Outdoor Activities

 

     Chad Prosser is the Director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT). Prosser, an entrepreneur in the real estate and hospitality industry with previous experience as both an appointed and  elected official, was appointed to his current cabinet post by Governor Mark Sanford in February 2003.

     Since taking office, Prosser has led SCPRT through a period of unprecedented change. Through streamlining and restructuring of the agency, SCPRT has refocused its resources on its core economic development mission. Despite sizeable state budget cuts, the agency was able to increase its tourism marketing budget by more than 50 percent in the first year of the Sanford Administration, and has maintained that level of investment since. At the same time, the State Park Service has improved its operating performance to generate an additional $11 million for reinvestment in the resources that it manages. The South Carolina State Park Service is now the fifth most self-sufficient state park system in the United States. Customer service has been significantly improved by the introduction of a new central reservation service, which allows park patrons to make reservations and pay for park products on the internet or via a toll-free customer service center.

     Prosser is a businessperson with a wide-ranging public service background. After graduating with honors from Rhodes College and receiving a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Prosser was appointed to the Presidential Management Intern Program during the administration of President George H.W. Bush, serving as an International Economist and negotiator working on U.S. trade policy. He has also worked for the Atlantic Council of the United States, the U.S. Arms Control & Disarmament Agency, and the U.S. Department of State, both in Washington, D.C. and abroad. 

     Prosser has served on the boards of many charities, public institutions and businesses. He is currently a South Carolina Bank & Trust Advisory Board Member, a Trustee of the Verizon Heritage PGA Golf Tournament, Chairman of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness Travel and Tourism Working Group, a Board Member of the South Carolina Conservation Land Bank, a Board Member of the Travel Industry Association of America, and, Chairman of Travel South USA, a 12-state tourism marketing organization. Prosser is a Liberty Fellow, class of 2008, and a member of the Aspen Institute Global Leaders Network.

     The media have called Prosser “forward-thinking,” a “fast learner,” “proven leader,” “understanding,” “innovative,” and a few other select things that he refuses to include in his biography. In 2002, he made history by becoming the first person ever re-elected to a consecutive term as Chairman of the Horry County Council (Myrtle Beach, SC area). He resigned in 2003 to accept his current position.

     Prosser is committed to SCPRT’s mission and Governor Sanford’s vision to improve the well-being of all South Carolinians by promoting tourism and enhancing South Carolina’s quality of life through the state’s parks, natural and cultural resources, and attractions.