Mark Newman named SCRLA president and CEO

The South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association looked for leadership experience — not kitchen skills — to lead the organization into its next chapter.

Mark Newman, with a background ranging from sports to public broadcasting, has been named SCRLA‘s next president and CEO.

Newman brings more than two decades of executive leadership across tourism, public media, nonprofit, and cultural organizations, according to an SCLRA announcement.

“South Carolina’s hospitality industry is one of the great engines of our state’s economy and culture,” Chad Patterson, chair of the SCRLA Board of Directors, said in a news release. “We are confident that Mark brings the leadership experience, collaborative spirit and mission-driven mindset needed to guide SCRLA into its next phase. His background leading associations and public organizations, his experience working with elected leaders, and his previous work advancing tourism initiatives have given him a deep understanding of how vital our hospitality industry is to tourism across South Carolina. These qualities made him the right leader for this moment in time.”

Patterson added that Newman’s ability to build partnerships across business, government and communities will be instrumental in strengthening the association’s role as the voice of the hospitality industry across South Carolina.

Newman currently serves as executive director of Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, where he leads a statewide association of public media organizations and works with policymakers, community leaders and nonprofit partners to advance education, journalism and public service initiatives, the news release said.

Previously in his career, Newman served as executive director of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, where he worked alongside tourism and hospitality leaders to grow visitation and economic impact across the state. He has also served on the board of the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association.

Newman began his professional journey in an entirely different arena as an assistant men’s soccer coach who helped guide teams to three NCAA national championships. A former goalkeeper, he credits that experience for shaping his leadership style around teamwork, communication and collective success.

“I’m honored to join the South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association and to work alongside the people who make hospitality such an essential part of South Carolina’s economy and community life,” Newman said in the release. “Hospitality is at the heart of what makes South Carolina such a welcoming place. It creates jobs, supports local communities and helps showcase the very best of the state. I look forward to elevating the voice of the industry and working with SCRLA’s members, industry partners and public officials to ensure that South Carolina continues to be one of the most welcoming and vibrant destinations in the country.”

Newman will relocate to South Carolina and begin his role with SCRLA in April.

The national search process was conducted with the support of executive search firm Stanton Chase.

SCRLA represents restaurants, hotels, tourism destinations and hospitality businesses across South Carolina. The organization advocates for policies that support the industry, provides education and workforce development programs, and connects hospitality leaders across the state.

The South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association represents more than 2,400 member companies across the foodservice and lodging sectors. The industry employs more than 300,000 South Carolinians.