Dr. Mark F. Hartley confirmed as next chairman of SCDNR Board

March 24, 2025

Dr. Mark F. Hartley will be the next chairman of the state Natural Resources Board, the governing board of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Gov. Henry McMaster reappointed Hartley to the seven-member board and appointed him chairman, with confirmation by the South Carolina Senate on March 19.

In addition to Hartley, the Senate has confirmed the board reappointments of Michael E. Hutchins, Jerry Allen Lee, James Carlisle Oxner III and Duane Swygert.

Hartley in taking over as chairman replaces Norman Pulliam, who resigned as chairman and board member in February after almost 20 years. The Mount Pleasant resident was first appointed to the Natural Resources Board by McMaster in 2018 as the 1st Congressional District representative.

"Dr. Hartley brings a wealth of experience, a deep passion for conservation, and a commitment to protecting South Carolina’s natural resources," McMaster said. "Under his leadership, I am confident the SCDNR board will continue its critical work of preserving our environment for future generations."

Hartley earned a doctorate in business administration from Louisiana Tech University. For 36 years before his retirement in 2021, he was a professor at the College of Charleston School of Business, where he held the Institute for Supply Management-Carolinas/Virginia Endowed Chair in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management. He taught courses in purchasing and supply management, operations management and business.

Prior to the Natural Resources Board, Hartley had served as a member of the South Carolina Procurement Review Panel, a member of former Gov. Mark Sanford’s Commission on Management, Accountability, and Performance (MAP), as chairman of Charleston County’s MAP Commission, and as commissioner and chairman of the Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. He is also a former chairman of the Charleston County Republican Party and a former member of the State Executive Committee of the South Carolina GOP.

In natural resources, Hartley has served as former area chairman for East Cooper Ducks Unlimited, as a former member of the Quality Deer Management Association, Quail Unlimited, the Natonal Rifle Association and Audubon Society.

He has volunteered for and served dozens of conservation, civic and charitable organizations in his local community. Hartley and his wife, Sharon, reside in Mount Pleasant.

"Dr. Hartley is a valued member of the Natural Resources Board and integral to the future of SCDNR and the work we’ll do in the coming years," SCDNR Director Tom Mullikin said. "I am grateful to Gov. McMaster, Sen. Chip Campsen and the rest of the Senate for the opportunity to continue working with Chairman Hartley for the betterment of our state."