Amy Barrett

Biography: Amy Barrett is the Executive Director of the Charleston Downtown Alliance (CDA). Before coming to CDA she served as the first President & CEO of the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance (MBDA)—a place-management organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Myrtle Beach. Prior to MBDA, she was the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) South Carolina where she was responsible for directing the South Carolina District Council's program of work and promoting industry best practices that positively impact local and regional land use policies. Before joining ULI, Amy served as the Director of Business and Neighborhood Services for the City Charleston where she headed various economic development initiatives under former Mayor Joe Riley and current Mayor John Tecklenburg. Prior to her work at the City, Amy directed research and feasibility studies for a variety of high profile projects and clients throughout the southeast, both as an independent consultant and as Vice President at Permar Inc., a real estate advisory services firm located in Charleston, South Carolina. Amy has over 20 years of experience in land use planning and real estate development. She has master's degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Urban Studies from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She has served on several ULI advisory services panels both locally and nationally, has held positions on various boards and nonprofits and is a former Peace Corps volunteer.