SCMEP Announces First Staff Additions to New S.C. Women's Business Center

COLUMBIA, SC - May 13, 2003 - The South Carolina Women's Business Center (SCWBC) announces the appointment of three staff members to provide assistance and support to emerging women-owned businesses in South Carolina. SCWBC has named Haidee Clark Stith as executive director; Isabelle Martinez as program director; and Kimberly Godeski as office manager.

The Center opened it doors earlier this year and is now working with 38 women entrepreneurs in various parts of South Carolina. It was formed to assist the 64,000 existing women-owned businesses in South Carolina, as well as new female-owned entrepreneurial ventures. It is a grant-funded program awarded to SCMEP by the U.S. Small Business Administration. So far, SCWBC had conducted training and information to more than 1,000 women. The training sponsored by SCWBC has been offered in conjunction with Charleston's Center for Women.

Stith is a private consultant who has served in management and economic development consulting roles with the S.C. Department of Commerce, S.C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership, S.C. Department of Education, S.C. Chamber of Commerce, S.C. Occupational Information System, the Governor's Office, and the U.S. House of Representatives. She has extensive senior-level experience in both state and federal government and has managed large staffs and multi-million dollar budgets in her many roles over the past 20 years. In her new role as executive director of the SCWBC, Stith will oversee strategic planning processes for further development of the Center, including setting the vision, mission and programming initiatives.

Martinez is an entrepreneur who has owned two companies in her 17-year career. She has also been a successful commercial real estate broker, most recently working for CB Richard Ellis in Columbia, SC. In her role as SCWBC program director, she will conduct outreach and build partnerships between the Center and other public and private resources. Martinez also will provide business consulting services to the Center's clients.

Godeski has 10 years of experience in customer service, scheduling, and financial management in the banking industry. She also owns a craft business, which has been operational for two years. In her role as office manager, Godeski will respond to prospective customer inquiries and manage the daily operations of the Center.

About SCMEP
The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), headquartered in Columbia, SC, is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on helping manufacturers throughout the state by solving business and supply chain process problems. Supported by the state legislature and an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST), SCMEP offers business and technology assessments, engineering expertise and lean manufacturing solutions to South Carolina manufacturers in search of a single solution for supply chain synchronization and internal optimization processes. SCMEP provides this business and technology support to manufacturers through onsite consultations, partnerships with state technical colleges and research universities to provide educational programs, online assessment, an e-services portal, and other business tools. Using SCMEP's services enables manufacturers to see business benefits at a faster rate and enhances economic development in South Carolina. To learn more about SCMEP, call 803.252.6976 or visit the web site at http://www.scmep.org.

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