The 2026 South Carolina Association of Counties (SCAC) Annual Conference and Institute of Government for County Officials was packed with opportunities for county leaders to engage in advocacy, collaboration and education.
The Institute of Government kicked off Monday with courses on economic development, county government finance, intergovernmental relationships and the policy role of county councils.
This year, 91 county officials from 34 counties earned enough credits to graduate from Level I and Level II. Fourteen county officials graduated from both levels this year.
The Institute also debuted the new Advanced Level certification, including a course called “AI Considerations for Your County.” The panel-style class was led by Jason See, director of strategic partnerships with Worthwhile LLC, and featured Lexington County Administrator Lynn Sturkie, York County Assistant Manager David Garner, Chester County Planning and Development Director Jeremy Ward, S.C. Department of Administration Chief Information Officer Nathan Hogue and Land Takeoff CEO Nate Tomforde.
County leaders on the panel shared where their counties are regarding incorporating artificial intelligence tools into their workflows as well as some considerations their counties are making to responsibly and securely adopt AI technology.
The topic of data centers also came up during the AI panel discussion and was a hot topic in sessions throughout this year’s conference. Data centers were a subject of concern for counties of all sizes and dominated the discussion in the Rural Caucus meeting.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all for county government, and there’s no one-size-fits-all data center. There’s data centers the size of this room,” said Sumter County Councilman Carlton Washington during the Rural Caucus meeting.
SCAC Deputy Director of Governmental Affairs John Wienges Jr. encouraged county leaders to connect with the Association to share their thoughts and concerns on the subject.
“Data centers will be a topic that’s brought up in the General Assembly next session, and your input is important,” he said. “Siting is going to be a crucial issue moving forward.”
Greenwood County Manager Toby Chappell stressed the importance of rural counties being included in these discussions and decisions.
“We don’t need larger delegations to be the only voice in the conversation about data centers,” he said.
SCAC also welcomed state legislators during the Legislative Breakfast and Power Hour. Sens. Allen Blackmon, Jeffrey Graham and Overture Walker were joined by Reps. Hamilton Grant, Brandon Newton, David Weeks and Richie Yow to discuss bills they worked on this past legislative session and to share insight on bills they anticipate discussing during the next session.
“We are all becoming experts on data centers, aren’t we,” Blackmon said, announcing his plans to introduce four bills on data centers during the next legislative session.
The legislators also acknowledged the county leaders in the room and highlighted the work they do to advocate for their communities.
“Let me thank you for what you do around the state. You show true leadership and action when the state fails to do so,” Graham said, highlighting the many counties that enacted hate crime ordinances.
Attendees also heard from National Association of Counties (NACo) President George Dunlap, who encouraged county leaders to become more involved with NACo and to engage legislators at the federal level regarding issues that affect their constituents.
Dunlap also announced that this fall NACo will bring a peer exchange to Dorchester County for a discussion on how counties across the nation are managing data center ordinances and legislation.
The 2026 Annual Conference ended with a closing reception, during which 2025-26 SCAC President and Chesterfield County Council Chairwoman Mary D. Anderson passed the gavel to Calhoun County Council Vice Chairman Cecil M. Thornton Jr., who was elected SCAC’s 2026-27 president.
Thornton encouraged those present to get involved with SCAC and to take advantage of the resources offered.
“This Association is great. I hope if there are any newcomers in here, use the staff. It took me many, many years to learn. Use them, call them. They are here,” he said. “All these 46 counties, we are stronger together, and the Association gives us that power at the state level.”
See photos from this year’s Annual Conference and Institute of Government.