Maddison Wilkerson, CPA, CGFO, serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Municipal Clerk for the City of Rock Hill, South Carolina. She oversees the City’s finance administration, budget, accounting, customer service, and collections divisions—ensuring fiscal stewardship and operational efficiency across all departments.
With nearly nine years of experience in government finance, Maddison brings a strong background in strategic budgeting and public sector financial management. Her previous roles include serving as Budget Officer for the City of Rock Hill, Chief Financial Officer for the Lexington-Richland School District Five, and Director of Budget & Strategic Management for Richland County. Maddison began her career in public accounting with Cherry Bekaert in Charlotte, North Carolina.
She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in 2016 and earned her Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) designation from the Government Finance Officers Association of South Carolina in 2022. Maddison holds a Master of Business Administration from Winthrop University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Maddison serves on the National Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy with the Government Finance Officers Association and is a current member of the Women’s Professional Finance Network.
Joung Lee leads AASHTO’s transportation policy, strategic initiatives, and external affairs with Congress, federal agencies, and partner organizations under the direction of the Association’s Strategic Plan and AASHTO President’s Emphasis Areas. Joung began his career with the Federal Highway Administration in 2000 before joining AASHTO in 2007. He founded Young Professionals in Transportation in 2008, and serves on the advisory boards of the Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy and The Road Gang in DC. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Pennsylvania.
Justin Powell is the Secretary of Transportation for the South Carolina Department of Transportation. As Secretary, he is responsible for leading the more than 4,000 employees of SCDOT and managing the day-to-day operations of the agency including its $6.5 billion construction program and maintenance of the nation’s fourth-largest state highway system.
Secretary Powell has played a key role in delivering major interstate infrastructure projects across South Carolina, including significant improvements along I-26, I-95 and I-85, enhancing connectivity and economic growth throughout South Carolina. During his tenure as Secretary of Transportation, Secretary Powell has led the response to numerous disasters and subsequent recovery efforts. He has fostered a culture of innovation, driving numerous initiatives aimed at making South Carolina a hub for infrastructure solutions that support the success of people and businesses throughout the Palmetto State.
Secretary Powell joined SCDOT in 2019 as Deputy Secretary for Finance and Administration with responsibility for SCDOT’s $2.7 billion budget and oversaw the growth of the construction program from $3 billion to $5 billion. He served as both Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer, serving as the senior advisor to the Secretary of Transportation. Before working for SCDOT, he worked in a variety of senior leadership roles for local government organizations.
Secretary Powell was raised in Charleston, South Carolina and is a graduate of James Island High School. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wofford College.
Daniel Prentice serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Charleston County School District, which is the second-largest public school system in South Carolina with over 6,500 employees and an annual budget of approximately $1 Billion. Mr. Prentice manages several departments throughout the District including Budget, Accounting, Capital Projects Accounting, Business Intelligence, Contracts & Procurement, Internal Consulting, Federal Programs, and Payroll. Additionally, he serves as the liaison to the Audit & Finance Committee and is a member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet. Prior to joining the School District in March 2024, Mr. Prentice held the role of Deputy County Administrator and Chief Financial Officer with Dorchester County for nearly eight years where he managed numerous finance and operational departments for the twelfth-largest and fifth fastest growing county in South Carolina. He has over ten years of public administration and finance experience. Mr. Prentice received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with a Minor in Crime, Law, and Society from the College of Charleston and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport. In September 2021, he was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to serve as the liaison for South Carolina counties to the Tourism Expenditure Review Committee which oversees the annual expenditure of taxes from hotels received by cities and counties.
Brandy James serves as Chief Financial Officer of Charleston International Airport, where she oversees Finance, Procurement, Properties, and the Diversity Business Enterprise (DBE) program. With more than 25 years of experience in finance and accounting, she is recognized for her integrity, strategic mindset, and results-driven leadership. Brandy brings a disciplined, transparent approach to financial management, with a strong focus on accountability, long-term planning, and stakeholder trust.
Before joining Charleston International Airport, Brandy served as Chief Financial Officer for the Richland County Recreation Commission, where she led Finance and Procurement operations. In that role, she successfully implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, modernized payroll processes, and significantly enhanced the accuracy, clarity, and usefulness of financial and budget reporting.
Brandy’s professional background also includes senior finance and audit roles at SCANA Corporation, a regulated electric and gas utility, as well as positions in healthcare finance and public accounting. In addition, she has served as an adjunct professor, teaching accounting and taxation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels—reflecting her commitment to education, mentorship, and developing future financial leaders.
A Certified Public Accountant, Brandy holds a Master of Science in Accountancy and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the College of Charleston. She is actively engaged in professional and civic leadership, with service spanning faith-based, nonprofit, and industry organizations. She is a member of the South Carolina Association of CPAs, the American Association of Airport Executives, and Airports Council International – North America, and currently serves on the Board of the YWCA Greater Charleston.
Brandy values service, collaboration, and community impact—principles that strongly inform her leadership philosophy and public-sector work. Outside of her professional responsibilities, she enjoys spending time with family, staying active, and reading.
Julie Secrist, PE, F.ASCE is a Professional Engineer, CEO and Founder of Red Stone Group Development & Engineering, who manages multiple lines of business for the company. Julie is an expert in site hydrology, design, and construction for private site development projects including, mixed-use, office, residential, and commercial projects as well as aviation planning, design and construction oversight. She has managed major expansion projects at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest air transportation hub. She is renowned for her use of green spaces in large-scale site development. A few of her exceptional projects include the following: Halcyon, Avalon, Eastmore, Delta Ground Support Facility and Main Terminal Transportation Improvements at Hartsfield Jackson. Throughout Julie’s 20-year career, she has continuously been involved in the leadership of multiple professional engineering and land development organizations, both on the local and national levels. She has been on the leadership team for all four of the Georgia Infrastructure Report Cards which have directly impacted the state’s increased infrastructure funding over the last two decades. She has led three civil engineering departments, multiple large-scale project teams, has been responsible for over 60 engineers, and has mentored countless more. Julie serves as President for Georgia Engineering Foundation, Past-President of ASCE Georgia, Past-Chair for UGA’s College of Engineering Advisory Board, and Co-Chair for the Georgia Infrastructure Report Card. In 2025, she was named Georgia’s Engineer of the Year in Construction.
Rhonda Dillingham is a veteran educator who taught 9th -12th grade English for 18 years and brings a wealth of experience to her role as Executive Director of the NC Association for Public Charter Schools. She graduated with honors from Greensboro College in 1996 with a BA in secondary English Education. In addition to earning her National Board Certification in 2005, Rhonda has completed Master’s work in Education Leadership at High Point University. In 2007, she was part of the team that founded the Asheboro High School Zoo School, a satellite location of Asheboro High School at the North Carolina Zoo. The Zoo School serves grades 10-12 in a science-focused small learning community committed to project-based learning and environmental education. In 2013, she co-founded Uwharrie Charter Academy, the only charter school in Randolph County, where she served as Chief Curriculum Officer for three years. Now in its eleventh year, Uwharrie Charter’s mission is to prepare students for post-secondary life through a STEM-focused project-based learning environment. As Executive Director of the NC Association for Public Charter Schools, Rhonda is proud of the progress the organization has made in serving the needs of the state’s public charter schools while she works to advocate, educate, and support the advancement of quality educational opportunities for all North Carolina children by supporting and expanding successful charter schools.
Sean Werdlow is a proven finance professional and business leader who has led multiple entities through challenging financial and economic circumstances and growth phases achieving strong results and creating significant value for shareholders and constituents. Werdlow is currently Senior Managing Director and Head of the mid-west and southeast regions for Siebert Williams Shank, a full-service investment banking firm offering debt and equity origination services to a wide range of Fortune 500 companies and debt underwriting for municipal clients nationally. Werdlow is responsible for the overall public finance business operations and the growth of the firm’s market share in the mid-west and southeast territories of the United States. Werdlow has led over $14 billion of senior managed capital markets transactions and secured an additional $12 billion in co-managed deals. Previously, Werdlow was Chief Financial Officer for the City of Detroit. Serving in this role, he was the first finance professional in the history of city government to manage both Departments of Finance and Budget simultaneously. Werdlow led aggressive initiatives that resulted in $250 million of annual expenditure reductions and over $400 million of new and one-time revenue measures over a four-year period. Under his leadership, the City also received numerous credit rating upgrades reaching the “A” category for its general obligation rating. This resulted in millions of savings for taxpayers and ratepayers. Werdlow previously served as Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of Detroit Medical Center, where he led strategic cashflow planning, investor relations and capital allocation achieving significant reductions in interest costs, higher returns on investment for system-wide assets and improved days cash on hand. Werdlow led negotiations for and secured an asset-based lending facility which enabled the system to stabilize, acquire needed revenue producing equipment, and protect its cash position. Werdlow is often sought for his business and civic leadership. He is active in various industry and civic organizations and serves on several Non-Profit Boards. He serves on the boards of Wayne State University Foundation and The Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan (Program and Investment Committee). Werdlow holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Wayne State University.