SCDNR Director Robert Boyles announces retirement

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- The director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has announced plans to retire from the state agency next year.

Robert H. Boyles Jr. has served as SCDNR director since his unanimous appointment by the SCDNR Board in May 2019.

“Serving as SCDNR director has been the honor of my professional life, and I recognize that any success I have enjoyed is the result of the passion, vision, and commitment that our staff and our partners bring to the realm of natural resources stewardship every day,” Boyles said in his announcement.

Boyles joined SCNDR in 1992 and served as the agency’s deputy director for the Marine Resources Division from 2003 to 2019. In addition to his role as director, he currently serves as the president of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, chair of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Board of Directors, and chair of the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board.

Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday congratulated Boyles on his retirement and thanked him for his more than three decades of “dedicated service” to the Palmetto State.

“Director Boyles has been a consummate professional and key member of my cabinet, providing steady leadership throughout his tenure,” McMaster added. “Under his direction, DNR has thrived, making significant progress in protecting our state’s wildlife and natural resources.”

Boyle will officially retire in January 2025.

The agency said it will conduct a thorough process to determine his successor in coordination with the state Senate.

“SCDNR is a well-managed organization, and Director Boyles has laid impressive groundwork to ensure it remains a premier state agency for years to come,” SCDNR Board Chairman Norman Pulliam said. “As we begin the process for selecting a new director, I’m sure he will be available in any way he can to help us choose another capable leader.”

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