What is your name?

Kristen Lanier

Where do you work and what is your job title?

Client Development Manager at Terracon

How long have you been in economic development?

10 years

How did you get started in economic development?

I got started in economic development in 2017 when I joined the Berkeley County Economic Development team as its first Workforce Development Manager, shortly after Volvo Cars announced its first U.S. manufacturing facility in the Charleston region of South Carolina.

At the time, Berkeley County was experiencing unprecedented growth and investment, but also historic unemployment and workforce challenges. Volvo’s announcement of 4,000 jobs created a unique opportunity to connect that investment with local residents—particularly those who were underemployed or facing barriers to accessing these new career opportunities. That need ultimately led to the creation of my position.

What started as a workforce development role quickly grew into a broader passion for economic development and the opportunity to help shape a community’s future. After several years focused on workforce initiatives, I transitioned into project management and eventually became Director of the economic development organization during COVID-19.

During that time, our community navigated significant uncertainty while continuing to attract major investment. We reached a record 60 active economic development projects representing more than $6 billion in capital investment.

Looking back, I entered economic development through workforce development, but what kept me in it was the opportunity to bring together business, community, workforce and public-sector partners to create meaningful opportunities for people and the places they call home.

Tell us how your community is great.

In 2023, I transitioned into the private sector and joined Terracon Consultants, where I now get to work alongside economic developers, site selectors and manufacturers, helping them navigate the technical challenges that come with attracting and delivering new investment.

It has been a great way to see economic development from the other side of the table. I understand the pressures and priorities of an economic development organization because I lived them firsthand, and now I can bring that perspective to help clients make better, faster and more informed decisions.

At Terracon, we are doing some exciting work around early site identification and qualification, risk reduction and streamlining the path from site selection to construction. Our proprietary services can help identify potential sites earlier, evaluate development constraints and risks before significant resources are invested, and ultimately help communities and companies move from opportunity to shovel-ready projects more efficiently.

For me, it has been a natural evolution from creating workforce opportunities around major investment, to helping communities attract that investment, and now helping them understand and overcome the technical challenges that can determine whether a project moves forward.

How has being a member of SEDC benefited you?

Being a member of SEDC has been a tremendous benefit throughout my career. It has allowed me to stay connected to the economic development community not only in South Carolina, but across the many states represented throughout the SEDC network.

That regional perspective is incredibly valuable. Economic development can look very different from one community to another, but many of the challenges are shared. SEDC has given me the opportunity to learn from economic developers, site selectors, industry partners and fellow practitioners, while also building relationships that extend well beyond my home market.

Even after transitioning from the public sector to the private sector, SEDC has remained an important connection to the economic development community. It keeps me engaged with the people and conversations shaping the industry and gives me a broader perspective that I can bring back to the communities and clients I work with today.

What is something you/your organization has accomplished that you are most proud of?

One of the things I’m most proud of at Terracon is the role we’ve played in some of the largest manufacturing projects shaping the American South helping move these transformational investments from announcement to reality.

What makes that especially meaningful to me is that our work doesn’t stop when a project is announced. We’ve also been able to partner with state and local economic development organizations to identify and qualify the next generation of industrial sites. As communities attract major investments and their inventory of quality sites is absorbed, there is a growing need to replenish that pipeline.

I’m proud that Terracon has become a trusted partner in that process. We’re helping economic developers get ahead of the next opportunity by identifying potential sites earlier, understanding development constraints and risks, and determining which sites have the characteristics needed to compete for major industrial investment.

For me, that is the most rewarding part being part of the team that helps communities not only land transformational projects, but also prepare for what comes next.

Where is your favorite spot in your community and why?

This is almost an impossible question to answer because Charleston has so much to offer and my favorite spot probably depends on the day.

Charleston is world-renowned for its beautiful beaches, historic architecture and neighborhoods, waterways, parks and, of course, it's incredible food scene. What I love most is that you can have a completely different experience depending on what you’re looking for: a quiet morning on the water, a walk through the historic district, a sunset at the beach, or an unforgettable meal with friends.

After living and working in the Charleston region for so many years, I’ve come to appreciate that its greatest asset isn’t one particular place - it’s the variety and the quality of life that comes from having all of these experiences within reach.

So, I’m going to cheat a little on this question: I can’t name just one.

What is a current podcast or book you would recommend?

I read mostly for pleasure, and fictional fantasy has my heart at the moment. For the sake of not embarrassing myself, I’ll keep those recommendations to myself!

But for a fun professional read, I’ll recommend Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf. It was recommended to me by Merle Johnson with Charleston County Economic Development, and it’s one I come back to whenever I need a little perspective or a pick-me-up.

I actually listen to the audiobook on repeat. It’s an easy listen, but the lessons about mindset, consistency, patience and focusing on the process are ones I find myself coming back to, especially when work gets busy or things don’t go exactly as planned.

And I think there’s something fitting about a book recommended by a fellow economic developer that has stuck with me long after the original conversation.

What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

Any teenage rom-com. Again, don’t judge me! 😂 I read for fun, and lately, fictional romance has completely won me over. My most recent obsession has been the Off-Campus series. It’s definitely not the kind of show recommendation I’d put on a professional development list, but after a long day, sometimes you just need something entertaining that requires absolutely no strategic thinking!

What is something you do in your free time?

These days, my free time is mostly about saying “yes” to anything my son wants to do before he graduates.

If he wants to golf, I’m happily jumping in the golf cart. If there’s a concert he wants to see, I’m in—regardless of what the tickets cost! Beach day? Absolutely. Road trip? Let’s go.

I know this season of life is temporary, and I don’t want to miss it. My goal is simply to take advantage of whatever time he’s willing to give me and make as many memories together as I can before he heads off to college.

The rest can wait. 😊

When you were younger, what did you envision yourself being when you grew up?

I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’m the first person in my family to go to college, so I didn’t have a clear career path or a roadmap to follow. What I wanted most was pretty simple: to live a happy life, build a career that would allow me to support myself, and not struggle to pay my bills.

I’ve been incredibly blessed to find my way into economic development. What started as a job opportunity eventually became something much bigger. I discovered that I genuinely love helping communities grow, creating opportunities for people, and being part of something that has a lasting impact.

I truly believe economic development is my calling. I don’t really think of what I do as work and I feel very fortunate to be able to say that.

Who is on your Economic Development Mount Rushmore?

Courtney Dunbar is definitely on my Economic Development Mount Rushmore.

I first learned from Courtney through OUEDI, and I’ve continued to get to know her through SEDC conferences and the economic development community. I’ve always admired the way she approaches the profession and, in particular, how she has elevated economic development at Burns & McDonnell.

She represents something I really value in this industry: understanding that economic development is about much more than recruiting projects. It’s about building relationships, understanding the bigger picture and bringing the right expertise to the table to help communities and companies succeed.