Karen Burgess – President, Brown Mackie College (Ms. Burgess will serve as Co-Moderator.)
• Burke Royster, Superintendent of Greenville County Schools (panelist)

Breakout Session: Sustainable Growth

• Fred Cartwright – Executive Director, CU-ICAR
• Stephanie Monroe – City Administrator, City of Woodruff
• Scott Park – Principal Planner, Greenville County Department of Planning and Code Compliance
• Barry Nocks – Professor, Graduate Program in City and Regional Planning, Clemson University (Dr. Nocks will serve as the Moderator.)

Breakout Session: Natural Beauty & Resources

• Phil Hughes – President, Hughes Investments
• Kevin Laird – Engineer, Goodwyn Mills & Cawood
• Ed Bruce – Lead Engineer, Duke Energy
• Dyke Spencer – Executive Director, Powdersville Water (Mr. Spencer will serve as the Moderator.)
• Brad Wyche, Founder, Upstate Forever

Luncheon: 12:00 – 1:30 pm

• Fred Cartwright – Executive Director, CU-ICAR
• The Honorable Glenda Hood – Partner, triSect, LLC (Ms. Hood is the Keynote Speaker of the Summit.)
• Hank McCullough – First Vice Chair, Ten at the Top and Senior Manager of Government Relations, Piedmont Natural Gas

Additional speakers and panelists will be confirmed before the September 16^th Summit.

Tickets to attend the Summit are $40 per person, or $20 per person for non-profits and government representatives, made possible by Summit sponsor the Daniel-Mickel Foundation. To register and purchase a ticket for the event, click here or visit Ten at the Top’s website homepage (www.TenattheTop.org). Ten at the Top encourages those who have not yet registered but plan to attend the Summit to do so now, as they will likely close registration early on account of having reached a maximum capacity for the event.

 

About Ten at the Top

Founded in 2009, Ten at the Top fosters partnerships and cooperation amongst ten counties, which form the Upstate South Carolina region, and has become an active regional entity fostering collaboration and strategic planning around issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life in the Upstate. Ten at the Top has hosted more than 380 meetings, programs and workshops that have informed and engaged more than 21,000 participants across the Upstate during its first five years. To learn more about Ten at the Top, visit tenatthetop.org or connect with them on Facebook.