Regional Economic Development Manager
Tod Sword
Tod Sword is a Project Manager within SCE's Economic Development Services group serving the South Bay and Westside regions of Los Angeles County and Orange County.
Prior to joining Southern California Edison, Tod served as the Senior Regional Manager with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) supporting the South Bay region. In this position, Tod served as an executive on loan to the South Bay Economic Development Partnership (SBEDP), providing one-on-one business assistance services to local companies. During his seven years at the LAEDC, Tod helped save 17,000 jobs representing some 200 businesses. Additionally, he ran an aggressive business outreach program in partnership with eleven South Bay cities, educating and assisting wealth creating businesses in the region. With an eye on the macroeconomic needs of the region, Tod enhanced the economic development infrastructure of the South Bay by organizing and cross-training city, workforce and economic development groups to address regional needs, improve communications and service delivery to businesses. Bridging information gaps, Tod published and distributed resource directories and guides that help businesses better navigate and utilize public resources.
Tod began his career in economic development with the United States Peace Corps serving as a volunteer for the business development program in Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. He managed the Bulgarian-American Business Center in the small industrial town of Gorna Oriahovitsa where he developed business assistance programs to educate and consult new and expanding companies. Serving as a Regional Director for Junior Achievement, Tod was instrumental in establishing Junior Achievement as a national program in Bulgaria in 1997.
Tod earned his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky with concentrations in Marketing, Finance and International Business. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Economics from the University of California in Irvine.
Tod enjoys living in the South Bay with his wife Kristina and their daughter Tiffany Scarlett.
