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SCDNR News

Norman F. Pulliam resigns as chairman and 4th Congressional District member of the Natural Resources Board

February 20, 2025

Norman F. Pulliam, Sr., of Spartanburg, is resigning as chairman and 4th Congressional District member of the Natural Resources Board, the governing board of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

"After much reflection, I have come to realize that, due to my advancing age and my wife’s health challenges, it is time for me to step back and dedicate more time to my family and resume my outdoor activities," Pulliam wrote in a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster. "Serving has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life as it is so closely related to my interests as an outdoorsman, a conservationist, and a steward of our great state’s natural resources."

Pulliam has served three governors as a member of the Natural Resources Board since 2006, making him the longest serving board member. During his tenure, he served for eight years as the chairman of the Law Enforcement Advisory Board, also served for two years as vice chairman and for the last seven years has been chairman of the governing board.

"Norman Pulliam has spent much of his life serving the people of South Carolina, and our state is better for it," Gov. Henry McMaster said. "He has strengthened our conservation efforts through his dedicated leadership on the Natural Resources Board and has helped ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy South Carolina’s natural wonders. I am grateful for his years of service and commitment to our state."

South Carolina Senate President Thomas C. Alexander said, "Norman Pulliam has set the standard of servant leadership through his commitment to the Department of Natural Resources and the state of South Carolina. The agency has experienced tremendous success over his tenure as a direct result of his love for the agency and for our state’s natural resources. We are forever indebted to Chairman Pulliam for his lifetime of service."

"Norman Pulliam’s decades of service have left an enduring impact on South Carolina’s natural resources and conservation efforts," said Speaker of the House Murrell Smith. "His leadership and dedication have ensured that our state’s outdoor heritage will be preserved for generations to come, and we are deeply grateful for his commitment to public service."

"No one has contributed more time, talent and treasure to our state’s natural resources than my good friend Norman Pulliam," said state Sen. Harvey S. Peeler, Jr., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Prior to serving on the Natural Resources Board, Pulliam served for almost 20 years, including 16 as chairman, on the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind’s Board of Commissioners and served for 11 years as chairman of the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Board. Pulliam’s resignation concludes 51 years of continuous service on South Carolina state boards. He has been appointed by nine consecutive governors, beginning with John Carl West.

"Norman has devoted his time, talent and energy to public service for practically his entire life," SCDNR Director Tom Mullikin said. "He has provided stalwart leadership and support over the years to SCDNR and the many dedicated men and women who work to carry out our mission. On behalf of the entire agency, I want to thank him for his sacrifice in promoting sustainable management of our natural resources throughout South Carolina. We will miss him, and we wish him and his family well."

Pulliam graduated from Clemson University, where he received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award as the outstanding senior. He then obtained a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University. Pulliam was founder and president of Pulliam Investment Co. Inc., a real estate development and investment firm from 1970 until 1999 when he was elected chairman of the board of directors. Pulliam is the former founder and chairman of First National Bank of the South in Spartanburg.

He also served as chairman of the Spartanburg Regional Hospital Foundation, Spartanburg March of Dimes, Leadership in Spartanburg, the Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross Spartanburg Convention and Business Bureau, Spartanburg Development Council, and Spartanburg Development Corporation.

During his years of service to the state of South Carolina, Pulliam received numerous accolades, including:

  • The Order of the Palmetto in 1985, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor
  • Philanthropist of the Year in 1996 by the South Carolina Chapter of the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives
  • The Distinguished Service Award in 2015, Clemson’s highest alumni award
  • The inaugural Norman F. Pulliam Humanitarian Award in 2016, named in his honor
  • Citizen of the Year by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce in 2018
  • 2022 Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Award for Billfish Conservation Lifetime Achievement
  • Honorary Colonel for the SCDNR Law Enforcement division in 2022