SEDC Elects New Directors and Officers

Scott Poag Assumes Chairmanship in 2023

The Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC), North America’s oldest and largest regional economic development association, has welcomed new elected leaders to the 17-state Board of Directors.

New Directors, elected by the Council's membership, include Bethany Shockney (Alabama), Gary Troutman (Arkansas), Missy Kendrick (Georgia), Kelly Smallridge and Tiffany Garling (Florida), Zach McHatton and James Oltman (Kansas), Rene DeBerdt and Jim DeCesare (Kentucky), Meryl Fisackerly and Sara Doss (Mississippi), Pete Fullerton (Missouri), Andy Coe (North Carolina), Richard Blackwell and Kellen Riley (South Carolina), Andrea Anderson (Oklahoma), Lindsay Frilling (Tennessee), Adam Gawarecki and Tom Long (Texas), Courtland Robinson and Joe Hines (Virginia), and Mark Whitley (West Virginia). Newly elected Directors began terms on January 1, 2023.

Newly Elected SEDC Directors

Scott Poag, Director of Business Development and Marketing at Better Communities Collaborative, was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. Upon election, Poag stated, "SEDC members build communities and change lives, and I am honored to serve alongside a talented and aggressive Executive Committee as Chair. Together we have a great opportunity to continue to accelerate Council services. At the end of my term, I want us to reflect upon the bold steps that SEDC made to positively impact our members' experience and economic development throughout the American South."

Chairman Scott Poag Addresses SEDC Membership at Annual Conference

Joining Poag on the Council’s Executive Committee are newly elected 1^st Vice-Chair Brian Gwin of Norfolk Southern, 2^nd Vice-Chair Jana Dyke of Albany-Dougherty (Georgia) Economic Development Commission, and Secretary/Treasurer Tim Weston of JESCO, Inc. Executive Officers also assumed respective roles on January 1, 2023.

2023 SEDC Executive Officers

Newly elected leaders join the following professionals on the SEDC Board of Directors; Brandt Herndon (Georgia), Chris Masingill (Louisiana), Jamie McMahan (North Carolina), Jeannie Bowden (Oklahoma), Charles Wood (Tennessee), and David Lieving (West Virginia). “SEDC members set the global economic development standard as they nurture iconic brands, support emerging technologies that are redefining markets, and develop world-class business environments and opportunities in our communities," stated Council President Matt Tackett. "Our Board reflects the sophisticated Council network that has built the world’s 3^rd largest and the best-positioned economy. We congratulate Chairman Poag and Directors, and thank our leadership for an impactful commitment to accelerated progress in the American South.” The 2023 SEDC Board of Directors will hold its inaugural meeting on January 12.