FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 7, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Myra Reece, Director of Environmental Affairs for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), has been named the new president of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and is expected to serve in this role until fall 2023. 

“Director Reece is a thoughtful and collaborative leader who has dedicated her career to protecting public health and the environment, and ECOS could not be in better hands with her at the helm,” said Michael S. Regan, Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

ECOS is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders who work together to improve the capability of state environmental agencies to protect and improve human health and the environment of the United States of America. 

Myra Reece, Director of Environmental Affairs for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), has been named the new president of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS).

“We at DHEC recognize how valuable Myra’s leadership is every day for our great state, and we are proud to support her in this important role while she continues to lead our Environmental Affairs division,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, DHEC Director. “She will bring years of experience in advocating for the protection and promotion of natural resources to the national conversation.”

Reece, who has been serving as the vice president since fall 2021, is assuming the leadership role early as the previous ECOS president, Ben Grumbles of Maryland, has accepted the position of ECOS Executive Director. 

“I am excited to continue working with this great team of environmental leaders from across the nation,” said Reece. “We see first-hand how state government plays a critical role in working together with our federal partners and each other on environmental issues shaping the national conversation.” 

Reece has been with DHEC for more than 30 years, serving in regional offices, then as Chief for the Bureau of Air Quality before being named Director of Environmental Affairs in 2016. She has served in leadership roles at ECOS since 2019 as Planning Committee Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Vice President.

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