SCBIZ announces 2026 Top 100 Women honorees

SCBIZ has selected the 2026 class of Top 100 Women honorees.

SCBIZ’s Top 100 Women honors South Carolina’s high-achieving women who are making an impact through their professional experience, leadership, community service and mentoring. Previously, the news organization hosted Women of Influence events in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville. When its three leading brands (Charleston Regional Business Journal, Columbia Regional Business Report and GSA Business Report) merged to form SCBIZ last fall, Top 100 Women replaced the three Women of Influence awards programs with one that honors 100 women statewide.

Nine women were selected for the Circle of Excellence, which recognizes those who have received the Women of Influence award previously. They are honored for their sustained achievements professionally, in the community and through mentoring.

The preliminary judging for Top 100 Women was completed by previous honorees and the final judging by the leadership of SCBIZ.

“The 2026 Top 100 Women are trailblazers who demonstrate extraordinary leadership. These women elevate, educate, mentor, support and empower other women and work to make South Carolina a wonderful place to live and work,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/SCBIZ. “This year’s honorees have had an incredible impact on the community and beyond. We are particularly pleased to honor those being inducted into the Circle of Excellence for their incredible impact on the community and beyond. These women have shattered glass ceilings, redefined possibilities and selflessly mentor the next generation. SCBIZ is pleased to celebrate these stellar leaders.”

SCBIZ’s Top 100 Women will be honored at an awards celebration on June 4 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street. A VIP reception for all Top 100 Women honorees and high-level sponsors begins at 5 p.m. The networking reception for all guests begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards celebration at 6:30 p.m. The event hashtag is #SCBIZevents.

Attendance is limited. This event will sell out. Sponsors and honorees receive priority. There are various sponsorship levels available which include the right to use the event logo, multimedia marketing, a reserved table of eight or 10 for you to enjoy the evening with your guests, speaking/video opportunities, and much more. If seats are available after the sponsorship deadline, a limited number of individual tickets will go on sale. Tables are only available with sponsorship. To secure a sponsorship, contact Suzanne Fischer-Huettner at [email protected].

Honorees will be profiled in the May issue of SCBIZ and may be found at SCBIZ.com.

For more information and updated sponsorship information about SCBIZ’s 2026 Top 100 Women, visit https://scbiz.com/event/top-100-women/.

2026 SCBIZ’s Top 100 Women

Circle of Excellence

• Sara Barber, South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
• Jamie DeMent, SC Competes 
• Sara Fawcett, United Way of the Midlands
• Robyn Grable, Talents ASCEND and Veterans ASCEND
• Brittany Matthews, The Promotion Lady Marketing and Consulting Firm
• Rita Patel, Hotel Trundle
• Barbara Rackes, The Rackes Group
• Jennifer Sutton, Bright and Co. and Orange WIP
• Elyse Welch, Carolina Retail Experts

Top 100 Women

• Jennifer Baez, BEHKO Construction
• Vanessa Barnes, WorkSmart Staffing
• Meghan Barp, United Way of Greenville County
• Keisha R. Bell, Richland County Government
• Dawn A. Boren, The Boeing Company
• Kamber Parker Bowden, Generational Performance Solutions
• Joanne Brady, First Reliance Bank
• Sharon C. Bramlett, Turner Padget Graham and Laney
• Hilary Dyer Brannon, University of South Carolina
• Dita Brown, Beacon Community Bank
• Kimberley D. Brown, South Carolina Community Loan Fund
• Susan Burke, Trident Construction LLC
• Frann Carlton, HDR, Inc.
• Tally Parham Casey, Wyche, P.A.
• Elizabeth Coble, Evans Management Group
• Susan Kenney Cotter, University of South Carolina Business Partnership Foundation
• Avonlea Denney, Rodgers Builders
• Maggie Dittmar, Thompson Turner Construction
• Shelby Dodson, CBRE
• Dolly Garfield, South Carolina Education Lottery
• Chantel Graham, Studio Pilates Spears Creek
• Liz Griffith, International Transportation Innovation Center
• Amanda Hamet, Coldwell Banker Caine
• Linda Hannon, Duke Energy
• Sara Hazzard, South Carolina Manufacturers Commerce
• Clarice Henderson, Scout Motors
• Wendy Henry, JDPR
• Kathleen Herrmann, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre
• Kelly Hosack, Greenberg Farrow (GF)
• Rebecca Hudson, Charleston Parks Conservancy
• Cerrissa Hugie, MyNDSpace® Mental Health Education and Consulting, LLC
• Rebecca Imholz, Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce
• Taylor Jackson, Maritime Association of South Carolina
• Cathy Jansen, First Horizon Bank
• Susan L. Johnson, Ph.D., South Carolina Healthy Business Coalition | South Carolina Nature, Health & Business Group
• Babette Jones, Six Nineteen of 1865 Spirits, Inc.
• Heather Simmons Jones, MRB Group
• Lou Kennedy, Nephron Pharmaceuticals
• Silvia King, Southern First Bank
• Robyn Knox, The HR Business Connect
• Mary Kate Korpita, Flock and Rally
• Gretchen Lambert, Studio 2LR, Inc.
• Julianne Lang, Lowcountry Leadership Charter School
• Kristen Lanier, Terracon
• Nadine K. Lavigne, Be REAL Partners
• Anna Locke, A.T. Locke
• Paige Lux, Weston & Sampson
• Sarah Lyles, PalmettoPride
• Melanie Matthews, Modern Exterminating Company, Inc.
• Jennifer Maxwell, Raines
• Sonia T. McAbee, MTC Federal Credit Union
• Lauren McAlexander, ADCO
• Caroline McDavid, Juiced Fuel
• Laura Acker Menscher, Kreps PR & Marketing
• Chunsta Miller, Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands SC
• Mary Robin Miller, West Carolina
• Ashley Moore, AM-PM Farms & AM-PM Farms Butchery & Market
• Kristen Morrell, Kristen Morrell
• Lisa Muzekari, PE, Thomas & Hutton
• Adelyn Nottingham, American Heart Association – Upstate South Carolina
• Verna Orr, Benedict College
• Jennifer Osgood, Wagner Wealth Management
• Tiffany Payne, Moore & Van Allen PLLC
• MaryEllis Petrosian, YMCA of Greenville
• Rhiannon Poore, Forge Search
• Christie Rainwater, City of Hanahan/Carolina One Real Estate
• Keonta’ Ramsey, CLIMB Fund
• Chelsea Richard, Central Carolina Community Foundation
• Dawn Robinson, Pinnacle Financial Partners
• Caroline Roche, CR Studio Management
• Erinn Rowe, Harvest Hope Food Bank
• Ashley Sage, ANC Group
• Amanda Sapp, We Are Sharing Hope SC
• Michelle Seaver, United Community
• Julie A. Selof, Truliant Federal Credit Union
• Liz Seman, Furman University
• Erika Senneseth, M.Ed., Sandhills School
• Erica Simonavice, The Robby Brady Team – Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate
• Leslie Skardon, Sustain SC
• Charlene D. Slaughter, Experience Columbia SC
• Kathryn Taylor, InvesiNet LLC
• Reyna Thompson, TD Synnex
• Heather Valeri, CBI, CEPA, Meridian Business Advisors, LLC
• Erin Vassallo, AppleOne, Inc. and Alls Well Healthcare Services
• Johanna Ward, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA, Goodwyn Mills Cawood
• Emily Watson, This Whole House
• Whitney Whitlock, WeThrive HR Solutions LLC
• Chelsey Williams, Brasfield & Gorrie
• Sharon Wilson, Wilson Associates Real Estate
• Rebekah Wright, Springbrook Behavioral Health
• Anne Young, Flare Media Agency