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The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) and Visit Myrtle Beach have announced the volunteer community members who will serve on their 2026 Board of Directors and Advisory Boards. These individuals provide governance over the organizations, guiding strategic initiatives that support regional economic prosperity to enhance quality of life across the Grand Strand.
“The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber and Visit Myrtle Beach extend our appreciation to the local leaders who have committed to serving our community,” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO. “They represent a broad cross-section of the Grand Strand’s industries, who share our commitment to integrity, excellence and long-term success of the region. Working together, we will collaborate on initiatives and speak with one voice to support our thriving, welcoming region for residents and visitors alike.”
The Board of Directors includes 25 voting members and six ex officio (non-voting) representatives. Twelve voting members also serve on the 24-member Chamber Advisory Board, while the remaining 13 serve on the 24-member Visit Myrtle Beach Advisory Board.
Board of Directors Members:
As previously announced, Lori A. Heafner, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs at Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC), will serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for 2026 and sit on the Chamber Advisory Board. She succeeds Patrick Norton, Immediate Past Chair and Chief Marketing Officer of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, who will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as past chair as well as a member of the Visit Myrtle Beach Advisory Board.
Along with Dr. Heafner and Mr. Norton on the Board of Directors are John Anderson (HTC), Sean Bailey (LHWH Advertising & PR), Courtnie Barnett (Ripley’s Attractions), Charlie Belissary (Downwind Sails Watersports), Chad Carlson (Burroughs & Chapin), Tony Cox (South Atlantic Bank), Scott Dietrich (Edward Jones), Monica Hardee (Hardee Investment Holdings), Kasey Herrington (OrthoSC), Radha Herring (Watermark Real Estate Group), Suzanne Hinde (Sheraton Myrtle Beach), Mayur Jeram (New Horizon Hospitality), Matt Klugman (Vacation Myrtle Beach), Jon Konkel (A&I Fire & Water Restoration), Kelli Lane (Croissants / Hook & Barrel), Mark Lazarus (Lazarus Entertainment Group), Declan McGonigal (myBeach Vacation Rentals), Amit Patel (Home2Suites by Hilton/Shiv Properties), John Rutenberg (Truist Bank), Parker Smith (Sea Trail Golf Resort), Tom Tse (Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts), Jordan Watkins (The Carolina Opry Theatre) and James Winebrake, Ph.D. (Coastal Carolina University).
Ex officio representatives are J.O. Baldwin (Mayor of North Myrtle Beach), Adam Emrick (City of Conway), Johnny Gardner (Horry County Council Chairman), Mark Kruea (Mayor of Myrtle Beach), Fox Simons (City of Myrtle Beach) and Barry Spivey (Horry County Government).
Chamber Advisory Board Members:
The 2026 Chamber Advisory Board is chaired by Mark Lazarus and includes Board of Directors members John Anderson, Chad Carlson, Tony Cox, Scott Dietrich, Dr. Lori Heafner, Monica Hardee, Kasey Herrington, Radha Herring, Jon Konkel, John Rutenberg and Dr. James Winebrake. Additionally, the Chamber Advisory Board will include Julie Daniels (Divine Dining Group), Andrew Finch (Corning Credit Union), Jamesha Gore-Coggin (State Farm Insurance), Shawn Godwin (Palmetto Corp), Hatton Gravely (YMCA of Coastal Carolina), Wayne Gray (Synovus Bank), Shep Guyton (Guyton Law Firm), Terrance Herriott (Conway National Bank), Joe Heyd (Heyd & Co. Accounting), Mark Loos (Tidelands Health), Bhumi Patel (Burr & Forman LLP) and Patrick Sparks (Sparks Toyota).
Ex officio members are Josh Bruegger (City of Myrtle Beach), Sandy Davis (Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation), Johnny Gardner (Horry County Council), Mike Lowder (Myrtle Beach City Council), Jeri McCumbee (North Myrtle Beach City Council) and Shannon Todd (Horry County Government).
Visit Myrtle Beach Advisory Board Members:
The 2026 Visit Myrtle Beach Advisory Board is chaired by Matt Klugman and includes Board of Directors members Sean Bailey, Courtnie Barnett, Charlie Belissary, Suzanne Hinde, Mayur Jeram, Kelli Lane, Declan McGonigal, Patrick Norton, Amit Patel, Parker Smith, Tom Tse and Jordan Watkins. Additionally the Visit Myrtle Beach Advisory Board will include Scott Brandon (Brandon Advertising), Laura Crowther (Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors), Charles Daniel (Strand Capital Group), Dr. Jessica Greene (Next Level Behavioral Health & Wellness), Josh Kay (Mashburn Construction), Cheryl Kilday (Destination North Myrtle Beach), Steve Mays (Founders Group International), Jan McCormick (Kingston Resorts), Jay Smith (Prestwick Country Club), Robert Stinnett (WonderWorks) and Ryan Swaim (Dunes Realty Vacation Rentals).
Ex officio members are Ryan Cannon (Golf Tourism Solutions), Jackie Hatley (Myrtle Beach City Council), Bill Howard (Horry County Council), Robert Krouse (Mayor of Surfside Beach), Victoria Tobin (Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association) and Brian Tucker (City of Myrtle Beach).