Chris Beacham
Director of Economic Development Programs, Regional Technology Strategies, Inc.
Mr. Beacham has 25 years experience in research, policy and strategic economic development. For the past decade he has focused on developing strategies for improving regional economic health particularly in rural and distressed areas. At RTS he is developing programs to integrate traditional economic development programs with a broader array of development options. Supplementing traditional recruitment, retention and expansion efforts with entrepreneurship, technology and place based strategies, creative culture approaches and sector based workforce development allows regions to “hedge their bets” by providing a more balanced portfolio of options.
Prior to joining RTS in 2007, Chris served as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Research & Strategic Planning within the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He led the division in developing pro-active economic strategies for the Governor’s Office, General Assembly and the state’s Economic Development Board. As Research Director at the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center from 1999 to 2003, Chris had the opportunity to work with rural towns, cities, counties and regions to develop sustainable economies. He assisted rural communities in re-thinking their economic strategies to include integrating place based strategies, value-added agriculture, and entrepreneurial programs. A native of Louisiana, Chris is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Louisiana State University with B.A. and M.S. degrees in economics.
