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Speaker Biographies

Session 1: Welcome to Greenville- South Carolina’s Rising Star

Carlos Phillips President & CEO Greenville Chamber

Carlos Phillips became the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Greenville Chamber in late March 2016. He brought a series of successful chamber industry experiences from Greater Louisville Inc. and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He helped to lead Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) to be recognized as “Chamber of the Year” in 2007, and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to be recognized as an industry leader in membership growth and programmatic excellence. Before joining GLI in 2005, Phillips served in various sales, operations, and leadership roles within the BellSouth, Cingular Wireless and AT&T organizations. He served as Director of Retail Sales and Director of Retail Operations in Atlanta, GA where he led 200+ associates and over 300 company-owned and authorized dealer locations. He also served as Business Sales & Market Manager in Birmingham, AL where he led the retail and business sales organization and was responsible for 25 company-owned and authorized retailer locations.

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Phillips received an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife, LaTonya, have four children. He is a native of Owensboro, KY. Knox White Mayor City of Greenville

Knox White has served as Mayor of Greenville since December 1995. As Mayor he has the goal

of making the city of Greenville “the most beautiful and livable city in America.” He has

emphasized neighborhood revitalization and transformational projects for downtown.

Key strategic projects include: removal of the Camperdown Bridge and creation of Falls Park, the

restoration of the Poinsett Hotel and Court Street, new retail (Mast General Store), a downtown

baseball stadium (Fluor Field), riverfront development and initiation of a bike and walking trail

system (Swamp Rabbit Trail) throughout the City, public art initiatives along Main Street, record

annexations, and a model infrastructure for Clemson ICAR.

Neighborhood initiatives include enhanced beautification efforts, traffic calming, sidewalk

construction, support for neighborhood associations, reinvestment in neighborhood parks,

master plans for commercial corridors, and attractive new housing in the city’s special emphasis

neighborhoods.

Under the mayor’s leadership, the City maintains a “Triple A” (AAA) bond rating and enjoys a

reputation for solving problems on an innovative and bipartisan basis.

A native of Greenville, and a graduate of Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville High School,

Wake Forest University and the University of South Carolina Law School. Knox White is a partner

in the law firm of Haynsworth, Sinkler & Boyd, where he heads the firm’s immigration and

customs practices. He and his wife Marsha have two children.

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Session 2: “I Chose Greenville”-Why Young Professionals are Making Greenville Home

Hank Hyatt (moderator) Vice President, Economic Competitiveness Greenville Chamber

In his current role at the Greenville Chamber, Hank provides support to the region’s major

employers and works to prompt community change through community and economic

development research.

Hank oversees the Chamber’s Manufacturers Roundtable and other efforts to engage existing

industry. He was a founding member of Greenville Works, an innovative collaborative ensuring

a viable talent pipeline for manufacturers and major employers in the region. He is a member

of the Greenville County Workforce Investment Board and a member of the Financial Stability

Council of the United Way of Greenville County.

He also staffs the Greenville Chamber’s Education and Workforce Committee, leading efforts to

bring business support to Early Childhood, K12 and Higher Education initiatives. Chamber

members provide business acumen to the area’s early childhood providers.

Hank oversees the Regional Economic Scorecard, an initiative to focus community attention on

drivers of per capita income. The Scorecard promotes strategies to develop human capital,

innovation, entrepreneurism, and cluster/industry growth.

Finally, Hank is responsible for the Chamber’s talent attraction efforts. From providing

personalized assistance with VIP recruiting trips to coordinating large, multi-day events for

scores of recruits, the Chamber has been instrumental in assisting companies attract the talent

critical to their success.

Hank is a graduate of Washington and Lee University (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and

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pursued graduate studies in philosophy as a Regents Fellow at the University of California –

Santa Barbara. He and his wife, Melissa, have three children and reside in Mauldin.

Ryan Johnston Publisher Upstate Business Journal

Though he’s only officially been at Community Journals Publishing Group since 2012, the Journals have been part of his life since the company was founded in 1999. When asked what he is most passionate about professionally, he replies, “Growing the Upstate. We have a unique business model. Our first goal is to be the best in the world at communicating locally. Growing the Upstate is a byproduct of being successful in achieving our goal. Or,” he adds, “Talking to people about what they do. Both personally and professionally.” With a commitment to innovation and unafraid to make mistakes, get his hands dirty or do whatever it takes to get the job done, Ryan is continually chasing a new idea, column, or opportunity (and it’s seriously tough to keep up–shoot espresso and fasten your seatbelt).

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Ebony Austin Leadership Development Coordinator Greenville Chamber

A native from Brooklyn NY, Ebony moved to Greenville and completed her final year of high school at Greenville High. She attended Benedict College in Columbia, relocated to Greenville to complete her Associate's degree in Criminal Justice at Greenville Technical College and is currently enrolled at Southern Wesleyan University completing her Bachelors in Business Administration. Early in Ebony's career she worked as a case manager for the State of SC, became a realtor for both Prudential C. Dan Joyner and Keller Williams, and served as a tactical buyer and accounts specialist for a major manufacturing company. Ebony also owned and operated a historic business in downtown Greenville and was the Director of First Impressions for a local accounting company. She currently works for The Greenville Chamber as Leadership Development Coordinator where her primary focus is Pulse Young Professionals. She is actively involved with many organizations where she serves in different capacities; Advisory Board for African American Leadership Greenville- United Way, Secretary/Treasurer on Board of Advisors for Just For Today Recovery for Women, Finance Committee for the Greenville Chamber, an active member of Pulse for four years sitting on the Advisory Council for two and a graduate of the PaceSetters Mentoring program to name a few. Ebony is a mother who enjoys volunteering her time in the community, spending time with family and close friends, traveling and cheering on her favorite little people as they take on the world.

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Tammy Johnson Owner Liquid Catering/The Old Cigar Warehouse

Tammy is originally from Houston Texas, but has lived in Greenville since 2009. She has been working in the hospitality industry for twelve years, holding almost any position you can think of, from bartender to restaurant manager. Before opening Liquid Catering, she had four years of bartending experience, providing the mixology background that is needed for beverage catering. Aside from bartending, she has years of experience in catering, primarily as the Catering Sales Manager for Sticky Fingers Smokehouse. She has coordinated everything from small private parties, to large corporate events exceeding 2,500 guests. Tammy is an active volunteer, serving as the Bar Manager for Euphoria and recently served as the Chair of Pulse, Greenville Chamber's Young Professionals Group. She currently serves on the City of Greenville's Accommodations Tax Commission, the Greenville Chamber Board of Advisors, and on the Advisory Board for the Clemson Small Business Development Center. Tammy was a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class 39 and is active with the Leadership Greenville Alumni Association. She has been recognized as one of Greenville's Best & Brightest under 35, was a 2013 finalist for Greenville Chamber's Young Professional of the Year, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Business Black Box magazine. Most recently she was selected as the SC Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

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Session 3: Greenville’s Major Employers: Driving the Economy David Lominack South Carolina Market President TD Bank

David Lominack is market president of South Carolina for TD Bank, where he is responsible for

commercial banking throughout the state. David joined the former Carolina First Bank in May

1997 as a management associate. Upon completion of the Management Associate program, he

served in a number of roles including branch manager, commercial loan officer, Private

Banking, and regional Retail Banking executive. From 2006-2010, he served as market president

for the Midlands region of South Carolina.

In 2010 Carolina First was acquired by TD Bank, and David returned home to take on the role of market president for the newly formed Upstate-Midlands region. He was appointed market president of South Carolina in 2015. David earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Presbyterian

College. He is a graduate of the Stonier National Graduate School of Banking; Leadership

Greenville; the Diversity Leadership Initiative at Furman; and is a Liberty Fellow.

A stalwart community supporter, David has served on numerous community boards. Currently,

he is chair of the South Carolina Bankers Association; chair of the Greenville Chamber, member

of executive committee of United Way of Greenville County, and board member of Greenville

Health System. David and his wife, Courtney, reside in Greenville with their three children:

Henry; James; and Lynne.

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Michael C. Riordan President & Chief Executive Officer Greenville Health System

Michael C. Riordan, President and Chief Executive Officer, joined Greenville Health System in 2006. Riordan is responsible for leading this highly integrated system, one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare providers in the Southeast with eight medical campuses, over 180 physician practice sites, more than 14,000 employees including over 1,100 physicians and providers, and operating revenues of approximately $2 billion. Prior to joining GHS, he served as president and CEO of the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System and as senior associate hospital administrator for Emory University Hospital and Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He also served three years in the United States Marine Corps as a lieutenant. Riordan currently serves on the governing boards of the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems, and Health Sciences South Carolina. He is Chairman of the Furman University Board of Trustees and serves on the board of Liberty Fellowship, an incubator for leadership in South Carolina. Riordan earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts/English, a Master of Education/Psychology from Columbia University in New York, as well as a Master of Health Systems from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

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James Brown Greenville General Manager Fluor

James Brown is the General Manager of Greenville Operations for Fluor. In this role, he is responsible for engineering, procurement, contracts, project controls, and facilities for the 2,000+-employee campus. The Greenville office is one of the most diverse of Fluor’s offices as it supports all of the business groups including infrastructure, mining & metals, energy & chemicals, power, government, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.

Prior to this assignment, he was Head of Operations for Fluor’s Power business with responsibility for leading and managing functional support, office operations, and resources for Fluor’s fossil generation, nuclear, environmental compliance, and renewables business. His Fluor experience, which began in Charlotte over 26 years ago, includes a variety of operations and management responsibilities for projects and clients around the world.

James is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds a MBA from Queens University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and has the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional certification. He has written numerous publications for Power magazine, Power Engineering, and industry conferences. He holds three patents and has two patents pending in power generation and environmental controls.

James serves on the Clemson University General Engineering Advisory Board, the Fluor Supplier Diversity Board, the United Way of Greenville County Board, and the Ten At The Top Board.

James and his wife, Becky, live in Simpsonville, South Carolina with their three children – Anna Elizabeth, Grace, and Davis. James enjoys running, biking, hiking and camping with his family.

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Norman King Vice President, Purchasing Michelin North America, Inc.

Norman King became Vice President of Purchasing for Michelin North America, Inc. in early

2013. Prior to this appointment, Norman served seven years as the Director of Administration

for Michelin Americas Research Company, responsible for accounting and finance, supply chain,

procurement, internal communications and facility management. From 2000-2004, Norman

served as CFO of Tire Centers, Inc., a subsidiary of Michelin.

Norman received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of NC Charlotte in

1984, and earned an MBA from the University of South Carolina in 1995. Norman is a Certified

Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

Joining Michelin in 1988, Norman has held various corporate, manufacturing and distribution

positions in Accounting, Finance and Supply Chain in North America and at Michelin’s global

headquarters in Clermont- Ferrand, France. Prior to Michelin, Norman worked with BDO

Seidman, CPAs for four years.

Norman is active in the community having served in leadership positions for the American

Heart Association HeartWalk, Michelin Challenge Education, and United Way. He also serves on

the Board of Directors of the Greenville Metropolitan Arts Council and the Michelin Pro Am

Charity Golf Tournament. Norman and his wife Cindy enjoy traveling, discovering art and

antiques, and playing with their dogs, Jo-Jo and Smiley.

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John Ellsworth Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary ScanSource, Inc.

John serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of ScanSource. Prior to joining the Company, John served as an Assistant General Counsel with One Price Clothing Stores, Inc. from 2000 to 2003, and as a judicial law clerk in 1999. He is admitted to practice law in the states of South Carolina and Minnesota.

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Session 4: Transforming a Community: Greenville’s Downtown Redevelopment

Nancy Whitworth Deputy City Manager & Director of Economic Development City of Greenville

Nancy is the deputy city manager and director of economic development for the City of

Greenville. In addition to her role as deputy, she is responsible for commercial and

neighborhood revitalization, downtown development, business recruitment and retention,

planning and zoning and building codes. A native South Carolinian, she has been in Greenville

for over thirty years and has played an integral role in Greenville’s transformation.

Nancy has served as an expert panelist and lecturer throughout the country, advising

communities on downtown revitalization, strategic planning and public/private partnerships.

She has authored articles on Greenville’s award winning downtown and meets frequently with

other cities to share Greenville’s success story.

She received Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Clemson University. Nancy is

a member of The University Center of Greenville, Inc., Board of Trustees, Greenville

Professional Women’s Forum, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Upstate, Greenville

Chamber Board of Directors, and Clemson University Advancement Board for Real Estate

Development.

She has been recognized as Greenville Magazine Business Person of the Year, recipient of the

March of Dimes Real Estate Award for work in economic development, the Greenville Chamber

Buck Mickel community leadership award, the Leadership Greenville Distinguished Alumnae

Award, Greenville Area Development Corporation Award for community vision and leadership,

CREW Lifetime Achievement award and the Athena Leadership award.

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Mary Douglas Hirsch

Downtown Development Manager

City of Greenville

Mary Douglas Hirsch works for the City of Greenville as the Downtown Manager in the

Economic Development Department. In this role for over ten years, she works with business

owners, developers, residents, and other stakeholders to promote a viable downtown district.

She represents the City on a variety of downtown mixed-use developments, streetscape

projects, and business recruitment and retention initiatives. She is a graduate of Presbyterian

College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Clemson University with a

Masters of City and Regional Planning. She received her certified city planner designation from

the American Planning Association in 2007.

Mary Douglas serves on the Board of Directors of the Clemson Small Business Development

Center. Past board service includes Greenville Forward and Main Street Events. She is an

active member in the Urban Land Institute, the American Planning Association, the South

Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association (currently serving as

secretary/treasurer), CREW Upstate, and the International Downtown Association. In 2011, she

received the “Young Professional of the Year Award” from the Greenville Chamber.

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Ginny Stroud Community Development Administrator City of Greenville

Virginia Stroud, a Greenville native, serves as the Community Development Administrator for

the City of Greenville’s Economic Development Department.

Prior to returning to the City of Greenville, she served as Deputy Director for the City of Charleston’s

Department of Housing and Community Development. There she was instrumental in the creation and

implementation of affordable housing and economic opportunity initiatives for the city’s federally

designated Enterprise Community, forging partnerships with non-profit and for-profit organizations.

Ginny returned to the City of Greenville in April 2001 to lead the Community Development Division.

The Division implements effective housing strategies and administers programs to build the wealth of

low-to-moderate income families. The goal of the Division in both its housing and economic initiatives

is to create lasting improvement in the quality-of-life of residents living in Greenville’s Special Emphasis

Neighborhoods.

Ginny holds a Master in Social Work from the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work and

a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina’s College of Business Administration. She is

a Licensed Social Worker and a member of the America Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

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Session 5: Greenville’s Tipping Points

Bob Morris (moderator) President Community Foundation of Greenville

Bob moved to Greenville in December of 1999 to become President of the Community Foundation of Greenville. The Community Foundation assists families in making their giving simpler and more powerful. He earned his JD/MBA from Wake Forest University in 1986 and joined the North Carolina Bar Association. Bob then began a career in Trust Banking before joining the Foundation for the Carolinas as it Vice President for Development in 1996. He held the CFP designation from 1994-2002. Bob is a member of the Greenville Downtown Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He also serves as a volunteer for OnTrack - a Middle Grades Success Initiative spearheaded by the United Way of Greenville County. Bob serves on the Steering Committee of the Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy. Bob was a member of Leadership Greenville Class 35, is a member of CEO Build Task Force for Habitat for Humanity, and has been recognized by the Upstate Business Journal as a Who’s Who of Greenville. He serves on the Poinsett Club Board of Governors where he chairs the Membership Committee. Bob has two sons in college and a daughter in medical school. He is a member of Greenville First Baptist Church where he has served as a Deacon, Finance Committee Member and Chair of the First Baptist Foundation.

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Minor Mickel Shaw President Micco Corporation

Minor Mickel Shaw is president of Micco Corporation. She currently serves as chairman of The

Daniel – Mickel Foundation and she is a trustee of the Duke Endowment, the Hollingsworth

Funds and the Belle Baruch Foundation. She is on the boards of BlueCross BlueShield of South

Carolina, Piedmont Natural Gas and Columbia Nations Funds. She formerly served as director of

Interstate/Johnson Lane. She is vice-chairman of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport

Commission where she was instrumental in bringing Southwest Airlines to South Carolina. She

is also on the boards of the Greenville Chamber, the South Carolina Governor’s School for the

Arts Foundation and The Palmetto Institute.

Minor’s previous leadership has included positions as chairman of the United Way of South

Carolina, the Wofford College Board of Trustees, the South Carolina Foundation for

Independent Colleges, the South Carolina ETV Endowment, the Community Foundation of

Greenville, the Urban League of the Upstate and the YMCA of Greenville. She helped found

Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the

Arts & Humanities year-round school.

Minor is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she has served on

the General Alumni Association Board, the UNC Board of Visitors, the National Campaign

Steering Committee, and she is a former chairman of the Arts & Sciences Foundation.

She has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year for the YMCA of Greenville, Citizen of the

Year of the Greenville Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants and a Woman of

Distinction of the Greenville area Girl Scouts Council. The Greenville News named Minor in its

“Top 25 Most Influential“. She has won statewide and local awards including the state of South

Carolina’s Order of the Palmetto Award, the Greenville Chamber Chairman’s Award and the

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Athena Award, and the Urban League’s Whitney Young Humanitarian Award. Minor and her

husband Hal reside in Greenville, and they have three children and six grandchildren.

Bob Hughes President & CEO Hughes Development Corporation

Bob Hughes is a Greenville native who has been developing real estate for over 35 years.

Projects have run the gamut from single-family residential to industrial to high-rise office. Every

project has been developed and planned to complement and enhance the community it serves.

Recent projects have tended to involve the “master developer” role that allows the inclusion of

other developers and expertise. Bob started in property management and learned that serving

the client well while being responsive to the community provided the best balance of success

and opportunity.

The resulting larger and more complex projects have included Poinsett Plaza, RiverPlace and ONE, all on Greenville’s award-winning Main Street, and Bull Street, the redevelopment of 181 acres in downtown Columbia, SC that is the former site of the SC State Mental Hospital. In 2001, Bob created and oversaw the implementation of a $1B school financing and construction program permitting most schools in Greenville County to be renovated or rebuilt within 5 years without a tax increase. Bob is a graduate of Duke University with a law degree from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Bunny, have three married children and six grandchildren. He serves on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities, the Board of Trustees for the University Center, and Greenville County Schools Foundation.

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Merl F. Code Attorney at Law – Of Counsel Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

Merl Code is an Attorney at Oletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart. He is a graduate of North

Carolina A&T State University where he obtained a BS in Mathematics in 1970. He received his

Juris Doctorate in 1979 from the University of South Carolina Law School.

Merl is a member of the South Carolina Bar, American Bar, and National Bar Associations. He

has received numerous accolades and distinctions over the years, including being honored by

Vision Magazine as one of the Top 25 Business Influencers (1996), awarded the Order of the

Palmetto by the Governor of South Carolina (1996), and inducted into the South Carolina Black

Hall of Fame (1999).

Merl serves on numerous boards including the Board of Directors for the Greenville Chamber,

Blue Ridge Council Boy Scouts of America, University Center of Greenville, United Way of

Greenville, and the Greenville Urban League.

He is married to Denise and has a son, Merl Saint Michael Code, and a daughter, Whitney

Galloway Code.

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Carl Sobocinski Owner Table 301

Carl Sobocinski is the owner of Table 301, a restaurant group that includes Soby’s New South Cuisine, Soby’s on the Side, The Lazy Goat, Table 301 Catering, The NOSE DIVE gastropub, Passerelle Bistro, Papi's Tacos, Highway 301 Food Truck and Southern Pressed Juicery. He moved to South Carolina from Durham, New Hampshire, to pursue an architectural degree at Clemson University. Upon graduation from Clemson’s college of Architecture with a B.A. in Design, Sobocinski realized that the restaurant business, not architecture, would best allow his creative, entrepreneurial spirit and his kindred social skills to work together. In addition to running the restaurant group, Sobocinski is very active in the community. He is a graduate of Liberty Fellowship Class of 2014, serves on the Executive Committee for the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, and is also a Mentor Greenville Volunteer through the Frazee Dream Center. In his recent past, Sobocinski was on the Executive Committee of the Greenville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for several years. He was the force behind the Greenville “Branding Initiative,” a successful effort to use a portion of Hospitality Tax Revenues to create a Greenville Brand and Marketing Plan to market and promote Greenville as a tourist destination. He’s also active in the SCRLA Greenville Chapter. Sobocinski now holds emeritus status with the Board of Euphoria, a four-day food, wine, and music event held every September in Greenville, SC. The event is the brainchild of Sobocinski and platinum selling singer-songwriter Edwin McCain. The purpose of the festival is to spotlight Greenville as a culinary and musical arts scene, and to give back to the community by donating each year to local non-profit organizations. Since 2006, the event has raised more than $300,000.

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The South Carolina Restaurant Association has named Sobocinski Restaurateur of the Year. He has been one of five finalists for the Greenville Magazine Nelson Mullins Business Person of the Year. He was selected as the Leadership Greenville Distinguished Alumni from the Greenville Chamber and is proud to be a member of the Chamber’s Leadership Greenville Class 26. Carl’s chosen Greenville because he believes in the community here – where it’s been and where it’s going. Carl has two daughters so you can also include soccer games, basketball games, dance recitals, horseback riding lessons, school plays, field trips, and all of the milestones that come with being a proud dad in his daily life. Session 6: Workforce Development: K-12 and Onward Neil M. Batavia (moderator) Principal Dority & Manning, P.A.

Neil is responsible for managing client intellectual property portfolios and related prosecution, opinion work, and counseling; litigating all aspects of intellectual property law issues; and drafting and negotiating license agreements, collaboration agreements, software development/maintenance agreements, confidentiality agreements, and other agreements involving intellectual property issues.

Neil concentrates his practice on electrical and computer-implemented subject matter but has

experience in many different fields of technology. He has drafted and prosecuted

numerous U.S. and international patent applications and also has extensive experience

managing trademark portfolios.

He is adept at resolving domain name disputes, including arbitration complaints filed under

ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). While at Clemson, Neil did

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research on the implementation of Kaleidaseq DNA sequencing software at the Clemson

University Genomics institute and also worked as a DNA tracking technician.

Neil is a member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce (Vice-Chair, Talent Development,

Board of Directors), YouthBase (Board of Directors); Greenville B-Cycle (Chairman of Steering

Committee); Intellectual Property and Unfair Trade Practice Committee for the South Carolina

Bar (Chair, 2006-2008); American Bar Association; Carolina Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law

Association.

His awards and honors include: Top Attorney Vote, Legal Elite of the Upstate, Super

Lawyers, Best and Brightest 35 and Under, Leadership Greenville (Class 37); Editor, South

Carolina Law Review; President, University of South Carolina Intellectual Property Law

Society; AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

He Received a B.S., Biochemistry and Minor in Computer Science from Clemson University and attended the University of South Carolina School of Law. Werner Eikenbusch Head of Talent Management BMW Group

After completing his technical apprenticeship and mechanical engineering education in Germany, Werner earned his Master’s in Engineering Management as a Fulbright Scholar at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He subsequently started his engineering career with BMW in Munich. His love for the USA and his passion for employee development brought Werner back to the USA in the HR profession managing HR matters for BMW in North America. Werner is proud to look back on over 20 years of HR management experience, the last 15 focusing on associate training and development. After supporting the expansion of BMW’s Manufacturing Plant in Spartanburg, SC as manager of the learning and development function,

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Werner recently joined BMW’s regional HR office and is currently heading the talent management activities for BMW in the Americas region. Werner has designed and implemented numerous technical, leadership, coaching, and change management training programs and initiatives, and he holds several learning and development certifications. The apprenticeship program Werner and his team implemented at BMW Manufacturing has been featured nationally, incl. the PBS News Hour and the New York Times. After stays in several places in Germany and the USA, Werner now calls Greenville, South Carolina home. Werner is an active member in the community, and has served on several community boards, incl. Greenville Technical College Foundation Board, Clemson University Center for Workforce Development, and Greenville Symphony Orchestra Advisory Board. He is frequently asked to participate in panels and studies dealing with workforce development topics. Werner is married and the proud father of his daughter, a senior at Furman University. Werner is a passionate cyclist and lover of the outdoors and music.

Dr. Thomas Peters Executive Director South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science

Dr. Peters serves as Executive Director of South Carolina's Coalition for Mathematics & Science

(SCCMS) founded by BMW Manufacturing Co., DuPont, Michelin North America and Duke

Energy and hosted by the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University.

Among the initiatives managed by SCCMS are the S2TEM Centers SC statewide support network

for economic and workforce development through STEM education, and two regional STEM

Collaboratives focused on community engagement and out of school time learning.

Additionally, as Principal Investigator, Tom manages a research grant funded by Boeing SC that

identifies instructional strategies in disciplinary literacy to enhance student learning in middle

school mathematics and science.

Dr. Peters is a recipient of the Outstanding Leader in Science Education award from the

National Science Education Leadership Association. He has applied his instructional, scientific,

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and management expertise a variety of settings including middle school, high school and

university classrooms.

Tom holds Doctorate and Master’s in Science Education and Bachelor’s degrees in the Teaching

of Biology and in Ecology, all awarded from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Keith Miller President Greenville Technical College

Dr. Keith Miller became the second president of Greenville Technical College on July 1, 2008. He brought experienced leadership to the position, having spent 12 years as a college president in Illinois, first for Spoon River College and later for Black Hawk College. Miller began his own college education at a community college, earning an associate degree in technical education – radiologic technology from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Later, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in Community College Teaching from Pittsburg State University, and a doctorate degree in Adult and Continuing Education from Kansas State University. Miller has served in many capacities at the colleges where he has worked including instructor, dean, and vice president. In addition, his career has taken him into the private sector, working in health care. He has held national leadership positions in higher education. From 2008 to 2009, Miller served as Chairman of the Board for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the leading advocacy organization for the nation’s almost 1,200 colleges and their 11.5 million students. He has served on the board of directors for the American Council on Education, the higher education organization that represents presidents and chancellors of all accredited, degree-granting institutions in the United States. He has also served as co-chairman of the national steering committee for development of the Voluntary Framework for Accountability, a national accountability system for two-year colleges. Miller is also very active in organizations that improve the community. He serves as Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion on the Greenville Chamber Board of Directors and on the boards of

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the Urban League of the Upstate, United Way of Greenville County, and. Upstate Alliance South Carolina. In addition, he was Chairman of March for Babies, 2010-2011. Dr. W. Burke Royster

Superintendent

Greenville County Schools

Dr. Burke Royster serves as the tenth superintendent of Greenville County Schools, the nation’s

44th largest and state’s largest school district with 76,000 students. The school system is one

of the Upstate’s largest employers with 9,600 employees. Dr. Royster began his duties as

superintendent after serving seven years as the school system’s deputy superintendent.

A native of South Carolina and the Upstate, he is the son of a father who served as a district superintendent and a mother who served as a teacher and librarian. Dr. Royster has continued his family’s proud service for 35 years as a public school teacher, coach, school administrator, and district leader. He joined Greenville County Schools for the first time in 1983 as assistant principal of Monaview Middle School. He later served in Rock Hill School District Three, the Georgetown County School District, and Oconee County Schools, before rejoining Greenville County Schools in 2005. Dr. Royster serves on various community boards including The Greenville Chamber, The United Way, Greenville Technical College Area Commission, and Public Education Partners, and is a graduate of Leadership Greenville. He is actively involved with Ten at the Top, an organization that promotes partnerships and cooperation to improve the Upstate’s economic vitality and quality of life.

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Session 7: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Brenda Laakso (moderator) Vice President NEXT

Since co-founding NEXT in 2006, Brenda led the development of critical infrastructure in the

entrepreneurial ecosystem:

InnoVenture: Executive Director , 2004 – 2007, the first Venture Capital conference in S.C. in over 15 years

Upstate Carolina Angel Network (www.upstateangels.org): 2007 – 2008, Incubated launch of first ever angel network in Upstate

NEXT Innovation Center (www.greenvillenext.com): 2007 –2009, Led team of economic developers, real estate developers, and entrepreneurs to develop an accelerator to foster culture of collaboration and innovation for NEXT entrepreneurs

TEDxGreenville (www.tedxgreenville.org): 2009 – 2011, Licensee to host independently organized TED-like event in Greenville

Peer CEO Luncheon: 2006 - 2016 supporting over 100 CEOs in Upstate (www.NEXTSC.org)

NEXT MIT Venture Mentoring Service: 2015 – 2016 launched first ever team-based mentoring program developed by MIT for entrepreneurs in Greenville, SC with 24 mentors, 20 ventures with overall rating of 4.58 (5 highest)

Advocate for Legislation to foster entrepreneurial ecosystem: o State tax incentive legislation for angel investors o Federal legislation to support angel investors o SBIR/STTR reauthorization bill

2003 – 2009: VP Small Business & Entrepreneurship,

SB member participation at events doubled, and SB volunteer infrastructure grew from 10 to over 100 SB volunteers.

1980 – 1995: AT&T Global Information Systems

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Senior manager for developing and managing communications strategy to support the re-engineering of the supply chain strategy for global computer division.

Organizational development manager leading development and implementation of participative management teams among employees at Engineering & Manufacturing facilities.

Born in Texas, Brenda grew up as one of three children of a military officer whose family was

stationed throughout the continental U.S., Alaska and Europe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in

general physical science, nuclear engineering from Kansas State University.

Rob Krulac Business Development Manager Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR)

Robert M. Krulac is a Business Development Manager at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Engineering with a focus on developing strategic industry partnerships by aligning collaborative models of engagement with technology partners focused on innovation in the transportation/mobility sector. Prior to joining CU-ICAR in 2013, he spent 33 years in the transportation and industrial business sectors, working 15 years with the General Motors Locomotive Group and 18 years with the British company, Morgan Advanced Materials and Technology. Robert last held the position of Americas Business Director at Morgan, a global firm with a materials portfolio for renewable energy sectors as well as general industry sectors. His established leadership experience has been implementing business development growth initiatives for both original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) and aftermarket end users along with integrating key channel management strategies. Robert is a current advisor in the Gerson Lehrman Group Council program and a past Board Member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas.

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Peter Barth Chief Executive Officer The Iron Yard

Peter is founder and CEO of The Iron Yard, the largest intensive code school in the world. Peter started his career on Wall Street after dropping out of Vanderbilt after his sophomore year. After time at Duke & Company and then Morgan Stanley he realized that he wanted to get back into tech so he joined SinglePoint in Indianapolis. There he built one of the first fully integrated online human capital management platforms. In 2006, Peter moved his family to Greenville, SC where he got involved with building NEXT, an economic development initiative to support the growing tech ecosystem. In 2009, he co-chair the project to build the NEXT Innovation Center, a 60,000 sqft campus to house startups, the Upstate Carolina Angel Network, and NEXT. In 2011, Peter launched The Iron Yard, the first startup accelerator of its kind in the southeast and as one of the original members of the Global Accelerator Network. In 2012, The Iron Yard launched free kids programming and electronics classes. In 2013, The Iron Yard launched its intensive code school as well as expanded the accelerator and kids education to Spartanburg, SC. In 2014, the accelerator was spun out and rebranded as Iron Ventures while the code school expanded to Atlanta, Charleston, Durham, Houston, Orlando, Tampa, Austin, Columbia, and DC. The Iron Yard currently has more than 20 campuses and is the largest code school in the world. Peter serves as a Board Member for Iron Yard Ventures, the Global Accelerator Network, NEXT, the SC Afterschool Alliance Network and ChartSpan. In 2013, Peter became a Liberty Fellow, a South Carolina leadership initiative that is part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and in 2016 he was named a Braddock Scholar. Peter married his college sweetheart and has 5 incredible kids. In the rare circumstance when he's not at work or with family he can be found heads down in the latest fantasy or science fiction novel.

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Peter Waldschmidt CEO Gnoso

Peter Waldschmidt is the Founder and CEO of Gnoso, Inc. a high-tech software company in Greenville, SC that provides software quality measurement tools to thousands of companies worldwide. Previously, Peter was a co-founder of TetraData Corp., which grew into the market leading data warehousing and analysis software provider for K-12 school districts. Peter is active in the Greenville community, working to grow high-tech businesses in the upstate and he serves on several community boards. Session 8A: Quality of Place

Julie Godshall Brown (moderator) President Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing

Julie is the President and Owner of Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing, a locally

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owned recruiting and contract staffing firm established in 1968. She has been with the second

generation family business since 1995 and President and owner since 2004. She holds a

Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Clemson University and a Master of Personnel and

Employee Relations from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining her family’s business

in 1995, she was a Technical Recruiter and HR Generalist with NCR (AT&T) in Columbia and

Liberty, SC. In addition to leading her firm and several industry related organizations, she

thoroughly enjoys being an active business and community volunteer. Godshall is a certified

Woman Owned Business through WBENC nationally and the State of SC.

In addition to her role at Godshall, Julie has enjoyed the opportunity to serve on the board for a

number of community organizations. Most recently, she was the Chair of the Greenville

Chamber of Commerce, where she continues to serve as a board member. She is currently the

Chair of the Clemson Board of Visitors and the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the University

Center of Greenville. She has served a number of years as a board member for Bank of

Travelers Rest.

She has been married to Drew Brown for almost 20 years and they have two teenage sons.

Julie and her family enjoy sailing and other water sports, sporting events including Clemson

football, involvement at First Presbyterian church, and time with family and friends.

Ty Houck Director of Greenways, Natural and Historic Resources Greenville County Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Ty is a second generation parks and recreation professional. After graduating Furman University

in 1993 Ty began working for the South Carolina State Park Service in 1995 eventually becoming

the Park Manager at Paris Mountain State Park where he oversaw a quarter million dollar trail

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expansion, development of the popular curriculum-based education programs and creation of

the Music In the Woods concert series.

After 12 years of service as a State Park Ranger, Ty assumed the newly created role of Director

of Greenways, Natural and Historic Resources, with the Greenville County Parks and Recreation

in June 2007. Ty works throughout the 850 square miles that make up Greenville County with

community leaders to expand those key recreational opportunities that drive economic

development and quality of life. One of those opportunities is the Greenville Health System

Swamp Rabbit Trail. The 20+ mile and growing greenway has been a regional success story. At

the same time the GHS Swamp Rabbit was being built, Ty oversaw the development and

adoption of the Greenville County Comprehensive Greenways Master Plan that seeks to create

a connected pedestrian network throughout Greenville County.

Ty was a member of the inaugural class of the Urban Land Institute’s SC Sustainable Leadership

class and serves on various advisory boards in the county and state, including the Palmetto Trail

Advisory Board and the SC Trails Commission. In addition, Ty is frequently asked to talk with

other communities around the country about the elements that have led to over 500,000

annual trail users resulting in an annual tourism impact of over $6.7 million.

Ty practices what he preaches and lives 1056 feet from the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail where he

gets out with his family and plays frequently with his young daughter and son.

Katy Pugh Smith

Executive Director

Piedmont Health Foundation

Katy Pugh Smith has served as the Executive Director of the Piedmont Health Foundation in

Greenville since 2005, overseeing grant making and shepherding the foundation’s current focus

area aimed at improving transit and mobility in the community through expanded and

improved service and changes to the built environment.

Katy also facilitates the Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy, a collaboration of funders in

Greenville County. In this role, she encourages local private foundations, corporate

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foundations and giving programs, and other funders to consider how all of their assets – not

just financial, but social, moral, intellectual, and reputational – can be used to improve the

community. She leads a collaborative funding effort that has raised $2.4 million in matching

funds to support a Social Innovation Fund grant to the United Way of Greenville County.

Katy has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s degree from

Wake Forest University and is a Hull Fellow with the Southeastern Council of Foundations. She

loves spending free time with her family: husband Matt, daughter Lila (14), and son Matthew

(12).

Kerry Murphy Executive Director Artisphere

Kerry Murphy became the Executive Director of Artisphere in 2007. Under her leadership the festival has been recognized as a one of the country’s TOP 10 Fine Art & Fine Craft Shows six out of the past nine years and was named the #3 Best Art Show in USA TODAY’S 10BEST Reader’s Contest in 2015. As Executive Director, she oversees all aspects of planning and implementing this three-day multi-disciplinary event that brings more than 85,000 people to downtown Greenville to enjoy a range of activities surrounding the visual and performing arts. Prior to joining Artisphere, Murphy served as the Executive Director of Carolina Ballet Theatre, and as a sponsorship sales consultant working with such local events as The Cliffs Challenge, a televised golf tournament, and the USA Cycling Pro Championships. She also served as Director of Premium Seat Services and Corporate Partnerships for the BI-LO Center (now the Bon Secours Wellness Arena) from start-up to its 5-year anniversary. Murphy’s civic involvement has included positions on such boards as Fall for Greenville, the Downtown Business Association, Imagine Nation: The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, and the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greenville Forum. She has also served as a committee

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member for such programs as Greenville Forward Arts Education Committee and the Chamber of Commerce Vision 2025 Advisory Committee. Murphy is a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greenville program, was named one of Greenville Magazine’s Best and Brightest 35 and Under and one of Greenville Magazine’s 50 Most Influential. A native of the Washington DC area, Murphy has lived in Greenville since 1992. She holds a BS in management and an MBA from Clemson University, as well as a MA in Education from Converse College. Session 8B: Regional Economic Development Jacob Hickman Director of Business Recruitment Upstate SC Alliance

Jacob Hickman serves as the Director of Business Recruitment for the Upstate SC Alliance in which he is responsible for the creation and implementation of the organizations global recruitment strategy. He works closely with the entire team to integrate all departments in order to enhance the Upstate’s brand. Jacob also works closely with partners at the state and local level to position and market the Upstate region as the best choice for global investment. Hickman joined the UA in 2010 having previously held other business development positions in the private sector. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia where he was a two-sport athlete. Jacob and his wife, April, are proud parents to their two daughters, Emma Lynn and Blakely Ann. His hobbies include all things outdoors, running being at the top of that list.

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Woody Hydrick Senior Principal Global Location Strategies

Woody Hydrick provides site selection services and economic development consulting to companies and organizations worldwide. Woody provides strategic consulting services for capital investment projects including new developments, relocations, expansions or consolidations. Throughout his career, he has executed site searches for clients in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia for manufacturing, distribution and headquarters operations representing billions of dollars in capital investments, as well as thousands of jobs. Mr. Hydrick has extensive experience in site selection, incentives negotiations and economic development consulting, and is a recognized leader in the field with a particular specialty in life sciences investments. Mr. Hydrick is also responsible for extensive business development activities for corporate clients. He lectures frequently, having presented to statewide economic development and biotech associations in Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA). He frequently presents on global site selection requirements for biopharmaceutical facilities, having done so at a professional strategy meeting in Toronto, Canada (2008); at the industry conference Bio 2008 in San Diego, California; and at the LSMW technical conference in Basel, Switzerland. Before coming to GLS, Woody was based in Atlanta as the Managing Principal for Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Business Consulting Group.