2026 Upstate Talent Forum Agenda
Session Schedule & Speaker Lineup
Tuesday, October 13
8:30 AM | Welcome Remarks
Participants: Bennie Harris
8:40 AM | Presenting Sponsor Remarks
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants: Chad Cousins, President, McMillin Pazdan Smith
8:50 AM | National Keynote
Introduction: Allen Smith
Participants: Jeff Korzenik
9:30 AM | Plenary Session – Economic and Workforce Development
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants:
- John Lummus, President, Upstate SC Alliance
- Carlos Phillips, President and CEO, Greenville Chamber of Commerce
- Allen Smith, President and CEO, OneSpartanburg, Inc.
- Katie Collins, President and CEO, Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce
- Sam Konduros, President & CEO, Greenville City Economic Development Corporation
10:20 AM | Networking Break
10:30 AM | Breakout #1: Banking and Finance
Participants:
- Michele Seaver, President, United Community Bank (Moderator)
- Brad Ledford, Managing Director, Forvis Mazars
- Jason Pritchard, Partner, GreerWalker LLC
10:30 AM | Breakout #2: Infrastructure (Power, Gas, Energy)
Participants:
- Don Bent, Former Chief Operating Officer, Oshkosh Defense, Executive in Residence USC Upstate (Moderator)
- Rebecca West, CEO, ReWa
- James Newsome, Executive Advisor & Consultant, Former President & CEO, South Carolina Ports Authority
10:30 AM | Breakout #3: Healthcare and Life Sciences
Participants:
- Erin Ford, EVP & COO, SCbio
- Marlon Hunter, President & CEO, ReGenesis Health Care
- Kevin Matson, President, Spartanburg Medical Center, SRHS
- Karen Schwartz, Vice President of Operations, Bon Secours
12:00 PM | Lunch Presentation
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants: John Hope Bryant, Founder and Owner, Operation HOPE
1:00 PM | Executive Plenary Panel: The Executive Agenda: Leading Organizations in a Talent-Driven Economy
Participants:
- Kara Bloomberg, President, Landrum
- Bethany Greene, Regional Economist at the Charlotte Branch, Richmond Federal Reserve
- Tim Brookshire, CEO, Prisma Health Upstate Market & Greenville Memorial Campus, Prisma Health
- Hannah Carmical, General Manager, Fluor Corporation
- Adam Cusson, Senior Vice President, Purpose Financial
1:50 PM | Networking Break
2:00 PM | Breakout #4: Hospitality and Tourism
Participants:
- Crystal Hendrickson, Pinnacle Partnerships
- Passion Graham, Founder + CEO, Passionate Productions
- Ryan Sanderson, CEO, Knowledge Perk Coffee
- Billy Dunlap, Chief Tourism Development Officer, OneSpartanburg, Inc.
2:00 PM | Breakout #5: Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace
Participants:
- Jim Howe, Corporate Vice President of Workforce Solutions, Landrum (Moderator)
- Mark Scott, VPHR, Birdon America, Inc.
- Trent McJunkin, Project Engineering Manager, Isuzu North America
- Kevin Howell, President & CEO, GSP International Airport
- Shannon Williams, Sr. Director, Florida Business, Leonardo Helicopters USA
2:00 PM | Breakout #6: Education (K-12, 2YR, 4YR)
Participants:
- Dr. Russell Brooker, President and CEO, Spartanburg Academic Movement (Moderator)
- Ron Garner, Chief Talent Officer, OneSpartanburg, Inc.
- Cheryl Garrision, Executive Director of the Greenville Chamber Foundation and Vice President of Talent and Leadership, Greenville Chamber
- Jona Rowold, Director of Consltant Services, GACC South
- Paul Sinanian, Department Manager, Talent Programs, Training at BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
2:50 PM | Networking Break
3:00 PM | From Growth to Opportunity – Economic & Workforce Development
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants:
- Matt Sigelman, President, The Burning Glass Institute
- Dr. Laura Demarse, Vice President, Charles Koch Foundation
- Anne Trumbone, Chief Digital Learning Officer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
4:00 PM | Plenary Session – Higher Education
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants:
- Bennie Harris, Chancellor, USC Upstate
- Dr. Stephen Pruitt, President, SACSCOC
- Dr. Jeffrey Perez, President & Executive Director, SCCHE
- Dr. Craig Wilson, Chancellor, USC Palmetto College
5:00 PM | Day 2 Closing Remarks
Participants: Bennie Harris
Wednesday, October 14
8:30 AM | Welcome Remarks
Participants: Bennie Harris
8:40 AM | Sponsor Remarks
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants: Rebecca West and Crystal Hendrickson
9:00 AM | Keynote Presentation – High Impact Mentoring: A Practical Guide to Creating Value in Other People’s Lives
Introduction: Kara Bloomberg
Participants:
- Bert Thornton, Vice Chairman Emeritus, Waffle House
- Sherry Hartnett, Principal Consultant, Hartnett Group, LLC
10:00 AM | Plenary Session – Talent Management | Economic Development Teams
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants:
- Kelly Dawsey, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, GSP International (Moderator)
- Rick Harris, Owner, RL Enterprise Recruiting and Staffing
- Ken Peterson, Senior Vice President, ScanSource
- Carlie Boese, Vice President and Market Director Upstate SC & Western NC, Robert Half
- Heath Dillard, President & CEO, VisitGreenvilleSC
10:50 AM | Networking Break
11:00 AM | Plenary Session – Technology and AI
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants:
- Chad Cousins, President, McMillan Pazdan Smith (Moderator)
- Dr. Larry Miller, President, Greenville Tech
- Matt Massey, President, Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering
- Jim Wanner, Retired CEO, KeyMark and Chairman, Tri-County Technical College Commission
- Dr. Bryan Cox, Sr. Program Manager at the Constellations Center for Education in Computing, Georgia Tech University
12:00 PM | Lunch Presentation
Participants: Laura Dawson Ullrich, Director of Economic Research, Indeed
1:00 PM | Closing Remarks and Summation | Transition to Career Conversations & Passports
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants: Bennie Harris
1:00 PM | Student Conversations with the C-Suite
Introduction: Bennie Harris
Participants: Hannah Terpack and Alex Lorenz