Palmetto State Extra: The Small Business Report

**SC SBDC Hires David Dougherty As Community Navigator Business Consultant To Assist Marginalized Small Businesses**

South Carolina SBDC Network Headquarters (Columbia, SC) – The South Carolina Small Business Development Centers (SC SBDC), the state’s premier provider of business assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs, is pleased to announce the hiring of Community Navigator Business Consultant David Dougherty. A seasoned business professional with over 47 years of banking experience in South Carolina, Dougherty will support the state's Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) in its mission to equip and empower minority, rural and other underserved sectors of the entrepreneurial community.

The CNPP operates to create a more equitable small business economy, and Dougherty’s background in community development, investor relations, employee sales training and commercial and retail banking relationship management has prepared him to “help entrepreneurs lay a foundation that will translate into a successful career.”

Through his professional career, Dougherty has developed a passion for seeing small businesses succeed. Having once been a part of a family-owned business himself, he understands both the struggles and rewards of small business ownership and offers a unique perspective and extensive knowledge to all SC SBDC clients. Dougherty is enthusiastic about engaging with South Carolina business owners and is determined to learn about their struggles and help them identify long-term solutions.

“I would like to play a small part in the creation and expansion of sustainable minority and woman-owned small businesses serving Upstate South Carolina,” he said. “The SC Business Navigator program offers underserved entrepreneurs an opportunity to tap into expertise that can guide them to have successful outcomes operating their business.

For more information on the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program, please visit https://www.scaced.org/south-carolina-community-navigator.

**U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights Reaches Agreement To Resolve Restraint And Seclusion Compliance Review Of Horry County Schools in South Carolina**

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on Monday resolved a compliance review of the Horry County Schools in South Carolina. The district committed to take steps necessary to ensure that students with disabilities receive the free appropriate public education (FAPE) to which they are entitled without unnecessary restraint or seclusion or missed instruction.

OCR’s investigation identified concerns that students who were repeatedly subjected to restraint or seclusion lost educational time and services, and that the district did not re-evaluate students who were repeatedly restrained or secluded to determine whether they should receive additional supports or compensatory services.

The district’s agreement to change its practices with respect to the use of restraint or seclusion, and its commitment to examine and remedy prior instances where restraint and seclusion of its students may have denied them a FAPE, reflect the district’s willingness to address the civil rights of its students.

“I thank Horry County Schools for its commitment to revise its practices and procedures regarding the use of restraint and seclusion to ensure that students with disabilities receive the education to which they are entitled,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights.

The district’s commitments to resolve the investigation include:

Revising its procedures and guidance documents on the use of restraint or seclusion.

Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of those involved in monitoring and oversight of the district’s use of restraint or seclusion.

Modifying its recordkeeping system.

Creating a plan to accurately report data to the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Training staff on the district’s procedures and new recordkeeping system.

Reviewing files of currently enrolled students who were restrained or secluded since the start of the 2017-2018 school year to determine, in part, whether any student requires compensatory education for educational services missed due to incidents of restraint or seclusion. And,

Implementing a monitoring program to assess the district’s use of restraint or seclusion.

The letter to Horry County Schools and the resolution agreement are available online at https://www2.ed.gov/.

**School of Business to Host Second Annual Women for Women Summit**

The second Annual Women for Women Summit, presented by the College of Charleston School of Business, will be held on June 23, 2022, at the Francis Marion Hotel. “Grit” is the theme of this year’s one-day event, created to celebrate, elevate, share and connect exceptional women from across the Palmetto State.

The impressive lineup of speakers includes women leaders in business, technology and government. Guests will participate in panel discussions, professional workshops, and networking opportunities designed to foster personal and professional growth.

“The workplace has changed dramatically over the last two years. The pandemic’s disproportionate strain on women is significant and varied,” says Joanna Lau, founder and CEO of executive consulting and investment company Lau Acquisitions, who is a member of the School of Business Board of Governors. “It is more important than ever to come together as a community to continue the conversations about navigating work and personal life.”

“Our inaugural event in 2020 put the School of Business on the map as a champion of diversity and inclusion,” says Alan T. Shao, dean of the School of Business. “It was phenomenal to have the business community, faculty, staff and students together to celebrate the mission of the Women for Women Summit. The school is proud to host the event again this year.”

For additional information about the second annual Women for Women and to purchase tickets, please visit w4w.cofc.edu.

**Florence Chamber Business After Hours: The Blood Connection**

The Florence Chamber invites you to join us for an after-hours event hosted by The Blood Connection. Come out on Tuesday, May 31st from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. located at 1617 S Irby St for great food, drinks, and networking. Be sure to bring lots of business cards!

RSVP by calling the Chamber at (843) 665-0515 or by visiting https://web.florencescchamber.com/events/2021-2022-Business-After-Hours-1299/details to register online.

**SCDOT Memorial Day Weekend Advisory**

To help holiday travelers, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) prohibits lane closures on interstate highways for non-emergency highway work during the Memorial Day Weekend holiday travel period. These restrictions will be in place from 6 a.m. Friday, May 27, until 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 31.

With continued progress due to SCDOT’s Strategic 10-Year Plan to rebuild South Carolina’s roads and bridges, more work zones are in place all across South Carolina. SCDOT reminds motorists to remain alert and use caution.

Motorists may keep up with travel conditions by using SCDOT’s 511 system, which provides real-time traffic information on all South Carolina interstate highways and some of the highways along the coast. Users can call 511 or access www.511SC.org 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and download the free app.