Edward B. Grimball

Appointed by the Governor

Edward Grimball was appointed Chair of the Board of Economic Advisors in March 2017. He spent much of his professional life in the financial services industry previously serving as Chief Financial Officer of a Nasdaq multi-state, diversified Bank Holding Company headquartered in New Orleans. Concurrently, he was Chief Executive Officer of a publicly traded company engaged in oil and gas exploration and real estate management in southern Louisiana. Prior to this, he was Controller and Corporate Secretary of an interstate bank based in Atlanta, Board member of a captive insurance company located in Bermuda, and senior manager and consultant with a “Big 8” accounting firm in its Columbia and Washington, DC offices. Most recently in the state of Maine, he served as consulting CFO of a listed diversified bank holding company and as CFO and Board member of a start-up company that developed and markets worldwide a hand held water purification device using ultraviolet light and solar energy.

Mr. Grimball is a graduate of The Citadel, received an MBA from the University of Virginia, is a CPA licensed in the State of South Carolina, and served overseas as a Captain in the United States Army.

C. Curtis Hutto

Appointed by the Chairman of House Ways & Means Committee

C. Curtis Hutto was appointed to the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisors on March 1st, 2022.  He is the Chief Financial Officer for and a shareholder of Thompson Construction Group, Inc., a diversified construction services firm based in Sumter, SC.  He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in South Carolina.  Additionally, he serves on the Executive Committee as Treasurer of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance.

Mr. Hutto received a Bachelor of Science degree in 2002 and a Master of Accountancy degree in 2003 from the University of South Carolina.  He maintains his residency in Sumter, SC with his wife and son.

G. Michael mikota, pH.d.

Appointed by the Chairman of Senate Finance Committee

Dr. Michael Mikota was appointed to the Board of Economic Advisors in November of 2022. Dr. Mikota has served as president of Spartanburg Community College since 2020 and was previously president of Central Carolina Technical College. A native of Gaffney, SC, Dr. Mikota holds a bachelor’s from Wofford College, an MBA from Gardner-Webb University, and a Ph.D. in Policy Studies from Clemson University and has spent his career at the intersection of economics, education, and policy. 

At Clemson, Dr. Mikota served as president of the Graduate Student Body, a National Fellow with the U.S. Government focused on Water Trading Quality and Wetlands Banking, a Watershed Policy Director, and an adjunct professor and lecturer. Following this he served as a Senior Analyst with the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C. before returning to South Carolina as Executive Director of the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments where he led innovative efforts to drive prosperity and enhance quality of life. 

In addition to his service on the BEA and RFA, Dr. Mikota also serves on the South Coordinating Council for Workforce Development and the South Carolina Labor Force Participation Task Force.  He resides in Spartanburg, SC with his wife and their three children. 

Frank Rainwater

Frank Rainwater was appointed Executive Director of the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office beginning with the agency’s inception on July 1, 2014. His career covers a diverse field of economic and legal experience. Prior to his appointment, Frank served as Chief Economist and Assistant General Counsel to the South Carolina Budget & Control Board where he provided economic and revenue forecasts, fiscal analysis of tax law changes, and legal advice to board programs. Frank previously served as Deputy State Treasurer and General Counsel where he focused primarily on financial and management issues for the state and its agencies. Through this position, he also provided assistance to the State Board of Financial Institutions, county treasurers, and the state student loan program. Frank also served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant Legal Counsel in the Governor’s Office for state budget and policy matters. His other experience includes serving as a vice president at Denmark Technical College and Assistant Director of the Office of State Budget. Frank began his career by working as a research analyst for the South Carolina General Assembly for the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees, the SC Tax Commission, and the SC Board of Economic Advisors. 

Frank is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and graduate of Lower Richland High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Clemson University, Master of Arts in Economics from the University of South Carolina, and Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.