Melissa Venable

Chair

LINKEDIN

An online education advisor for Higher Education at Red Ventures, Melissa leads an annual survey research project tracking national trends in online education. As an instructional designer she has experience in industry and higher education. She is an adjunct faculty member and online course designer at Saint Leo University, and a certified career coach with a background in career development services. Melissa is also an associate editor for eLearn Magazine.

She earned a PhD in Instructional Technology at the University of South Florida with research interests in distance education and support services for online students. She also holds master's degrees from Central Michigan University and the University of Oklahoma, and a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University.

Melissa established Design Doc LLC in 2010 to connect with freelance and consulting projects related to online instructional design and career development. Through Design Doc, Melissa and her husband, Rob Petitgout, have been non-resident BDC members since its opening in 2017. Melissa has lived in Beaufort since 2012. She is currently a member of the City of Beaufort's Higher Education Task Force and served on the Friends of the Beaufort County Library Board from 2014 to 2018. Melissa is also a graduate of Leadership Beaufort.

Matt D'Angelo

Vice Chair

LINKEDIN

Matt D'Angelo is part of the founding Board of Directors that began their service in January 2018. He served as Vice Chair since Jan 2018 - present.

For the past 20 years, Matt D'Angelo has worked in the Software industry in delivery of Professional Services. He has served as a practitioner and manager over teams of Project and Program managers, and been the Operations Director for company divisions between 5 and 50 million dollars. Matt's style is to lead by example and activity, and has deep experience developing corporate strategy, and converting those concepts into plans of action.

He has previously co-founded a foster home and served on its board of directors, and has been an active volunteer with the Beaufort Rotary club and his church. He is committed to the development of the Beaufort technical community, and helping expand the impact on the Beaufort economy.

Rich Conte

Board Member

Rich Conte is a Product Management and Development professional with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry spanning Engineering, User Experience Design and Product Management. For the past 18 years, he served in various Product Development roles at Charleston-based Blackbaud Inc. In his current role as Senior Manager of Technical Product Management, Rich leads a team that is helping power Blackbaud's digital transformation efforts by developing Identity Management, Commerce and Developer capabilities.

A passionate Technology Startup advocate, Rich supported the Charleston technology community as Producer and Host of the Tech Life / Silicon Harbor Radio podcast, board member for the Charleston Startup and STEM Foundation, Startup Weekend Charleston organizer, and advisor to a network of Charleston-based entrepreneurs. He is excited to contribute to the local technology community and help further the Beaufort Digital Corridor's mission.

Rich relocated from Charleston in August 2020, and along with his wife Amelia and son Sullivan, looks forward to being part of the Beaufort community for a long time to come.

Jamie Fleming

Board Member

Jamie Fleming is a native of Beaufort SC.

He is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and served in Operation Enduring Freedom as a satellite communication specialist.

Having spent time in the NE, he attended Rutgers University-Newark. After college, he relocated back to Beaufort, where he helped shape the landscape of Youth Development and Education by creating an organization where youth could learn Digital Media

Arts.

He is currently the owner of a web design and development boutique, 1212 Design.

He enjoys spending time with his family and two dogs.

Joe Floyd

LINKEDIN

Joe Floyd is part of the founding Board of Directors that began their service in January 2018.

Joe Floyd, a native of Whiteville, North Carolina, is the founder and CEO of InsureSign, a provider of electronic signature software. InsureSign is used by over 3000 businesses in the US and Canada to get documents filled and signed quickly and with full legal compliance. The company has offices in Charleston, SC and Chapel Hill, NC and was founded in 2011.

Since 1993, Joe has also served as CEO of a family-owned insurance finance company, MPP, Inc. MPP is one of the largest insurance premium finance companies in the Carolinas, and during Joe's tenure has financed nearly $1 billion in property and casualty premiums.

Joe graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has lived in Beaufort, SC since 2000 with his wife, Dr. Karen Eller and two children, Walker and Kirsten. While in Beaufort, Joe has served on the boards of both the NC and SC Premium Service Associations. He has also served terms as the Vice Chairman of the Historic Beaufort Foundation and on the Beaufort Academy Board of Directors.

Stephen Murray

LINKEDIN

Stephen Murray is part of the founding Board of Directors that began their service in January 2018. But even prior to that, he was instrumental in the startup of the Beaufort Digital Corridor entity starting in 2016.

Stephen is the CEO of Kazoobie Kazoos, a small manufacturing firm based in Beaufort that produces plastic kazoos and other fun musical instruments, and a two-time National Blue Ribbon Small Business Award Recipient from the US Chamber of Commerce. He also owns New South Shirts that specializes in digital garment printing, embroidery, event merchandising, and promotional products. Stephen is a third generation Beaufortonian and graduate of Beaufort High School. He is married and has twin three-year old girls.

He is active in the civic community and currently serves on Beaufort City Council and Redevelopment Commission, and is acting Chairman of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation. Stephen is a Past Chairman of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the Leadership Beaufort Alumni Association, a Riley Institute Leadership Diversity Fellow, and a former Lowcountry Rotarian.

Stephen's awards and honors include, Paul Harris Fellow, South Carolina Economic Development Ambassador representing Beaufort County, South Carolina Jaycee of the Year 2014, Lowcountry Young Professional BRCOC, and Community Service Award from the Sea Island Rotary.