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O’Neal’s April Allen Sworn in as President of South Carolina Economic Developers Association

Submitted by: Kate McHugh on May 11, 2010 at 3:26 pm Tagged with: construction, Design, Economic Development, Engineering Source: O'Neal Inc.

MYRTLE BEACH, SC – May 10, 2010 – On Friday, the South Carolina Economic Developers Association (SCEDA) inaugurated its newest President, April Allen, Senior Business Development Manager for O’Neal Inc., a Greenville-based integrated design and construction firm. The ceremony took place during the organization’s annual meeting. Allen was preceded as President by Buddy Bateman, AT&T’s Director of Business Development in Columbia, S.C. Allen has been with O’Neal since 2008 and is responsible for economic development in South Carolina.

During her one-year term as President of SCEDA, Allen’s primary focus will be strategic planning for the organization, including professional development, networking and advocacy. In addition, it will be Allen’s mission to raise awareness of the unique role that economic developers play in a business or community, and to help arm her fellow economic developers with the tools needed to be successful. She will also oversee the committees of SCEDA: Legislative, Professional Development and Membership.

Allen said her long involvement with SCEDA has motivated her to become more involved with the organization and its mission is one she is passionate about. “Nearly five years ago, Hal Johnson and Deepal Eliatamby, now both past SCEDA Presidents, called and asked if I would be willing to be nominated to serve on the Board,” Allen recalls. “I thought then and do even more today that SCEDA plays an important role in preparing its members to be their best when working to recruit new and grow existing businesses in our state.”

Allen went on to say that economic development plays a particularly crucial role in South Carolina. “We are a small state and economic development is a team game,” Allen said. “SCEDA, along with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, local and regional economic developers as well as a host of utilities and other professional allies work together for the benefit of South Carolina as a whole. If any of our Economic Development organizations helps train someone to be a better salesman, to understand an incentive more clearly or to know who are the best allies to pull in to win a project then we have ultimately helped our state. I am proud to be a part of a company like O’Neal where employees are encouraged to take on significant roles in professional organizations like SCEDA. My role as SCEDA’s president underscores the importance of companies like O’Neal to the economic success of our state.”

Allen will participate in a SCEDA retreat this summer where she and other Board Members will develop a new strategic plan for the organization. Allen anticipates that this year will be a particularly interesting time to be involved with South Carolina’s economic development activities with so many new leaders in local and state government, as well as with a new governor.

About SCEDA
South Carolina Economic Developers Association is a 650+ member organization whose primary objective is to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in South Carolina by encouraging cooperation, exchange of information and promotion of professional skills. With a proactive board and involved membership support, the organization will continue to advance the professionalism of South Carolina's economic development efforts. For more information, visit www.sceda.org

About O’Neal, Inc.
O'Neal, Inc, is an integrated design and construction firm that specializes in project delivery. For more than 30 years, O’Neal has been successfully delivering capital projects in the automotive, pharmaceutical/biotech, process chemical, manufacturing, energy, and pulp and paper markets worldwide. The company, founded in 1975, has approximately 200 employees and is headquartered in Greenville, SC with additional offices in Atlanta, GA, and Raleigh, NC. For more information, visit www.onealinc.com