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Douglas OFlaherty

Title: Chief Operating Officer
E-mail:
Phone: 803-766-0185

Profile:
Douglas O’Flaherty brings more than 40 years of hospitality industry experience and a quarter-century of dedicated association leadership to his role as Chief Operating Officer for the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA). A master of operational strategy, non-profit finance, and workforce development, Douglas is a driving force behind the association’s mission to advocate for and elevate South Carolina’s hospitality economy.

Douglas’s deep-rooted passion for the industry began in a bustling Ohio household of thirteen, where he quickly learned that food and service bring people together. After honing his early customer service skills at his family’s business, he earned an initial degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management with a culinary arts focus from Hocking College. His subsequent career spans international resort operations in Negril, Jamaica, and executive management roles across premier properties in Hilton Head Island and Columbia, South Carolina.

Since joining the SCRLA in January 2001, Douglas has been instrumental in scaling the organization’s reach and impact. Appointed as Director of Education to oversee the ProStart program, he transformed a modest initiative of 6 schools and 150 students into a statewide workforce powerhouse encompassing over 60 schools and nearly 3,000 students annually. His strategic acumen is further demonstrated by his success in securing more than $2 million in grant funding to build and sustain this critical talent pipeline.

Today, as Chief Operating Officer—including a recent, vital tenure serving the board as Interim President and CEO—Douglas directs the association’s comprehensive operational blueprint, overseeing membership growth, strategic communications, education, and financial stewardship.

Ever dedicated to sharpening his leadership edge and master association management, Douglas returned to school during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management, graduating cum laude.

A recognized leader and educator within the professional community, Douglas also holds the prestigious IOM graduate recognition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management. His expertise is sought after nationally; he serves as an officer on the national IOM Board of Trustees and actively shapes the next generation of chamber and association leaders as an IOM faculty member. Closer to home, Douglas is a past President of the South Carolina Society of Association Executives (SCSAE) Board of Directors, where he has been honored with the Associate Member of the Year, the Executive Member of the Year, and the prestigious President's Award.

When he isn't advocating for hoteliers and restaurateurs or mentoring the next generation of industry leaders, Douglas can be found exploring South Carolina's state parks, tending to his garden, or working on his house. An avid cook at home, his true passion lies in exploring the vast culinary landscape, continuously experiencing new cuisines anywhere from dive bars to Michelin-starred restaurants and everything in between. And for those who know him well, finding a spot with a proper pint of Guinness on tap is the surest way to find Douglas.

SCRLA Strategic Partners