News
SCEDA Elects Officers and Directors at Annual Conference
May 17, 2010
The South Carolina Economic Developers' Association (SCEDA) elected their incoming Board during the organization's annual conference, held May 5-7, 2010 at the Marriott in Myrtle Beach.
SCEDA elected the following Officers and Directors at the meeting:
President: April Allen, O'Neal Inc. (Columbia)
Past President: Buddy Bateman, AT&T (Columbia)
Vice President: Heather Simmons Jones, Find Great People (Greenville)
Secretary: Jennifer Noel, Upstate South Carolina Alliance (Greenville)
Treasurer: George Wolfe, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough (Columbia)
Directors: (new) David Cuda, Red Rock Developments (Columbia); Jeff Ruble, SC Power Team (Columbia); and Steve West, Duke Energy (Greenville); (returning) Teresa Powers, Newberry County (Newberry); Edward Kluiters, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd (Columbia); Jeff McKay, North Eastern Strategic Alliance (Florence).
"SCEDA is fortunate to have such a strong group of leaders on this Board that represent the strength of the economic development network in South Carolina," said Allen.
Newly elected President Allen's primary focus will be strategic planning for the organization, including professional development, networking and advocacy. In addition, it will be Allen's mission to raise awareness of the unique role that economic developers play in a business or community, and to help arm her fellow economic developers with the tools needed to be successful.
"We are a small state and economic development is a team game," Allen said. "SCEDA, along with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, local and regional economic developers as well as a host of utilities and other professional allies work together for the benefit of South Carolina as a whole. If any of our Economic Development organizations helps train someone to be a better salesman, to understand an incentive more clearly or to know who are the best allies to pull in to win a project then we have ultimately helped our state.
About SCEDA South Carolina Economic Developers' Association is a 550+ member organization whose primary objective is to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in South Carolina by encouraging cooperation, exchange of information and promotion of professional skills. With a proactive board and involved membership support, the organization will continue to advance the professionalism of South Carolina's economic development efforts.