Fairfield County Leaders Graduate from SC Economic Development Institute
Fairfield County Deputy Administrator Synithia Williams and Director of Economic Development Ann Broadwater have graduated from the South Carolina Economic Development Institute. The SC Economic Development Institute is a statewide economic development training program administered by the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association (SCEDA) and the South Carolina Department of Commerce (SCDOC).
“The Institute is unlike any other program offered in our state,” said SCEDA Board of Directors President Sandy Steele. “The hands-on training participants receive, allows them to go back to their own communities and support economic development at the highest level. The collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Commerce allows SCEDA to work towards the shared goal of advancing industry and creating opportunities for South Carolina.”
In her capacity as Deputy Administrator, Williams is always looking for ways to grow Fairfield County. “The program helped me identify ways I can support our Economic Development staff. It also gave me a good overall view of what’s involved in the process of preparing a community for what’s needed to support Economic Development growth.” One of the advantages of going through the program, is being able to interact with local government officials from around the state. “Learning from others around the state was the biggest benefit of the program. I got perspective from economic developers, elected officials, government officials and people in the private sector,” stated Williams.
Director of Economic Development Ann Broadwater knows the value of continuing to evolve and learn more about the industry. “[The Institute] helped me personally to reconnect and meet new people and learn new ideas to promote Economic Development in Fairfield County. Having been through the National/International Program and achieving Certified Economic Developer status many years ago, this was a great way to be more knowledgeable at the local level.” The program also helped drive home the point of how important Economic Development is to a community, “What stood out to me was the value of the economic developer and the humbling process of being able to impact lives one job at a time. One of the dynamic speakers at the program was especially good at bringing this home to me and why I love the opportunity to do what I do for the benefit of others.”
The Institute is in its 33rd year and has graduated more than 1,375 participants. Williams and Broadwater graduated from the institute along with 60 other professionals from around the state of South Carolina with varying backgrounds.
“The future is bright for Fairfield County,” stated Broadwater. Deputy Administrator Williams sees great things on the horizon for Fairfield County, “I’m excited about the future of economic development in Fairfield County. We’re working with the Fairfield Joint Water and Sewer System to get the waste water treatment project moving, we’ve finished grading the I-77 Mega Site and are close to completing the speculative building at the Commerce Center. All three are much needed infrastructure that shows industries that Fairfield County is ready for their business.”
