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CDC board tables proposed name change after members request legal briefing
Summary
The Gullah Geechee CDC board delayed a resolution to add “Economic” to its corporate name so directors could discuss legal ramifications with counsel in executive session, with the attorney saying bylaws and filings—not simply the name—determine authority and funding access.
The Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation board on Tuesday moved to table a proposal to change the organization’s name to the Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Economic Development Corporation so members could meet with legal counsel in executive session.
The proposed change—presented by executive director “Mr. Boxley” and explained by attorney Richardson LaBruce—would add the word “Economic” to reflect the CDC’s stated intent to support economic-development activities in addition to neighborhood revitalization. LaBruce told the board the change requires a board resolution and subsequent approval by the town council and filings with the South Carolina Secretary of State, and that amending bylaws would follow to ensure projects fit the organization’s corporate authority.
Board members pressed for clarity about whether the name itself could create obstacles and emphasized that it is the bylaws and state statute that regulate what the CDC may legally do. Councilman Brown urged the board to avoid repeated name changes and recommended a deeper legal review of potential constraints and unintended effects before moving forward. “I think we need to be very, very clear that that’s not what that means,” he said, arguing for precise language and measurable strategies rather than relying on broad terms like “preservation.”
Multiple directors recommended taking the matter to an executive session with counsel to examine statutory distinctions and the draft bylaw language. LaBruce said the mechanics are routine—filing a simple Secretary of State form and updating federal paperwork—but acknowledged there might be future bylaw cleanups tied to specific projects. The board’s motion to table the item passed; the item will be revisited at the next meeting with the attorney present for an executive-session discussion.
The board took no further action on the name change at the meeting.
