News and Press Releases for January 2007

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1/09/2007

Gov. Sanford Names Cooper as DHEC Chairman

Current Vice-Chairman to be Named Chair

Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today appointed Edwin Cooper, of Sullivan's Island, as Chairman of the Department of Health and Environmental Control Board, pending confirmation by the Senate. Cooper was originally appointed by Governor Sanford to represent the 1st Congressional District on the DHEC Board in 2004, and has served as vice-chairman since that time. Cooper will replace Elizabeth Hagood as chair, who departed the position last month.

"The business perspective we would like more greatly infused into this board led us to conversations with my good friend Ralph Norman, and now leads us to make this decision because this is too important a board for it to go without a chair for another few months," Gov. Sanford said. "Edwin will bring with him a number of perspectives important to enhancing both this state's business environment and quality of life. Edwin has already served on this board since 2004 as vice-chairman and dealt with issues from public health to water quality, and continuity on this board is important. Two, as a business person with a background in real estate, he understands from a business perspective the importance of certainty and time in the permitting process. And three, he has an appreciation for how important quality of life and environment are to this administration's efforts, as evidenced by his longtime involvement in organizations like Ducks Unlimited. Chairing this board is obviously a big undertaking, and we're pleased that Edwin has agreed to take the time for this additional role."

A graduate of the University of South Carolina and its School of Law, Cooper has practiced real estate and construction law, and has consulted with landowners and developers on conservation planning. For the past three years, he's served as a broker with Holcombe, Fair and Lane, specializing in rural and recreational properties. He previously served as the Director of Land Protection for Ducks Unlimited's South Atlantic Region.