Our Team

In his leadership role with the CRDA, David works closely with the region’s top business, academic and political leaders to shape and execute a comprehensive regional economic development strategy. He also leads the organization’s day-to-day efforts, and is directly involved with global business development and global marketing initiatives.

David has been with the CRDA since its inception, serving as the organization’s executive vice president and project director before being named president and CEO in 2000. A Certified Economic Development professional, he maintains a comprehensive awareness of current issues in economic development, thanks in part to affiliations with the International Economic Development Council and as past president of the S.C. Economic Developers Association. He has also held professional economic development and industrial marketing positions in Atlanta and Savannah.

David grew up in the Atlanta area, and holds a degree in economics and international business from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also studied abroad at the London School of Economics. He and his wife, Jean, live in Mount Pleasant and have two adult children.

Melissa brings a passion for community and economic development to her role with CRDA, working across the organization to align human and financial resources with our mission and strategic priorities. She also leads CRDA’s day-to-day operations, including financial management, human resources, legal compliance and organizational development.

Melissa has more than 15 years’ experience in executive leadership roles in operations, strategy, and organizational management, most recently with the Coastal Community Foundation of SC where she managed the Foundation’s development, communications, and organizational strategy functions. During her tenure, the Foundation doubled its assets under management to over $500M and engaged in multi-county community visioning and strategy work. She is a graduate of Queens University of Charlotte, University of Georgia School of Law, and executive education at Harvard Business School/Harvard Kennedy School of Government. A native of Savannah, GA, Melissa and her family currently live in Mount Pleasant.

In his role at CRDA, Jason works closely with Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester County elected officials and administrative leaders, the heads of our state’s higher education institutions, and business leaders who comprise CRDA’s Board of Directors.

Jason has experience in several core sectors having served as an aide in the United States Senate to South Carolina’s senior senator, an aide to two South Carolina Governors (most recently as Director of Legislative Policy) as COI Officer in the Office of General Counsel at the Medical University of South Carolina (South Carolina’s only comprehensive academic medical center), and as economic development counsel at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP in Charleston.

Jason was born and raised in South Carolina and received his J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law and B.A. in Economics from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Caroline, live in Charleston with their daughter.

Jacki leads CRDA’s research and business intelligence team, compiling economic, demographic and business data that demonstrates why the Charleston region is a great place to do business. She has worked in economic development and community research for more than 30 years in the Charleston market and has provided research support to the CRDA since its inception in 1995.

Jacki holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a market research concentration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also one of fewer than 75 Certified Economic Research Professionals nationwide, a designation bestowed from the Council on Community and Economic Research, the nation’s trusted leadership organization in the community, economic and workforce research field.

Joseph supports the global business development division with its project management and prospect engagement efforts. He is an advisor and point of contact for companies evaluating the Charleston metro as a prospective location for investment. Prior to joining the CRDA, Joseph was a project manager at Dorchester County Economic Development, one of the CRDA’s partners. In this role, he gained working knowledge and experience with public sector economic development strategies, as well as land development and industry site selection.

Joseph received an M.B.A. from The Citadel and holds a B.S. in Political Science from the College of Charleston. He has called Charleston home since 2011 when he moved here from his small hometown of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Jaime plays a key role in engaging CRDA’s public and private sector investors. She works directly with the Board of Directors, standing committees, and other leadership groups, providing high-level support to all investors. Jaime also leads the 501(c)3 Catalyst Foundation with focus on innovation and economic advancement across the tri-county region.

Jaime is a North Carolina native and a UNC-Asheville graduate. She also studied abroad at the University of Canberra in Australia. Prior to joining the CRDA team, Jaime was the Corporate Partnerships Manager for the not-for-profit performing arts center and history museum located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in upstate NY. Additionally, she served as an Executive Assistant in a family office focused on major philanthropic and investment initiatives.

After nine years in the northeast, Jaime was thrilled to return to her Carolina roots in 2016 and find a professional home at CRDA. Living in Charleston is a dream come true for Jaime, and she continues to enjoy all the region has to offer.

Prenita Mack provides strategic planning, cross-functional coordination, and execution support to advance the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA)’s economic development mission, strategic objectives, and annual priorities. In her role as Project Manager, Special Initiatives, she manages high-impact initiatives that span public, private, and nonprofit partners, supporting complex projects tied to regional growth, ecosystem development, and organizational strategy. Her work emphasizes stakeholder alignment, project governance, and translating strategy into actionable outcomes across multiple workstreams.

Prenita holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Furman University and is a Project Management Professional (PMP?) through the Project Management Institute (PMI). She sits on the Investment Advisory Committee of Abundance Capital, a nonprofit venture philanthropy platform focused on activating place-based impact investing across the Southern United States.

Prenita is based in Summerville, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and Luke, a black Goldendoodle.

Raegan serves as our Marketing and Communications Manager, driving strategic initiatives to strengthen the region’s global brand. She plays a key role in digital marketing, community relations, and content strategy, working to amplify CRDA’s mission and highlight Charleston as a premier destination for business, talent and innovation.

She has collaborated with leading Charleston digital marketing agencies and industry companies to craft compelling campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. Raegan is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds additional credentials in project management from Cornell University. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University and a Bachelor of Arts in both Communications and Political Science from the College of Charleston. A South Carolina native, Raegan was born and raised in Greenville and now resides in Summerville with her husband and two dogs.

Joseph serves as our Market Research Analyst, focused on delivering strategic insights, uncovering emerging trends, and highlighting the Charleston region’s competitive business advantages on a global scale. He serves as a connector between teams supporting global business development, marketing, and research and intelligence efforts.

Prior to joining CRDA, Joseph served as a civilian intelligence analyst within the Department of Army’s National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC). He has earned an M.A. in International Commerce and Diplomacy from the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School as well as a B.A. in Intelligence and National Security Studies from Coastal Carolina University’s Honors College. He is also an alumnus of the Cambridge Security Initiative’s International Security and Intelligence Programme at the University of Cambridge and is a former Edgar Dyer Policy Fellow. He has also interned with organizations such as the World Trade Center – Kentucky and Global Americans, focusing on trade issues in the Americas. Joseph was born and raised in a small town in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and now resides in Daniel Island with his wife and dogs Beau and Bella.

In her role at CRDA, Meredith supports the daily operations and financial procedures of the organization including accounts payable, receivable, expense reporting, and human resources. She also provides administrative support to CRDA’s Finance Committee and CEO. She works closely with the VP of Strategic Operations/Chief of Staff to assist in the development, implementation, and updating of organizational policies and procedures and oversight of the annual operating budget.

Meredith is a seasoned administrative professional who brings many years of diverse work experience in operations, human resources, and business. In her previous role with MUSC’s Department of Strategic Partnerships, she was responsible for the execution of the day-to-day activities and operations of the department and worked with the team to ensure financial and strategic goals were realized. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina. Meredith resides in Park Circle with her husband and two children.

As a member of the Engaged Leadership team, Mary Jo assists in planning and executing a comprehensive investor relations program focused on engaging CRDA’s public- and private-sector investors at a high level. She leads logistics for investor events and meetings and provides administrative management of investor records.

Mary Jo is originally from South Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Clemson University. She began her career in Human Resources at BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC during her undergraduate studies. Following graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she served as a Human Resources Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. She later joined the U.S. Department of State as a Management Officer, supporting diplomatic operations abroad.

She and her husband eventually made their way back to South Carolina and now live in Park Circle enjoying life in the Lowcountry.