Heather Simmons Jones, a Clemson University graduate, currently serves as CEO of Opus 3, LLC. Previously she was a Business Development Manager at Find Great People in Greenville, SC.

Ms. Jones is one of only two certified international film commissioners in South Carolina, outside of the SC Film Commission and is also a SC Certified Economic Developer. She graduated from Basic Economic Developers School at Georgia Tech and Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma at Norman. She is a graduate of the SC Executive Institute in partnership with the Harvard Business School and the Diversity Leaders Initiative at Furman University.

George B. Wolfe is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP where he practices in the areas of economic development, corporate, and governmental law. He chairs the firm’s Economic Development Practice Group.

In addition to serving on the SCEDA Board, Mr. Wolfe presently serves on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, on the Chamber’s Tax Committee.

Mr. Wolfe earned a Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 1977 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and Order of the Coif. He earned an undergraduate degree, cum laude, in 1973 from Washington and Lee University.
 

Jeff McKay, is the Executive Director of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) in Florence, SC and serves as SCEDA's Secretary.

NESA is a regional economic development alliance that serves a nine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina.

Mr. Ruble is Director of Business Recruitment for the South Carolina Power Team and serves as SCEDA's Treasurer and Public Relations Committee Chair.

April A. Allen, SCCED, serves as Immediate Past President of SCEDA.  She is a graduate of Columbia College, the Basic Economic Development Course at Chapel Hill and Leadership Columbia.

Mr. Cuda is President and COO of Red Rock Developments in Columbia, SC and co-chairs the Professional Development Committee for SCEDA.

Amy Riley is Director of Business Development for Thomas & Hutton in Charleston, SC. She serves as Co-Chair of the SCEDA Public Relations Committee.

Mr. West is Manager, Economic Development for Duke Energy in Greenville, SC and chairs the SCEDA Membership Committee.

Mr. Jones is a partner with Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein in Columbia, SC. He co-chairs the SCEDA Legislative Committee.

Nelson Lindsay, SCCED, is the Economic Development Director for Richland County. He co-chairs the Local Developers Committee.

Will Williams, SCCED, is the executive director of the Economic Development Partnership and co-chairs the Professional Development Committee.

Secretary of Commerce Bobby M. Hitt serves as an ex-officio member of the Board.  His designee is Jennifer Noel, Director Global Business Development. Ms. Noel may be reached at jnoel(at)sccommerce.com.

Mr. Duane Parrish, Director of the SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, serves as an ex-officio member of the SCEDA Board.  His designee is Ms. Toni Nance, Director of Governmental Affairs.  Ms. Nance may be reached at tnance(at)scprt.com.

Mr. Jim Newsome is President & CEO of the SC State Ports Authority and serves as ex-officio member of the Board.  Jack Ellenberg serves as Mr. Newsome's designee to the Board and may be reached at jellenberg(at)scspa.com.

Dr. Darrel Staat is the President of the SC Technical College System. Ms. Susan Pretulak serves as his designee. She may be reached at pretulaks(at)sctechsystem.edu.