GSP Airport’s Dave Edwards to keynote SCC’s 2020 Economic Visionaries celebration

David N. Edwards Jr., AAE, president and CEO of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District, will be the keynote speaker at Economic Visionaries 2020 to be held March 12 in Spartanburg.

Presented by Spartanburg Community College, Economic Visionaries is an annual celebration that recognizes the contributions of businesses in Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee counties to the Upstate economy. Four companies will be named Economic Visionaries based on company size, innovative contributions and leadership in transforming the Upstate business community.

“We’re delighted that Dave Edwards will deliver the keynote address during our 2020 Economic Visionaries event,” said Bea Walters Smith, executive director of Advancement and the Spartanburg Community College Foundation. “A true visionary, Mr. Edwards managed an award-winning, innovative expansion of GSP International Airport that will strengthen the facility’s economic impact on our region.”

A nationally recognized airport executive, Edwards has more than 30 years of experience in airport management with strong credentials in business development, properties, governmental affairs, operations and international marketing. He has served as the president and CEO of GSP Airport District since July 2009 where he is responsible for overall administration and development of GSP International Airport.

Under Edwards’s leadership, passenger traffic has more than doubled with more than 2.5 million passengers choosing to fly into or out of the airport. He also established and implemented a five-year, $127 million terminal renovation and modernization program that was completed in 2017.

“I am humbled and honored to participate in this recognition of our region’s Economic Visionaries,” Edwards said. “The Upstate economy is fueled by companies and individuals who continuously seek to make a lasting impact on the lived of their employees, neighbors and customers. Thanks to the leadership and contributions of these outstanding companies, we can be assured of a more successful and prosperous future.”

Proceeds from the annual Economic Visionaries event fund SCC student scholarships and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. Since its inception in 2017, Economic Visionaries has raised more than $443,000.

Economic Visionaries 2020 Timeline
November 1:   Award applications and sponsorship opportunities made available
January 31:   Award application deadline
February 1:   Individual ticket sales begin
March 12:   Economic Visionaries 2020 at Spartanburg Marriott

Previous Economic Visionaries Winners

2019
1 – 50 Employees:  AWL Automation, LLC, Spartanburg
51 – 100 Employees:  Lockhart Power Company, Lockhart
101 – 299 Employees:  Polydeck, Spartanburg
300 or More Employees:  Duke Energy

2018
1 – 50 Employees:  AFL, Duncan
51 – 100 Employees:  Crow & Bulman Engineering, Inc., Spartanburg
101 – 299 Employees:  Johnson Development Associates, Inc., Spartanburg
300 or More Employees:  GSP Airport District, Greer

2017
1 – 50 Employees:  Broad River Electric Cooperative, Inc., Gaffney
51 – 100 Employees:  Atchison Transportation Services, Spartanburg
101 – 299 Employees:  The Timken Company, Tyger River Plant, Union
300 or More Employees:  BMW Manufacturing, Inc., Greer

For information on SCC’s Economic Visionaries 2020 celebration, contact Bea Walters Smith at smithbw@sccsc.edu or (864) 592-4448.