Dr. Cynthia Davis has been at the forefront of South Carolina’s economic growth and development for decades. Committed to a sustainable future, Cynthia has recently joined Sustain SC as Senior Vice President. Her major focus areas include the Sustainability Leadership Initiative, member engagement, and implementation of The Roadmap to Sustain South Carolina accelerators. With a passion for conservation of our environment coupled with experience in commerce and workforce, Sustain SC is the perfect fit to apply Cynthia’s leadership across all sectors within the state. From June 2017 through September 2023, Dr. Davis led the Existing Industry program at the South Carolina Department of Commerce, a role she undertook following her 10-year tenure in workforce development and 15 years of dedication in the educational sector. While working in the public school system, Cynthia taught middle school science and math and served as an assistant principal at the middle and high school levels. Under her leadership at the SC Department of Commerce of the Existing Industry program, which aims to boost the efficiency, quality, and profitability of SC manufacturers. Under her leadership, the EI program has flourished and grown to a dynamic seven- member team engaging over 500 companies in SC per year. Cynthia has developed collaboration with local economic development organizations and allied partners throughout South Carolina. Her academic journey speaks to her dedication to learning and leadership. Dr. Davis earned her B.S. in Psychology from Wofford College in 1989, followed by two advanced degrees from Converse College—a Masters in Education in 1991 and an Education Specialist degree in 1996. In 2003, she was conferred a Ph.D. in Education Leadership from Clemson University, with her research shedding light on using transformational leadership strategies to reverse the course of failing schools. Dr. Davis is a graduate of the SC Economic Development Institute and a certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. Her expertise is valued at numerous organizations, as evidenced by her roles on the SC Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Board of Directors, the SC Fraunhofer USA Alliance Review Board, and the SC Chamber Manufacturing Committee. Cynthia is married to Buddy Davis and lives in Ridgeway, SC. She is the proud mother of two college students, Anna Claire (age 23) and Davidson (age 20). Her favorite activities are all outdoors exploring SC’s beautiful biospheres with daily nature walks with her lab puppy “Rip”, kayaking, fishing, and hunting.