The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce announced President and CEO Bryan Derreberry will retire at the end of 2024 after a 13-year tenure leading the organization.

Under Derreberry’s leadership, the Chamber transformed into a leading advocacy organization and was recognized as the 2018 Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

“After 13 remarkable years leading the Charleston Metro Chamber and 39 years in the profession, I’m proud of our achievements,” Derreberry said. “We’ve become a national leader, celebrated our 250th anniversary and are charting our region’s future through People First. It’s been an honor serving our community.”

Prior to joining the Charleston Metro Chamber, Derreberry was president and CEO of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce in Wichita, Kansas, where he directed the state’s largest metro chamber for over seven years.

He also was president and CEO of the Catawba County, North Carolina, and Middletown Area, Ohio chambers of commerce respectively. Derreberry began his chamber career as the state lobbyist for the Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce.

“Bryan’s strategic vision and unwavering commitment to advancing the Charleston region have been instrumental in the Chamber’s success and that of our community,” said Matt Brewer, chair of the Charleston Metro Chamber Board of Directors and president and CEO of Choate Construction Company. “His leadership has been steadfast and he has built a remarkable, mission-driven team. We are extremely grateful for his contributions.”

To ensure a smooth leadership transition, the Chamber has retained Waverly Partners to conduct a nationwide search for a new president and CEO.

Brewer will be chair of a 12-member Selection Committee. Committee members represent a cross section of former Chamber board chairs, investors and community leaders.

“We are confident that the Selection Committee will identify an exceptional leader to guide the Chamber into its next chapter,” Brewer said. “Given the Chamber’s strong foundation and the region’s vibrant economy, we anticipate attracting a robust pool of highly qualified candidates.”

“Bryan’s exceptional leadership has propelled the Chamber to unprecedented growth, ensuring that we are primed to excel in our next chapter. I am grateful for his dedication to our Chamber, region and state,” said Elizabeth Burwell, senior vice president for Southern First and incoming board chair for the Chamber. “We wish Bryan and his family the very best in their next season.”

The search for a new president and CEO will begin in September, with the goal of selecting a new leader by year-end.

Derreberry will remain in his role until Dec. 31, 2024.

Furman University and LiveWell Greenville have received a five-year, $5 million grant from the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to advance community health research. 

The grant will fund research aimed at increasing community input in health care issues, with the goal of lowering the rates of chronic diseases and mortality in communities facing disparities. 

The grant also will provide post-doctoral training of health professionals to carry on the work.

One result of the project will be a roadmap that other cities can use for approaching community-based participatory research and how to involve citizens in policy decisions that affect their health, from the availability of transportation to housing and food access. ­ 

The research is part of a $20 million initiative called the Health Equity Research Network (HERN) on Community-Driven Research Approaches announced by the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

Furman is one of only three universities chosen to participate as a partner hub in the network, alongside Yale University and the University of California-San Diego. 

The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center will serve as a community engagement resource center for the network. 

“This grant will give us the opportunity to create a new approach to eliminating health disparities, by getting the people in the community more involved in the research process and in processes that impact their health,” said Melissa Fair, community action director in the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH).

 Fair will co-direct the grant with Sally Wills, executive director of LiveWell Greenville.

The Furman IACH-LiveWell project includes two research initiatives. 

The first will work in communities of color across South Carolina to understand perceptions of individual and collective power when it comes to local government decision making.

Researchers will also explore how local policies and practices influenced by systemic inequities contribute to disparities in health outcomes.

The second research initiative will create a community research advisory board using public health methods to create a model for training and engaging community members so they have a voice in the research process.

Officials said this will require nationwide research into other community-based participatory research, and identifying ways to improve methods that lead to better community outcomes. 

In the third year of the grant, the team will launch a training program for community-based research. 

This program will recruit six post-doctoral fellows who have completed their degree in fields such as public health or medicine. 

Community members and partners will also be encouraged to participate in training opportunities alongside the fellows.

The training will be housed at Furman, but Clemson University, which has a long-established doctoral training program, will be closely involved. 

Faculty and professionals from Furman, LiveWell, Clemson, Prisma Health and other partner institutions will provide mentorship and training in the program. 

The University of South Carolina Schools of Medicine Greenville and the USC Patient Engagement Studio will be partners in building a model for how community members are engaged in the research process.

The Columbia, South Carolina, market’s outward expansion has supported strong absorption and continued low vacancy rates as strong retail demand follows subdivision development in the outlying Lexington, Killian Road/Blythewood and Garners Ferry areas, according to Colliers’ 2024 Q2 Columbia Retail Report. 

Colliers said that while overall consumer expenditures showed little change on a real basis, submarkets such as Forest Drive and Cross Hill/ Woodhill continue to attract the highest asking rents. 

Asking rents fell slightly, the product of minimal vacancy in high-quality, well-positioned spaces, Colliers said. 

It said the construction pipeline is slow as financing and construction costs limit margins for developers and ground availability is low in key corridors. 

Continued demand, however, is likely to increase interest into 2025, according to Colliers. 

It said health care and dental users are among the market’s most active, while restaurant activity is focused on the casual and quick-service segments. 

Total inventory grew to 13,578,006 square feet as 5,500 square feet delivered, with 50,887 square feet expected to deliver in the second half of 2024. 

Vacancy decreased to 3.39 percent as net absorption rose to 65,544 square feet and overall shop space lease rates down slightly to $22.56 per square foot, Colliers said. 

Colliers | South Carolina is the largest full-service commercial real estate firm in South Carolina with 62 licensed real estate professionals covering the state with locations in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg.

The Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation announced its 2024 community grant recipients, supporting organizations that serve communities where Spartanburg, South Carolina-based Milliken associates live and work. 

The foundation received 89 applications and from those submissions, awarded grants to 45 organizations totaling more than $800,000. 

In addition to community grants focused on nonprofits, the foundation's core programs include an associate gift match initiative, impact gifts to support long-term projects, dependent scholarships for children of full-time associates, and disaster relief. 

"Milliken is deeply committed to supporting organizations that enrich our local communities," said Halsey Cook, president and CEO at Milliken & Company and chair of the Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation. 

He added, "We see community grants as a meaningful way to create a positive impact by harnessing our collective resources for the greater good." 

Community grant applications are reviewed annually between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31. The application review process relies on four giving pillars to determine mission alignment: Inspired Solutions, Together We Strive, Healthy Tomorrow, and Leading With Purpose. 

A full list of 2024 grant recipients can be found at https://contenthub.milliken.com/api/public/content/5f81d7892b0941cfb88ace2c67a71b48?v=2d1d04b9.

"The organizations we support are carefully selected for their alignment with our values and the significant impact they make in their communities," said Danna Vetter, SVP and chief marketing officer at Milliken and Milliken Charitable Foundation board member. 

Vetter added, "We are proud to partner with them and applaud their tireless efforts to create a better, healthier, and more equitable future." 

Building on its long-standing legacy of community involvement, the Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation is committed to making a positive impact through charitable donations and philanthropic programming. 

Applications for 2025 community grants will open Nov. 1.

To learn more about the Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation, and to apply for community grants during the application window, go to milliken.com/foundation.