New Myrtle Beach Chamber director looking to help local, minority-owned businesses

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - New plans to help minority-owned businesses are on their way to the Grand Strand.

Those plans now revolve around Danette Patton, the new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Patton said she’s going through a series of assessments to understand the culture within the chamber and Myrtle Beach.

“I did not see a lot of women who looked like me who were in leadership positions,” she said. “And so being here myself, knowing the work I have done to get here, there’s a sense of pride, but there’s also a sense of ‘wow I can actually be a role model for younger women of color.”

With 2,300 businesses within the area, Patton says she’s looking for ways to celebrate all cultures and be a resource for minority-owned businesses.

She also said with her experience as an educator and business owner, she can relate to the challenges minority businesses face.

“It’s something that is very different for me coming out of academia, and what an opportunity to be able to connect with so many different people and talk about something that I love,” she said.

Patton also said she’s planning to establish new programs to help minority students in the classroom.

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