BEAUFORT, S.C., September 2, 2021 – The Beaufort Digital Corridor (BDC) board has elected Melissa A. Venable, Ph.D. as their new board chair. Venable, who joined the BDC Board in 2020 has been a member since the BDC's opening in 2017. She succeeds Kevin Klingler, the BDC's inaugural chairman.

Melissa Venable is an advisor for Red Ventures Education where she leads a research initiative tracking trends in online education and training. Her professional background includes almost 15 years of higher education experience in roles related to educational technology, teaching, and career development. Her most recent nonprofit experience includes serving as secretary for the National Career Development Association 2017-2020. She also served on the Friends of the Beaufort County Library Board from 2014 to 2018 and is a graduate of Leadership Beaufort.

"I'm honored to have been elected to this position and excited to be part of the mission to provide business and education support for tech entrepreneurs and companies in the Beaufort area," said Venable. "The BDC is staged to provide a variety of unique programs and services. I look forward to working closely with our Executive Director, Jess O'Brien, as well as our experienced and collaborative Board of Directors, gaining momentum with new projects as we emerge from more than a year of limited operations during the coronavirus pandemic."