Recently retired U.S. Ambassador to Estonia, James Melville, has joined the team of the Global Alliance for South Carolina (GASC) to serve as President and CEO. In this role he will work with the GASC Board of Directors to develop and execute the organization’s business plan in support of GASC’s mission.
Melville comes to GASC following a distinguished 33-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, which included assignments in the German Democratic Republic, Seychelles, Leningrad, at the U.S. Mission to NATO, Paris, Moscow and London. He served in Washington in Legislative Affairs, as a Senior Watch Officer, at the Board of Examiners and as the Executive Director of the European and International Organization Affairs Bureaus, directing all management, finance and human resource operations for more than 70 posts. Melville also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy Berlin, Germany, and completed his diplomatic career as the U.S. Ambassador to Estonia from 2015 until 2018.
“It is with great enthusiasm that we announce Ambassador Melville has joined GASC. With his extensive experience in Estonia and the diplomatic arena, he brings in-depth knowledge of that country and broad relationships that will facilitate engaging people with common goals,” said Harry Huge, co-founder and director of GASC.
Melville stated, “After 33 years as a U.S. diplomat, I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue public service on behalf of the Global Alliance for South Carolina. I’m also thrilled at the chance to become part of the wonderful Charleston community, and look forward to making a contribution to deepening the ties between South Carolina, Israel, Estonia and beyond.”
Background:
The Global Alliance for South Carolina (GASC) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, whose mission is to stimulate business, economic growth, and research partnerships involving companies and academic institutions in South Carolina, Israel, and Estonia as an independent way to generate economic development, jobs, and university joint programs. In fulfilling its mission, GASC collaborates with the following:
In South Carolina: the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Advanced Technology International (ATI), SCRA’s “SC Launch” Program, the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, the College of Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina, The Citadel, the University of South Carolina, and Clemson University
In Israel: the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) and various academic research institutions and start-up business incubators
In Estonia: the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the University of Tartu, and Tallinn University of Technology
For more information on the Global Alliance for South Carolina, please contact Russ Keller, GASC Executive Director, at russ.keller@ati.org or visit www.globalallianceforsc.org.
The College of Charleston has established the Center for the Global Alliance for South Carolina to support GASC. For more information on the Center for the Global Alliance for South Carolina, please contact Jim Melville at the College of Charleston, melvillejrjd@cofc.edu.
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About GASC
The Global Alliance for South Carolina (GASC) was established in September 2016 as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Its mission is to stimulate business, economic growth, and research partnerships involving companies and academic institutions in South Carolina, Israel and Estonia as an independent way to generate economic development, jobs, and university joint programs. By leveraging existing international relationships, adding private sector resources, and enabling new processes and programs with counterpart entities in Israel and Estonia, GASC seeks to build a tailored support infrastructure that facilitates recruiting small, innovative “high tech” companies and firms to establish operations in South Carolina.
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