Sam joined SCBIO in Spring 2017 as its President/CEO, focused on aggressively scaling-up and leading the innovative statewide economic development organization and industry association in its mission to build, advance, innovate and grow South Carolina’s $11.4 billion life sciences industry which is comprised of over 600 companies. 

Prior to his role with SCBIO, Sam served as Executive Director of the Greenville Health Research Development Corporation as part of a 12-year affiliation with the Greenville Health System in various strategic roles, and was the founding President/CEO of Upstate SC Alliance along with other leadership positions with the SC Department of Commerce and Germany-based Alfmeier Corporation. He is also the founder and principal of SK Strategies, LLC - a consulting firm specializing in economic development, innovation, public-private partnerships, integrated marketing and business development strategies.

A licensed attorney since 1989, he is a member of numerous business and industry boards, including current roles serving on the SC Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee & Board, Southeast Life Sciences Association Board of Directors, SCRA Business & Science Advisory Board, SCBIO Board of Directors, South State Bank Greenville Advisory Board, and Palmetto Conservation Foundation Board.  He is the past board chair of the Cancer Society of Greenville County, past board vice chair of the Upstate SC Red Cross, has been designated as a Knowledge Economist by SCRA, and was awarded The Order of the Palmetto in 2018 – SC’s highest civilian award.

Erin Ford is Vice President of SCBIO.  Previously, she was director of sales at Poly-Med, Inc., a global innovation company developing leading edge bioresorbable polymers and constructs for the medical device industry.   Prior to her role at Poly-Med, Inc. Erin was a business recruitment officer at the Upstate SC Alliance.  She served as the main point of contact for life sciences companies interested in expanding or locating in South Carolina. 

She formerly served as an ex-officio SCBIO board member from 2013 to 2015 and led a regional biosciences task force comprised of industry executives from the Upstate region of South Carolina. Erin also has extensive television experience, as a documentary producer and sportscaster.  She received her B.A. in Communication from La Salle University in Philadelphia.

Sam currently serves as Marketing Director for SCBIO where his extensive marketing career allows him to successfully implement all marketing and communications strategies, as well as overall image and branding. Sam also leads the team in preparing all annual marketing plans and works to create a calendar of campaigns and events. He is also responsible for the marketing budget and is the lead planner for SCBIO’s annual conference and its associated committee. Sam Patrick’s varied marketing career includes work directing strategic communications for such organizations as DOW, Publix Super Markets, SouthTrust Corporation, Wachovia, Datastream Systems, Ryland Homes, Club Corporation of America, State of South Carolina Tourism, Elliott Davis and Advantica/Denny’s among them. With a background in industries including consumer goods, technology, economic development, financial services and professional services, Sam founded Patrick Marketing & Communications, Inc. (PM&C) in 2005 to assist organizations seeking to deploy innovative marketing and communications to accelerate their profitable growth. Sam also serves as Director of Marketing for Greenville Area Development Corporation (the official economic development arm of Greenville County, SC) and NHE Inc. (which provides professional association management and apartment management to high quality communities across the Southeast). Sam’s involvements include the American Advertising Federation, South Carolina Association of CPAs, Miracle Hill Ministries, Senior Action, and Southeast Life Sciences. He speaks and writes regularly on various marketing and growth topics. Sam is a proud graduate of The University of Georgia where he holds a B.A. in Journalism, Public Relations and Marketing. 

Morgan is the Corporate Affairs & Investor Relations Manager of SCBIO where she manages board communications, executive activities, investor relations and event affairs, while assisting with a variety of public relations and marketing initiatives. She also helps spearhead SCBIO's life sciences workforce initiatives, specializing in K – 12 life sciences education efforts.

Before SCBIO, Morgan was employed as Lead Quality and Corporate Affairs Intern with Nephron Pharmaceuticals, a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical manufacturing company in West Columbia, SC.

Due to COVID-19, she is in her second year as Miss South Carolina where she travels across the state speaking with students, teachers, legislators, corporate professionals, and others to promote her initiative of Stronger With STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to further develop the state’s 21^st-century STEM workforce. Morgan is a summa-cum laude graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Genetics and minor in business administration.  

Experienced senior bioengineering student at Clemson University and Senior Intern at SCBIO. Current work at Clemson includes development of a personal isolation unit to combat COVID-19, creation of children's STEM outreach activities, development of an umbilical cord care kit, and medical device reprocessing research. 

Ashlea is an intern for SCBIO. She is a senior Microbiology major with a Biomedicine concentration and double minoring in Biology and Psychology at Clemson University. Before SCBIO, Ashlea interned with the Greenwood Genetic Center in the Summer of 2019.