BCEDC faces 1st leadership change as questions continue over funding, oversight, the organization’s future
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
John O’Toole, the only executive director the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation has had since it began operations, is stepping down after nine years leading efforts to recruit businesses, investment and jobs to Beaufort County.
O’Toole submitted his resignation Monday, Sept. 14, and is expected to remain with the organization until mid-November.
His departure comes as the publicly funded economic development organization faces increased scrutiny over its finances, spending and relationship with Beaufort County, its largest financial contributor.
O’Toole has said that scrutiny did not factor into his decision to leave and that he plans to remain in South Carolina.
The Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, or BCEDC, was established by Beaufort County Council in 2016, with operations and leadership taking shape under O’Toole the following year.
The organization serves as the lead entity for organizing and directing economic development efforts on behalf of Beaufort County. Its mission includes attracting investment, creating well-paying jobs and diversifying the county’s economy.
During an event marking eight years of the organization’s work in 2025, BCEDC reported nearly $850 million in investment, over 3,000 jobs created and just over 100 completed projects. Those projects represented approximately 1.3 million square feet of developed real estate, according to the organization. O’Toole has since said the number of jobs created during his tenure has grown to approximately 3,400.
But how the organization is funded and how taxpayer money is spent have increasingly drawn the attention of Beaufort County Council.
Beaufort County is the BCEDC’s largest financial contributor, providing money for operating expenses as well as its job and site fund, which is used to support economic development projects.
In 2025, Beaufort County ordered an audit of the organization and later placed additional controls on the expenditure of county-provided funds.
An audit by Mauldin & Jenkins for the 2024-25 fiscal year found the BCEDC had overstated revenue and understated liabilities by approximately $461,000. O’Toole attributed the issue to an outside accounting firm, and the error was corrected.
County Council also reduced its 2026 contribution to the BCEDC’s job and site fund by $3 million.
Questions surrounding the BCEDC have extended beyond its finances to its overall structure and role in the county’s economic development efforts.
Beaufort County Councilwoman Anna Maria Tabernik, who serves as County Council’s liaison to the BCEDC board, has questioned the organization’s spending priorities and whether Beaufort County needs a separate corporation to handle economic development. She has also raised questions about the county’s representation on the board in relation to the amount of taxpayer funding it provides.
Port Royal has already taken a different approach.
The town stopped providing its annual contribution to the BCEDC last year, choosing instead to use that money for economic development efforts focused specifically on Port Royal.
Town Manager Van Willis has said the decision reflected the town’s desire for a more concentrated focus on commercial and retail development appropriate for Port Royal.
O’Toole continued assisting Port Royal after the town stopped funding the organization, including helping the town obtain a grant for a study of retail opportunities in its downtown area.
O’Toole came to Beaufort County after spending 18 years with Eversource Energy in Connecticut, where his work included community engagement, economic policy and business development. He also served three terms as the chief elected official in Seymour, Connecticut. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College and an MBA from the University of New Haven.
His resignation now leaves the BCEDC facing its first leadership transition since the organization began operating.
The BCEDC board met Thursday, Sept. 17, three days after O’Toole submitted his resignation. According to the board’s amended agenda, members were scheduled to enter executive session to discuss personnel matters before returning to public session for possible action regarding staffing.
The agenda did not identify the personnel matter or specify what staffing action was under consideration. No video of the meeting is available.
The board was also scheduled to receive updates on its 2025-26 audit and job and site fund, consider its 2026-27 budget and consider a proposed grant for Beaufort Memorial Hospital projects.
O’Toole remains listed by the BCEDC as its executive director, alongside Senior Project Manager Kelli Brunson and Economic Development Specialist Brian Warner.
He is expected to remain at the helm of the organization through mid-November as the BCEDC moves through its first change in executive leadership.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.