Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
5/1/2015
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has appointed as its new director former president of Duke Energy South Carolina Catherine Heigel, currently the General Counsel for accounting firm Elliot Davis Decosimo, LLC. Before taking the post, Heigel must be cleared by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) and the state’s Senate. “The selection of Catherine Heigel to lead DHEC reaffirms the Board’s commitment to the agency and the people of South Carolina,” Board Chairman Allen Amsler said in a statement. “A nationwide search was organized, 99 applications were received, applicants were reviewed and interviews were conducted. With her strong background and leadership skills, we are confident in Heigel’s ability to successfully continue the Board’s vision and propel the agency forward.”
The move comes after former DHEC Director Catherine Templeton stepped down in January. Shortly after Templeton announced plans to resign, the Board nominated Eleanor Kitzman. But Kitzman subsequently withdrew from consideration in February after being grilled by members of the state’s Senate on a lack of experience, among other issues. Kitzman, who was seen as close to Haley, served as Commissioner for the Texas Department of Insurance from late 2011 through 2013, leaving that post because she was not confirmed by the Texas Senate.
