In order to address issues facing the Charleston, South Carolina military industrial complex, the Charleston Defense Contractors Association, or CDCA, was formed and incorporated as a South Carolina Corporation on 4 December 2002. CDCA’s beginning was based on a grassroots formation called the “Technology Leadership Forum”, an offshoot committee of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications Electronic Associations (AFCEA) that first met on 6 September 2001. The Technology Leadership Forum consisted of 40 business and government officials who were interested in raising local awareness of the industry cluster and also in establishing the defense contracting companies as viable entities within the Charleston business community. On 7 November 2002, CDCA held its first General Meeting and an interim Board of Directors and Officers were elected. On 4 December 2002, CDCA received a Certificate of Incorporation as a Nonprofit Corporation in the State of South Carolina. CDCA received its 501(C)(6), business league organization, tax exempt status on 11 April 2003.
