Derick Close serves as the Chairman of Springs Digital and Springs Creative, Springsteen Capital, Springsteen Properties, and serves on the board of the Springs Companies, Workhorse Holdings, and the Carolina Creative Products Group. Close serves on the Executive Committee of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (CRBA), the Palmetto Business Forum, the SC Chamber of Commerce, the Charlotte YMCA, The Kappa Alpha Order, and the South Carolina Manufacturers & Commerce, (SCMC). He is member of the NC Executive Leadership Group and the Charlotte Sports Foundation. Close currently serves on the Board of Trustees for NC State University, and served on the UNC System Board of Governors. Close is a member of YPO Gold and CEO. He was a former partner in the Carolina Panthers and of the Winston-Salem Dash. He was formerly the Chairman of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA). Close earned his BS in Textile Management from NC State University and his MBA from the UNC’s Kenan Flagler Business School and recently graduated from Harvard’s CEO Executive Management Program.

Gary Simrill, a Rock Hill native and Winthrop University graduate, devoted three decades to public service in the South Carolina House of Representatives, ultimately serving as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and previously as Majority Leader. His leadership shaped major fiscal and infrastructure policy, including tuition mitigation efforts and significant capital investments for South Carolina’s public colleges and universities, and his contributions have been recognized with honorary doctorates from Winthrop University, the College of Charleston, The Citadel, and the Medical University of South Carolina. Simrill authored the landmark 2017 Infrastructure and Economic Development Reform Act, which has generated more than $1 billion in statewide improvements, and his service has earned some of the state’s highest honors, including the Order of the Palmetto and the South Carolina Chamber’s Public Servant of the Year award. He continues to support civic and economic development through board service with South State Bank, the South Carolina Infrastructure Bank, Pathways, the John C. West Forum, and the Small Business Development Center Advisory Council.

Mayor John Gettys is a 1991 graduate of Erskine College and earned both a master’s degree in public administration and a juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina in 1995. He began his legal career in private practice, working with Harrelson, Hayes & Guyton from 1996 to 2001, where he became a partner, and later co-founded the Morton & Gettys Law Firm in 2001. Gettys was elected to represent Ward 4 on Rock Hill City Council in 2002 and re-elected in 2005. He later became Mayor in 2018, and his leadership helped Rock Hill earn the All-America City designation in 2019. Gettys is a 2009 graduate of the prestigious Liberty Fellowship. His service has been recognized with numerous honors, including Lawyer of the Year by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly and Local Elected Official of the Year by the Transportation Association of South Carolina. Throughout his career, Gettys has remained deeply involved in community and nonprofit organizations, serving in leadership roles with the Early Learning Partnership, Rock Hill Rotary Club, Rock Hill No Room for Racism Board, Rock Hill Sports Commission, and on advisory boards and commissions related to education, banking, and economic development.

James Chappell, Ph.D., serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of SCbio, South Carolina’s life sciences economic development and industry association, where he leads initiatives to grow one of the state’s most dynamic and fastest-expanding sectors. Since taking the helm in November 2021, he has focused on expanding South Carolina’s life sciences ecosystem through strategic partnerships, talent development and increased investment in innovation. Prior to joining SCbio, Chappell spent nearly a decade at Louisiana Economic Development, where he rose to become Executive Director of Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship. There, he led the creation and execution of Louisiana’s $100 million venture capital and small business funds, helped recruit globally recognized companies to the state and served on the Louisiana MediFund board, where he helped steer biosciences and healthcare development. Chappell holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Clemson University, a doctorate from Louisiana State University and a postdoctoral fellowship in stem cell biology focused on cancer and diabetes at Harvard Medical School.

Tracy Dodson joined the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Economic Development in February 2025. In this role, she oversees economic development, research, marketing, communications, business development and investor relations, helping shape the region’s long-term growth strategy. With more than 20 years of experience in economic development and real estate across North and South Carolina, she previously served as assistant city manager and economic development director for the City of Charlotte, where she advanced economic growth, workforce development and upward mobility initiatives. During her tenure with the City, Dodson helped lead major projects including the relocation of Honeywell’s headquarters to Charlotte and expansions by LendingTree, AvidXchange and Lowe’s, bringing thousands of jobs to the region. Her ability to build strong partnerships at the local, county, regional and state levels has been instrumental in driving economic success. Her career also includes leadership roles with Lincoln-Harris and Charlotte Center City Partners. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlotte and a master’s degree in real estate and urban development from Harvard University.

Ken D. Haynes, MSHA, MBA, FACHE, is Enterprise Executive Vice President and President of the Greater Charlotte Region for Atrium Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit academic health systems. A member of the executive leadership team, he oversees hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and freestanding emergency departments across the region, along with major service lines including the Levine Cancer Institute, Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Musculoskeletal Institute, Neuroscience Institute and Levine Children’s. He also leads enterprise shared services such as Nursing, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Imaging, Facilities, Construction and Mobile Medicine. With more than 30 years of health care leadership experience, Haynes joined Atrium Health in 2017 after serving as president and CEO of CHRISTUS Health’s Santa Rosa Hospital System in San Antonio. His career also includes executive leadership roles in Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee. Haynes serves on several regional and statewide boards and community organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama and both a Master of Health Administration and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Sara Hazzard is President and Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce (SCMC), serving as a leading advocate for the state’s 6,000 manufacturers and more than 300,000 employees. She was appointed to the role after more than a decade leading SCMC’s government relations efforts, where she developed and advanced legislative initiatives that expanded opportunity for manufacturers across South Carolina. In her role as CEO, she works closely with business and policy leaders to strengthen the state’s competitive business climate and support continued industry growth. Hazzard serves on the Presbyterian College Board of Trustees and has held leadership roles with several statewide organizations. She was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to the state’s COVID-19 response taskforce and has been recognized by Columbia Business Monthly as one of its 50 Most Influential and as a Women of Influence honoree by the Columbia Regional Business Report. A Rock Hill, SC native, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Presbyterian College, with minors in Business Administration and History.

Stacey Moore, Ph.D., serves as President of York Technical College. A passionate advocate for community and technical colleges, she is deeply committed to expanding educational access, equity and affordability while strengthening workforce and economic development partnerships across the region. She works closely with community and industry leaders and serves on several local and regional boards focused on workforce development and community advancement. Since assuming the presidency, she has continued to champion student success and innovative solutions that align education with the needs of employers and the community. Dr. Moore joined York Tech in 2016 and previously served as Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. A graduate of Leadership SC and a multiple-time Administrator of the Year at York Tech, she also received the Education Advisory Board’s Visionary Leader of the Year award. She holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in counseling psychology from The University of Akron and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eckerd College. She and her family live in Rock Hill, where she remains actively engaged in the community she proudly serves.

Thomas Rhodes III is a fourth-generation South Carolina business owner and Partner at Rhodes Companies, a diversified holding company operating nationwide. A Clemson University graduate in Management and Entrepreneurship, he has focused on building sustainable businesses aligned with his passion for education policy, economic development, and leadership. Rhodes serves as Chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and appointed by Governor Henry McMaster as an at-large Commissioner on the SCDOT Commission. His board service includes the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement, the Midlands Business Leadership Group, Rexanna’s Foundation for Curing Lung Cancer, the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Board, the South Carolina Department of Education Innovation Grants Committee, the Clemson University Board of Visitors, and the Salvation Army of the Midlands, where he previously served as Chairman. He is a graduate of the South Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program, a member of the Society for International Business Fellows, and a former Deacon and member at Eastminster Presbyterian Church.

Tim Scott has served South Carolina in the United States Senate since 2013. A graduate of Charleston Southern University and alumnus of the Palmetto Boys State program, he is a member of Seacoast Church in Charleston and previously built a successful small business before entering public service. He first held elected office on Charleston County Council before serving in the South Carolina House and the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, Scott serves on the Finance, Foreign Relations, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Aging committees, where he works on tax policy, economic growth, retirement security and international engagement. He has championed legislation to expand access to capital for small businesses, promote workforce development and job training, support school choice, and revitalize economically distressed communities through investment incentives. A consistent advocate for fiscal responsibility, he also supports balanced budget efforts and policies aimed at reducing the national debt while expanding opportunity for working families.

Edward A. Serna, a 2002 graduate of Winthrop University, became the university’s 12th president on July 1, 2022, and is the first alumnus in its nearly 140-year history to serve in the role. During his tenure, Winthrop has achieved its highest U.S. News ranking, earned a new research classification from the American Council on Education, launched the strategic plan Winthrop: United in Excellence, expanded academic o‰erings, secured significant external funding, and invested more than $35 million in campus facilities. He has also emphasized student success, community engagement and strengthening the university’s long-term financial sustainability, while fostering a culture of innovation and excellence across campus. Prior to returning to Winthrop, Serna served as President of the University of Maine at Farmington and as Interim Chancellor of the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith. He holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of Alabama, master’s degrees from Auburn University and Clemson University, and a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop, and is active in several regional civic and economic development organizations.

Dr. Pamela Richardson Wilks serves as President of Clinton College, bringing more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience across public and private higher education. She is widely respected for advancing academic excellence, institutional growth, and student-centered innovation. Dr. Wilks holds degrees from North Carolina A&T State University and a Ph.D. in English, Literature and Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Wilks began her career as a secondary English educator before transitioning into higher education, teaching African American Studies at UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State University, and North Carolina A&T State University, and later serving as Assistant Professor of Languages and Literature at Johnson C. Smith University. Her senior leadership roles span Wilberforce University, Shaw University, Edward Waters University, Coppin State University, and Paine College, where she led major initiatives in accreditation, strategic planning, enrollment management, fundraising, and institutional effectiveness. Her honors include recognition as a W.E.B. Du Bois Scholar, induction into Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Tau Delta, and designation as a 2023 Distinguished Alumni Honoree by North Carolina A&T State University.