Upstate SC Alliance, the public/private economic development group designed to market the 10-county Upstate South Carolina region to the world with the intention of recruiting jobs to the area, knows it’s only as good as its people. The Alliance is laser-focused on marketing to five target industries: advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, biosciences and energy. Those five represent the cluster industries that are this region’s best opportunities for growth. As president and CEO, I’m confident we have retooled our resources and assembled a team that possesses extensive marketing and economic development expertise that will effectively enable the Alliance to continue its mission to make Upstate South Carolina the most prosperous geographic region in the world.
Vice president Richard K. Blackwell is charged with the Alliance’s operations and strategic initiatives for organizational advancement. Richard joined Upstate SC Alliance in 2007 and his responsibilities include both the Alliance’s external and internal public relations efforts, fundraising, financial management, investor services, event planning, public affairs, media relations and all other forms of communication, as well as focusing on collaboration among the region’s economic development partners. Prior to joining Upstate SC Alliance, Richard worked in politics, government relations and local economic development and holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/public relations from the University of South Carolina. He also recently obtained a certificate in non-profit management from Duke University.
As director of marketing, Jennifer Miller’s responsibilities include the direction and execution of the Alliance’s branding and strategic marketing objectives, inbound events, research and intern programs. She’s also the organization’s lead point-of-contact for the advanced materials industry. Miller joined Upstate SC Alliance in 2006 and received an undergraduate degree in international business from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.
Jacob Hickman arrived at Upstate SC Alliance in 2010 as a business development coordinator. He is responsible for a wide variety of marketing and economic development strategies while interfacing with and directly supporting the organization’s marketing and business development efforts. Jacob will also become the lead contact for the group’s economic development efforts within the energy and aerospace industry. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and is currently pursuing an MBA at North Greenville University.
Upstate SC Alliance also relies on the contributions of Charlotte Flint, who serves as business development associate and assists the business development team; Jennifer Peggram, who assists the Alliance’s fundraising, contributor services, event planning and communication efforts as investor relations coordinator; and Alicia Knauff, who handles administrative duties for the Alliance team. I constantly call upon my teammates’ expertise as Upstate SC Alliance takes a leadership role in recruiting high-impact jobs and stimulating new capital investment by executing a global marketing campaign to sell our 10-county region.
The Alliance serves as the voice for economic development in the Upstate, supporting the economic development efforts of Alliance investors and building cohesive relationships among the region’s private and public sectors. Our dedicated team of professionals will continue to leverage the regional approach in business recruitment across all of the Alliance’s targeted industries through trade missions, its website featuring microsites containing information specific to the industry and direct mail and internet advertising initiatives, to accelerate business development throughout the Upstate region.
Hal Johnson is president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance, a public/private regional economic development organization designed to market the 10 counties in South Carolina’s Upstate. He can be reached via email at hjohnson@upstatealliance.com. Additional information is available through the Alliance’s web site, www.upstatescalliance.com.