This week, we are joined by South Carolina Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Ashely Teasdel. Teasdel spent almost a decade working in the banking sector, focusing on small business advisory support and development within South Carolina before joining the S.C. Department of Commerce in 2015. Since joining the S.C. Department of Commerce, Teasdel has dedicated her time to developing statewide programmatic relationships to benefit local businesses and global enterprises alike and she was promoted to Deputy Secretary in November 2021.

This episode, we are joined by President & CEO of the South Carolina Power Team, James Chavez. With a 20-year track record of success in serving suburban, second-tier and rural communities, Chavez leads a team that supports South Carolina’s 20 electric cooperatives, powering more than 1.6 million South Carolinians.

This week, we are joined by Henri Baskins, Executive Vice President of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Henri leads the Minority Business Accelerator program in Columbia. Click here to listen and learn more.

This week Kara and Tushar, sit down with General Counsel of Samsung Electronics Home Appliances America, Thomas Komaromi to discuss the five year anniversary of the Newberry, South Carolina plant. Click here to listen and learn more about this tremendous achievement.

This week Kara and Tushar, co-host of The Buzz, discuss workforce development in the low-country with Michelle Fowler, Chief Administrative Officer at W International in Goose Creek, SC.

This week Kara and Burnie, co-host of The Buzz, discuss investing in rural areas with Tony Toups, principal and member of senior management at Advantage Capital and Darian Harris, an associate on Advantage Capital’s national expansion team.

This week Kara and Tushar, co-host of The Buzz, discuss tourism after the height of the pandemic with the Director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Duane Parrish. 

This week Kara and Burnie, co-host of The Buzz, discuss South Carolina’ Economic Development and Tax Rankings. Burnie brings years of research and expertise to the episode as the former Director of the South Carolina Department of Revenue and a Nexsen Pruet attorney.

Kara and Tushar are joined by Jeff Ruble, Director of Richland County Economic Development. Jeff has a seasoned history working on some of the largest economic development projects to approach South Carolina in his 30 years experience. Tune in for an update on the progression of economic development in SC.

Kara and Burnie are joined by Dan Ellzey, Executive Director of South Carolina’s Department Employment and Workforce. They tackle job rates, insurance tax rates, and new opportunities that are arising in workforce development in South Carolina. Tune in to discover the evolving job market within the state!

Amy Tinsley, Executive Director of the South Carolina Automotive Council, sits down with Kara and Burnie to discuss workforce development and the blossoming automotive industry in South Carolina. 

Secretary Harry M. Lightsey III was appointed by Governor McMaster to serve as Secretary of Commerce in June of 2021. A fixture in South Carolina’s business community for decades, Lightsey is bringing his expertise and knowledge to the Department of Commerce. 

Brantley Strickland, Senior Project Manager at SouthernCarolina Regional Development Alliance, is one of only 60 people in South Carolina to earn advanced accreditation as a South Carolina Certified Economic Developer. Brantley, Kara + Burnie discuss workforce development, broadband and golf! 

For 20 years, Future Scholar has helped South Carolina families reach their financial educational goals for their children. Curtis Loftis, State Treasurer, joins Kara + Burnie to talk about this amazing program and Mr. Loftis's other duties as State Treasurer. 

Swati Patel, Executive Vice President of public policy and counsel for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, chat with Kara and Burnie about the Chamber’s annual competitiveness agenda. Workforce development is all the buzz in this episode.

In episode 75, Kara and Burnie welcome Ernest Andrade, Founder and Director of Charleston Digital Corridor, a company that leverages its carefully nurtured relationships, program elements, legislative access, and contacts to assist tech companies with integrating them into the community. Charleston Digital Corridor is in the sweet spot of economic development in the Charleston area.

Understanding infrastructure can be a bit of a bumpy ride. South Carolina’s Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall joins Kara & Burnie to fill in the gaps of the newly minted $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Landscapes are changing all around from the success in the Upstate but especially in Cherokee County. Jim Cook, the Executive Director for the Cherokee County Development Board, joins Kara + Burnie to discuss expansion and growth in the county and the diverse industries it hosts.

Tushar is joined by special co-hosts Matthew Roberts and Heather Mathews for a crossover episode with The Pulse – A Health Care and Life Sciences Podcast - to introduce SCBIO’s new leader, James Chappell. After a nationwide search, James has been named as SCBIO’s new President & CEO to lead the organization’s great work in directing the flourishing life sciences industry in South Carolina. Tune in for this special episode to learn about James Chappell, the future of life sciences in the state and SCBIO’s development efforts at www.thepulsehealthcast.com or www.buzzpodcast.com.

During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, South Carolina Ports Authority plays a crucial role in helping Santa deliver the goods. In this episode of The Buzz, Kara and Tushar talk with Micah Mallace, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Sales for the South Carolina Ports Authority, about the impact the pandemic has had on the global supply chain - and how years of planning have helped SC Ports productivity shine during these turbulent times.

In the last decade, York County has seen a 24% growth. Hannah Horne is the Executive Officer of Gravity Center, the hub for entrepreneurialism in York County. Hannah joins Kara + Burnie to talk about all things economic development in York County. 

Nelson Lindsay, a seasoned and state-certified economic developer with more than two decades of experience, joins Kara Gormley Meador + Tushar Chikhliker to talk about his new role as CEO + President of Central SC Alliance. Nelson and Tushar discuss all things workforce development on episode 69 of The Buzz. 

With more than 55,000 residents, York County has become one of the fastest-growing counties. York County Economic Development CEO & President David Swenson joins Kara & Burnie to talk about the Carolina Panthers' commitment and relocation of their headquarters and practice facilities to Rock Hill, SC. 

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture likes to say that agribusiness is the state's "largest single industry sector," and it is making significant impacts on the S.C. economy and creating new jobs every quarter. Yet there are many tax credits that are going unclaimed by agribusiness owners in the state. Do you own a medium or small agribusiness, but confused about which tax credits your company qualifies for or don't know how to apply? The SCDA's Assistant Director of Agribusiness Development, Laura Jordan joins Kara & Burnie to talk about new tax incentives for business and manufactures involved in S.C. agriculture. Burnie is a bit of a pro on this one... he helped write one of the discussed tax incentives with the SCDA's Assistant Commissioner, Clint Leach!

Site selection in the economic development world can be a daunting process - thankfully, Didi Caldwell, Founding Principal at Global Location Strategies, joins Burnie & Kara on episode 66 to give us her insider tips and tricks. As a site selection incentive negotiation firm, Global Strategies matches companies with communities for mutual, sustainable prosperity. Tune in now to hear how Didi creates prosperity in South Carolina and beyond!

David Edwards, CEO of Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District, joins Kara & Burnie on #TheBuzz. Edwards details traffic levels, investment projects and hints at a major announcement coming soon! You don’t want to miss this!

You may know him for his dad jokes on social media- President and CEO of Economic Development Partnership, Will Williams talks about the post COVID economy and new investment on the latest episode of #TheBuzz. 

Boeing is the buzzword this week in economic development. You’ve seen the announcement in the news, but today we get a behind the scenes look from an elected official who has been close to the discussions between Boeing and South Carolina. Listen to learn more about Boeing’s decision to consolidate the production of its 787 Dreamliner in the Palmetto State.

Today, we dive a little deeper with our hosts - that's right - Kara and Burnie go one-on-one in Episode 21. Kara (a former journalist - and it shows!) finds out what makes Burnie tick (don't we all want to know??). We talk about Burnie's background, his professional experiences, and a little bit about how he's become the Burnie Maybank we all know and love. Take a walk down Maybank Highway Lane with us for a a little fun.

Burnie and Kara sit down with Nick Kremydas, CEO of the South Carolina Association of Realtors, and discuss all things real estate: taxes, trends (residential and commercial), local legislation, COVID-19 impact, pandemic response + adjustments, and MUCH more. Stream this episode to hear the latest on real estate around South Carolina.

Kara and Burnie chat with John Lummus, leader of Upstate SC Alliance, a regional alliance based in - you guessed it - the Upstate. Representing 10 counties, John and his team have their fingers on the pulse of quite a bit of economic development action. Check out our interview with John, where the trio discuss hot topics like reshoring, COVID-19's impact on Upstate businesses, tax revenue projections, addressing workforce shortage, and some of the things Upstate SC Alliance has on their radar for the next 20 years.. All that and MUCH more on this episode of The Buzz!

Burnie and Kara catch up with a friend abroad - United States Ambassador to Switzerland & Liechtenstein Ed McMullen. Ed, a South Carolina local, began working with the Trump administration during the 2016 election as the Trump campaign lead in the Palmetto State. The trio chat about the impact of COVID-19 on Switzerland and, more broadly, Europe, as well as the status of international countries reopening for business and tourism. Burnie was also curious about what European businesses really think about American closures and precautions due to COVID-19, and how it could impact the possibility of re-shoring, especially in South Carolina. Tune in for all that, plus MUCH more - this was a fun one!

Burnie and Kara sat down with Lilyn Hester, the Head of Southeast Public Affairs for tech giant Google. Lilyn - and Google - are no strangers to South Carolina. They've been a community partner in the Lowcountry for over a decade, and Lilyn and her team have gotten ahead of issues like lack of access to rural broadband or basic health care. Lilyn explains the innovative ways Google has been serving the greater-Berkeley County community,  and much more..

Kara & Burnie sat down with Jonathan Yarborough, who oversees government affairs and economic development for Dominion Energy, one of South Carolina's largest energy providers. Prior to going in-house with Dominion, Jonathan began his econ dev career with the S.C. Department of Commerce; he's also no stranger to the famed Edisto Honey Harvests.. Listen in as the trio talk all things energy, Dominion's COVID-19 response, community involvement and giving, plus MUCH more!  Find out more about applying for grants through the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation: https://www.dominionenergy.com/company/community/dominion-energy-charitable-foundation/apply-for-a-grant 

Burnie + Kara spoke with Barbara Melvin, Chief Operating Officer for South Carolina Ports, about the impact of COVID-19 on global trade and supply chain, as well as the local impact on all ports in the Palmetto State. They also look beyond coronavirus, discussing the port's long-term expansion and investment plans (like the Leatherman Terminal & Jasper Ocean Terminal projects), and much, much more.

Burnie & Kara caught up with South Carolina Chamber of Commerce President + CEO Ted Pitts on a number of things about the impact of COVID-19 on South Carolina's economy and getting the Palmetto state back to work. We spoke about the impact of the shutdowns (from schools to businesses, was it worth it, from a business perspective?), how we get the state's economy moving again, his involvement in the Accelerate SC task force, and more. 

Kara and Burnie sit down with SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Director Duane Parrish to check in on how COVID-19 in impacting the state's hospitality and tourism economies, and what SCPRT is doing to combat that. They chat everything from beaches and hotels, to restaurants and golf tournaments - and even Carolina/Clemson football?.. We covered a LOT with Duane - check it out now!