The Buzz | an Economic Development Podcast

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!