Staff

 

Neil McLean, Executive Director

Neil and his Columbia, South Carolina based team joined New Carolina in 2007. He has been personally involved in launching four different industry clusters :
  • The statewide Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) Council
  • iTs|SC, Columbia’s insurance technology and services cluster
  • NuHub, a Midlands focused nuclear cluster
  • The Fuel Cell Collaborative, a Columbia based seed cluster.

McLean previously served as Executive Director for EngenuitySC.   Having worked for Fortune 100 companies, economic development agencies and technology startups, Neil brings over 20 years of experience providing top tier strategies, technology, economic development and implementation to clients. McLean received his BS-Engineering and MBA from the University of South Carolina and is also a graduate of The CIO Academy and several Wharton School of Business executive education programs. Neil served for 21 years as an officer in the SC Air National Guard.

George Fletcher, Executive Director Emeritus

George joined New Carolina in 2006. Before being selected as the first  Executive Director, he was President of Fletcher Group, Inc, a group of  environmental management companies headquartered in Greenville. He is a
Professional Engineer registered in seven states and a Diplomat in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. George's community involvement has included serving as Chair of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Co-Chair (with his wife) of the Greenville County United Way Campaign, President of the American Council of Engineering Companies - SC, and District Governor for Rotary District 7750. He has been recognized by Greenville Magazine as their 2000 Business Person of the Year, by Clemson as a 2004 inductee into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Scientists and Engineers, and by the SC Society of Professional Engineers as their 1999 SC Engineer of the Year. He has been recognized as the SC Engineer of the Year in 1999 by the SC Society of Professional Engineers and as Greenville Business Person of the Year in 2000 by Greenville Magazine.

Laura McKinney, Deputy Executive Director

A Columbia native, Laura McKinney returns to South Carolina after 15 years in service to the U.S. government and business community overseas. She began her professional career abroad as the founding Executive Director for the American Chamber of Commerce in Tallinn, Estonia. Working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, Laura was introduced to the Diplomatic Corps of the U.S. Department of State and joined the Foreign Service in 1999. She served as a Public Affairs Officer in Tbilisi, Georgia and as the Vice Consul in Vancouver, British Columbia. Laura traveled extensively with her family in support of her husband Jim’s military career to Leavenworth, Kansas; Tirana, Albania; Honolulu, Hawaii; and most recently to Ljubljana, Slovenia where she again supported U.S. national interests working at the U.S. Embassy. Laura is a graduate of AC Flora High School in Columbia and the University of Virginia in Slavic Languages and Literature. Laura and Jim live in Columbia and have 5 wonderful children.

 

Tiffany  Davis Foxworth, Senior Project Manager

Tiffany Davis is a senior project manager focused on cluster development strategies for iTs|SC, Columbia’s Insurance Technology and Services cluster and the TDL Council, the statewide Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster. She joins with eight years of experience in senior project management, executive-level resource development, and corporate relations.  In the private sector, she spent five years as a senior project manager with a private real estate firm in Greenville.  As a product manager with a Savannah-based healthcare technologies firm, Davis led product training for a sales force of over one hundred employees, managed product launches, marketing, materials and sales tools, and managed the supply chain for the firm.  Davis, a Greenville native, is a former Leadership Board member for Smoke Free Horry County, former gsScene Professional Society member, and Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She graduated from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia with a B.A. in Marketing.

Moryah Jackson, Senior Project Manager

Moryah Jackson joins New Carolina as a Senior Project Manager focused on education initiatives.She brings extensive experience in education policy, workforce development, and leadership.  Her professional experience includes working for a US House Representative in Washington, DC, serving as a U.S. State Department Fellow at the U.S. Embassy in Maseru, Lesotho, leading recruitment and community outreach at Midlands Technical College and guiding employers through the registered apprenticeship process at Apprenticeship Carolina. Jackson, a 2012 “20 under 40”honoree, serves on the Reach Out and Read board and volunteers as a Cooperative Ministry Solid Ground Mentor.   She earned her BA from Columbia College, her MPA from the University of South Carolina, and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida.She also studied at the Anglo-American University in Prague, Czech Republic.


Jennifer Haigler, Administrative Assistant

Jennifer provides Administrative support to New Carolina’s Executive Director, Board of Directors, and Task Force Chairs. Jennifer is responsible for keeping the organization's office systems running smoothly, playing a vital behind-the-scenes role supporting the organization's economic development efforts. She resides in Columbia with her husband, Eddie, and their two children.

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