Ted Abernathy serves as the Managing Partner of Economic Leadership, LLC. Economic Leadership, based in Shallotte, NC, is a small group of data, strategy, and best-practice policy experts that work with companies, foundations, and business organizations to analyze competitiveness, develop strategy, support leadership, tune communications, and reimagine the future. Over the past eleven years, the team has worked on about 200 projects in 29 states and internationally. Ted is the principal author of close to 125 reports on future trends, economic and workforce development, technology, and leadership, and he speaks on the economy to business groups almost every week. He currently serves as economic advisor to the Council of State Chambers and previously held a similar position to the Southern Governor’s Association.

In his 44-year career, Ted has led city, county, and regional economic development organizations and an economic policy think tank. Born in Dallas, North Carolina, Ted received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and his master’s from Johns Hopkins University, is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute and is an Eisenhower Fellow for global economics.

He and his wife live in a small town on the North Carolina coast and share their backyard with hundreds of sea birds and quite a few alligators.