Wayne L. Sterling

With an economic development tenure responsible for over $60 billion in announcements, Mr. Sterling has been a predominant force impacting capital investment in the Southeast for 30 years.

As Chief of Staff at the South Carolina Department of Commerce from 1999-2001, he achieved the highest level of investment results in SC history: over $12 billion in two years. During that time 65,000 jobs were created.

As Executive Director of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Mr. Sterling generated a 500% increase in the number of active projects. The announcement of three semiconductor wafer fabrication plants in the state changed the perception and economic structure of Virginia. Big names were convinced to make big investments: Gateway, America Online, Frito-Lay, Volvo, MCI WorldCom, Chaparral Steel, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, IBM, Siemens, Toshiba, and many others.

Mr. Sterling is also recognized for luring highly significant projects to SC and Texas:

• BMW Manufacturing chose SC over 250 other sites in 1991 and is now the state’s leading sustainable employer.
• Hoffman LaRoche chose SC for their Roche Carolina division headquarters, research and manufacturing complex covering 1,440 acres.
• Fujifilm’s choice of Greenwood, SC in 1988 has resulted in 5 high technology plants on 500 acres and yet another job growth announcement in 2010.
• The US Treasury Department chose Ft. Worth over 83 other cities when locating their first currency printing plant outside of the DC area.
• Mattel, Mercedes-Benz, Keebler, GTE and the Burlington Northern World HQs also located in Ft. Worth during Mr. Sterling's tenure.

A graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Sterling is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and is a Fellow Member, Honorary Life Member and the past Chairman of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He is a member of the Southern Economic Development Council, the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC), the Mississippi Bar Association, and is a former board member of the International Development Research Council (IDRC), now known as CoreNet Global.

Beth Braswell

Starting her career as an account manager in an advertising agency, Beth Braswell has over 25 years of corporate marketing experience. Serving as Manager of Corporate Communications at South Carolina Electric & Gas Company for over a decade, she transitioned into national marketing and brand management as deregulation surfaced in the utility industry. Later, Ms. Braswell served as Director of Communications and Promotions for the South Carolina Department of Commerce, leading their domestic and international marketing as well as PR efforts. In Martinsville, Virginia, Ms. Braswell was hired as VP of Marketing and then promoted to Director of Economic Development for the Henry County Department of Commerce where she announced 1,800 jobs in a 24-month period, reducing unemployment numbers by approximately 10%.