Economic Development Alliance Board

For Upcoming Meeting Dates and Agendas, please visit the Alliance Pickens Website here.

Purpose: The Economic Development Alliance of Pickens County is a public-private economic development organization with the express purpose of conducting countywide economic development, marketing and recruiting. The purpose of the economic development alliance is to aggressively promote and preserve job opportunities and increase the per capita income through high-quality, environmentally sound recruitment and expansion of existing business and industry. These goals shall be reached through the following specific objectives:

Develop and implement both short-range and long-range economic development plans and marketing strategies for the entire county.
Secure adequate public and private sector funding for the economic development programs.
Organize committees and task forces to implement specific economic development programs and activities and to oversee other organizational objectives.
Develop and maintain an accurate industrial resource database.
Ensure close cooperation and planning between the alliance, the county planning commission and any appropriate agency that may apply regarding infrastructure needed for economic development.

Enabling Legislation: Ord. No. 225, 4-17-1995

The affairs of the alliance shall be managed by a 13-member board of directors, which shall be composed of seven members representing the public sector and six members representing the private sector. There shall also be two nonvoting ex officio members representing higher education facilities. The specific composition shall be as follows:

Seven members representing the public sector.
County council chair (or appointee).
County municipal association chair (or appointee).
Five county council appointees.
Six members representing the private sector.
County public utility (electric/gas) representative.
County banking representative.
Four county business/industry representatives.
Two members representing higher education (ex officio).
President of Clemson University (or appointee).
President of Tri-County Technical College (or appointee).

The board members, both public and private, shall be appointed by the county council. Recommendations for private sector members shall be submitted to the council by a private sector committee. Members shall be appointed for terms of four years; except, of the original appointments, seven members shall be appointed for four years, and six members shall be appointed for two years. Members initially appointed for four-year terms shall be the county council chair (or appointee); three of the nominees from the county council members; the county banking representative; and two county business/industry representatives. Members initially appointed for two-year terms shall be the county municipal association chair (or appointee); two of the nominees from the county council members; the county public utility (electric/gas) representative; and two county business/industry representatives.

The board shall adopt a set of bylaws for the purpose of governing the operation of the alliance, consistent with the provisions in this article and subject to approval by the county council.