Amy Barrett

Biography: Amy Barrett is the first President/CEO of the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance (MBDA)--a Place Management Organization established in 2021. Before joining MBDA Amy was the Executive Director of ULI South Carolina where she was responsible for directing the South Carolina District Council’s program of work, retaining and expanding membership and sponsorships and fostering opportunities to promote industry best practices that positively impact local and regional land use policies. Amy previously 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 30 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. She currently serves on the board of New Directions of Myrtle Beach and on the Deans Advisory Panel at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. She lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.