New Donaldson Development Commission Executive Officers Named

New Leadership Installed Due to Passing of Chairman Phil Southerland

Greenville, S.C. – The South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center (SCTAC), formerly known as The Donaldson Center, has named Allen J. Inglesby to replace Phil Southerland as 2009 Chairman of The Donaldson Development Commission (DDC). Southerland, who passed away on Feb. 28 at the age of 81, was known as “Mr. Donaldson” for his years of service and dedication. Southerland served on the Donaldson Board from 1986-94 and on the Donaldson Development Commission since 2003. John D. Hopkins, Jr. has been named vice chairman and Don Nickell has been named secretary.New terms became effective March 16, 2009, and will run through the end of 2009 calendar year.

In addition, Councilor Liz Seman has been appointed the commission’s liaison to the Greenville County Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. Hopkins has been appointed the DDC’s representative on the Donaldson Center Fire Department Board, a seat that was previously held by Southerland as well.

The purpose of the Donaldson Development Commission is to control, protect and promote the development of SCTAC. The chairmanship is a one-year term.

The South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center is unique to the state of South Carolina. It is the largest general aviation airport in S.C. with more than 50,000 flights annually and its total economic impact is $222 million, more than all of the general aviation airports in the state combined. No other business facility in the state has a fully-operational general aviation airport, a state-of-the-art control tower, an 8,000 ft. runway capable of handling large aircraft, and a second, 5,500 ft. runway that is already built and can be activated.

SCTAC is a hub for industrial, technological and aviation facilities, and provides direct access to an airport infrastructure that contains an aircraft maintenance and modification center suited for air cargo and aviation-related businesses.

Strategically situated along the I-85 corridor in Upstate South Carolina, two hours south of Charlotte, N.C., two hours north of Atlanta, Ga., and three hours northwest of the historic port city of Charleston, S.C., the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center is also within 30 minutes of some of the country’s best colleges and universities, including Clemson University, Furman University, Wofford College, and Greenville, Spartanburg and Tri-County Technical Colleges.

The South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center (www.sc-tac.com) opened in 1942 as Greenville Army Air Base. When the Air Force decided to close the base in 1962, the city and county of Greenville purchased the property and named it after Greenville native, Captain John O. Donaldson, a World War I flying ace, and it became known as Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park. It changed its name to the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center in 2008 and currently employs more than 4,000 people from more than 80 local and international companies and organizations, including Fortune 500 companies 3M, Lockheed-Martin and Michelin. For more information, please visit the center’s website at www.sc-tac.com.