Contact Staff

                           

  Steve Yost, President

  Steve has been engaged in economic development in North Carolina since 1994.   Since that time, he has helped more than 100 companies locate or expand in   southeastern North Carolina. He is President of North Carolina’s Southeast (NCSE),   and served as Marketing Manager for NCSE for four years. From 2000-2005, Steve served as Senior Developer and Regional Manager for the North Carolina Department of Commerce in southeastern North Carolina, and from 1994-2000 as Executive Director for the Columbus County Economic Development Commission. He has a Masters degree in Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and a B.S. degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University. He is a certified economic and community developer, a graduate of the NC Rural Institute, and a graduate of Leadership North Carolina. He lives in Whiteville with his wife, Deborah Albritton.

 

  Joe Melvin, Director of Business Development

  Joe serves as the Director of Business Development for North Carolina’s Southeast   through development of marketing activities, promoting the region to national and   global markets, and interaction with other economic development   professionals.  Prior to the Director position, Joe served as the NCSE Assistant Marketing Manager and as a senior transportation consultant with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.  He has 14 years experience working with regional and statewide programs in North Carolina.  Joe received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992 and his Master of Arts in Education Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1994.

 

  Bart Richardson, Marketing Research Developer

  Bart Richardson is the Marketing Research Developer for North Carolina’s Southeast.   Prior to working with NCSE, he worked as an international financial consultant and as   a general manager for several retail textbook stores in WI and NC. Bart has nine   years of experience crafting and administering marketing campaigns and has served as a consultant for online marketing and internet sales management software. Bart earned his BA in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001 and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2010. Bart also earned the Certified Global Business Professional designation in 2010.

 

  Marie McKoy, Technology Specialist

  Marie has been employed with North Carolina’s Southeast as Technology Specialist   since April of 1998. Prior to joining the staff at North Carolina’s Southeast she   worked in sales and marketing in the hotel industry and as a manager in the   accounting department of an emergency assistance company. Marie’s primary responsibilities in support of North Carolina’s Southeast' marketing program include network administration, website maintenance, database administration, software training, hardware/software maintenance, and technology budgeting. She has a degree in Business Administration with an area of concentration in information systems (data processing) from North Carolina Central University.

 

  Tammy McPherson, Office Manager

  Tammy has been on staff with North Carolina’s Southeast since February of 2009.   She has previous experience as a loan officer and manager in banking, manager of   a call center, and was a Director of a Community Health Center.  Tammy’s primary   responsibility as Office Manager for North Carolina’s Southeast is to manage financial                            activities.