Letter from the President of the South Carolina Economic Developers' Association

As I attempt to follow in the footsteps of Deepal and the other strong leaders who preceded him, I have taken time to fondly recall my years of membership in SCEDA and the many faces and personalities who have had such a positive
impact on my life as well as the advancement of South Carolina.

My heart swells with pride as I recall the years of projects, announcements and fun we’ve had. I am extremely proud to be moving into the presidency of SCEDA, and I am humbled by the opportunity to provide leadership to so many whom I respect so much. Thank you for this opportunity.

In April I was able to chaperone my daughter’s third grade field trip to the State House. We spent time reviewing avideo about the history of the State House and many of the symbols associated with our South Carolina heritage.
One item that really stuck with me and reminded me of our hardworking SCEDA members were the words on the State Seal: Animis Opibusque Parati, which means “Prepared in mind and resources” and Dum Spiro Spero, “While I breathe, I hope.”

I thought of our devoted SCEDA members, especially those who devote their life’s work to enhance the quality of life and the opportunities for all South Carolinians. Those who make sure we are prepared for the future by training and educating our people, helping them achieve new and better opportunities. I believe the legacy of our members is to provide hope to the state every day.

My thoughts were reinforced during SCEDA’s Annual Conference in May. Both Fred Humes, director of the Center for Hydrogen Research, and Andreas Maas, president and CEO of DaimlerChrysler Manufacturing International, LLC, delivered the message that economic development isn’t about the numbers. It is about the people.  It’s about the people who received retraining and are now assembling automobiles.aaaaa

It’s about our children who graduate with their degrees and want to find careers that keep them in our great state. And, even though we really didn’t plan it in advance, Ken Evans, former CEO of Armor All, delivered a similar message to the former presidents of SCEDA. I shared his message in my closing remarks of the conference, but also wanted to share them here.

Evans’ message was about leaving a legacy. We all leave a legacy, and we need to make deliberate choices about the legacy we will leave. He used the reference to six words that can be found at Ground Zero. They are: Look Back; Move Forward; It’s Time.

Look Back: Our SCEDA members have left a long legacy of contribution to the future of South Carolina. It is important for us to look back at the long legacy of accomplishments and lessons learned as the South Carolina economy has evolved.

Move Forward: SCEDA is the “Voice of Economic Development.” We are the leaders who must build on the momentum of our efforts and continue to strengthen our voice and our business climate to continue to attract jobs to the State.

It’s Time. It’s time to harness the consistent
grassroots support base within SCEDA. Leverage our collective backgrounds and experiences. And continue to shine as the beacon of economic development’s voice in the State.

I look forward to working with our membership and friends to make a positive contribution to SCEDA’s legacy this year.