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Pam Christopher
President & CEO of Anderson Area (SC) ChamberPamela Christopher is the President & CEO of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce. Christopher oversees the day-to-day operations of an 870+ business member organization which is dedicated to strengthening the business community of Anderson County through promotion, advocacy, connection and education. Pam is a 2004 graduate of Economic Development Institute - University of Oklahoma, 2005 graduate of the Institute for Organizational Management - University of Georgia, holds a certificate from UNC-Charlotte in both Industry Location Factors and Strategic Planning, and was awarded the Outstanding Strategic Planner by her peers.
Christopher Chung
CEO of Economic Development Partnership of North CarolinaIn 2015, Christopher Chung joined the EDPNC as CEO. He brings 20 years of state-level economic development experience to his role. Chris previously held various executive and management responsibilities at the Missouri Partnership (2007-2014) and the Ohio Department of Development, now known as JobsOhio (1997-2007).
Lew Ebert
President & CEO of North Carolina ChamberLew became President and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber in August 2006.
The Pennsylvania native brought 26 years of state chamber experience to North Carolina. He worked for 23 years at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, and in 2003, he took the post of president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber until he resigned to come to North Carolina.
Robert “Bobby” Hitt, III
South Carolina Secretary of CommerceRobert “Bobby” M. Hitt, III was appointed by Governor Nikki Haley to serve as Secretary of Commerce in January 2011. Before his time as Secretary of Commerce, Hitt served as manager of Corporate Affairs at the BMW Manufacturing Company in Spartanburg County after 17 years as managing editor of The State and Columbia Record newspapers.
Dean Hybl
Executive Director of Ten at the TopSince becoming the first full-time Executive Director of the fledgling organization in 2010, Dean has helped Ten at the Top earn regional and national recognition for developing connections, fostering collaboration and building regional capacity across communities and stakeholder groups. During his initial year with TATT, Dean directed the effort to develop the Our Upstate Vision, which was created through the input of more than 10,000 Upstate residents. He also helped develop the Upstate Information Hub, which serves as a comprehensive events and resources portal for the region. Originally from Keysville, Virginia, Dean is a graduate of James Madison University. He and his wife, Suzy, have two children—Bethany and Nate—and currently reside in Greer.
Phillip Kilgore
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.Phillip Kilgore has been in the practice of litigation and labor and employment law in the Greenville office of Ogletree Deakins since 1986.
Phillip has extensive litigation experience, representing clients in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals. He has handled a wide range of cases from traditional employment discrimination claims to tort claims and from environmental claims to shareholder derivative actions and minority shareholder disputes.
John Lummus
President/CEO of Upstate AllianceJohn Lummus serves as the President and CEO for the Upstate SC Alliance. In this role, he is responsible for driving the overall direction of the Alliance as well as developing relationships and supporting collaboration throughout the region.
Prior to his current position at the Upstate SC Alliance, Lummus served as vice president of Economic and Institutional Advancement at Tri-County Technical College, a position he held for eight years. Lummus also served as director of the Anderson County Office of Economic Development and worked to recruit new industry while supporting existing industry throughout the county. A native of Anderson, John is a graduate of Wake Forest University and received his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina (USC). He is also a graduate of the South Carolina Economic Developer’s School, USC’s Higher Education Leadership Program, and the national Executive Leadership Institute conducted by the League for Innovation in Community Colleges. In May of 2015, John received his SCCED (South Carolina Certified Economic Developer) certification.
Henry McMaster
Governor of South CarolinaHenry Dargan McMaster of Columbia became the 117th Governor of South Carolina on January 24, 2017. The son of attorney and former state representative John Gregg McMaster and Ida Dargan McMaster, Governor McMaster is a lifelong servant of the State of South Carolina, having previously served two years as lieutenant governor, eight years as attorney general and four years as United States attorney. McMaster was the first U.S. attorney appointed by President Ronald Reagan, and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. McMaster was chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party from 1993-2002, winning reelection three times. McMaster received his AB degree in history in 1969 from the University of South Carolina and his JD degree in 1973 from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served on the South Carolina Law Review. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves in the JAG Corps from 1969 to 1975. Governor McMaster is married to Peggy McMaster, and they have two children, Henry D. McMaster, Jr. and Mary Rogers McMaster.
Dave Modaff
Board Chair at Henderson County (NC) Chamber/Friday Staffing ServicesDave Modaff serves as the President of Friday Staffing and is the current Board Chair of the Henderson County (NC) Chamber.
Carlos Philips
President and CEO of Greenville (SC) ChamberCarlos Phillips became the President & CEO of the Greenville Chamber in March 2016. Phillips previously served as the Senior Vice President of Operations of Greater Louisville, Inc., The Metro Chamber of Commerce of Louisville, KY. Before joining GLI in 2005, Phillips served in various sales, operations, and leadership roles within the BellSouth, Cingular Wireless and AT&T organizations. Phillips received an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Kentucky and a masters degree from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife, LaTonya, have four children. He is a native of Owensboro, KY.
Jim Pitts
Board Chair at Blowing Rock (NC) Chamber/Blue Ridge Mountain ClubJim Pitts’ background spans several decades and includes community development, real estate marketing, resort and community master planning, site planning, landscape architecture/design, facilities and construction management, and general contracting. His progressive leadership philosophy focuses on developing a cultural lifestyle that empowers his employees, co-workers, associates, clients and vendors to create wonderful spaces for life. A graduate of Louisiana State University, Jim’s career began as a Landscape Architect for Design Workshop in Aspen, Colorado. During his tenure he began to develop his professional ethic in regards to "building communities" which has evolved into a real estate development career focused on building the community experience in destination residential and resort environments.
Ted Pitts
President & CEO of South Carolina ChamberTed Pitts took over as President and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce in January of 2015. Ted came to the Chamber after serving first as Deputy Chief of Staff and then Chief of Staff for South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley during her first term in office. Prior to that, Ted served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2003-2010 representing Lexington County.
Kyle Sexton
Kyle Sexton is an award-winning marketing strategist and international speaker and author on the topics of membership development, marketing and innovation. He was recognized in 2011 by Chamber Executive magazine as one of the most influential innovators in the chamber of commerce industry. He is the chamber industry’s foremost authority on membership tiers, and guides organizations through the transition from a traditional dues method to value-based tiers. His research and methods have been featured in industry publications, as well as national conventions and regional conferences.
Allen Smith
President and CEO of Spartanburg Area (SC) ChamberAllen Smith has served as the chief executive of the Spartanburg Area Chamber since June 2014. Under his leadership, the Spartanburg chamber has pushed forward several initiatives and strategic endeavors, including the $5.1 million community and economic development strategy OneSpartanburg. Smith previously served as president and CEO of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce from 2010 to 2014, and he also served as the senior vice president of the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of
Commerce. A graduate of East Carolina University, Smith serves on a variety of local academic, cultural, economic, medical, and development boards. He is a Furman University Riley Diversity Leadership Fellow, and he earned the ACCE's Certified Chamber Executive certification in 2012.
John Uprichard
CEO of Find Great People LLCJohn Uprichard is the CEO of Find Great People, one of the fastest-growing recruitment and talent management firms in North America. Under his leadership since 2002, FGP has had over 2500% revenue growth, been recognized seven years as a Best Place to Work in SC and works with companies in 44 states and 14 countries. John leads the company, and still spends a healthy amount of his time working with clients on various engagements. He is a frequent speaker on leadership, talent acquisition, employee development and healthcare reform, including testimony before Congress on behalf of the recruiting and staffing industry.
Rosylin Weston
Board Chair at Greater Greer (SC) Chamber / GSP International AirportRosylin Weston serves as Vice President of Communications for Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. She has been with the airport since October 1999. She has also provided voice talent at ProComm Voices since 1990. She produces voice radio and television commercials for a variety of clients from all across the country.
John Wright, Jr.
Board Chair at Anderson Area (SC) Chamber/ McCoy-Wright Realty, Inc.John earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Financial Management from Clemson University with a Minor in Accounting and Concentration in Real Estate in December of 2010. While at Clemson, John was a member of the football team from 2006-2010 where he walked on, earned a scholarship, and lettered in his final two seasons of 2009 and 2010. After graduating from Clemson, John spent over a year working in the financial services industry assisting clients with investment, retirement, and estate planning. He joined McCoy Wright in July of 2012. John has continued his learning process by acquiring his South Carolina Real Estate License, Stock Broker License, Investment Advisory License, and all Insurance Licenses.