Gov. Mark Sanford has named Charleston resident Elizabeth M. Hagood to serve as chair of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Board.

Hagood, co-chair of Sanford's Quality of Life Task Force during his transition, was executive director of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust for six years, and she will remain a member of the trust advisory board.

A graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina and the Darden School of Business in Virginia, Hagood said her background is in conservation and business. "That is the filter I would use to look at the agency," Hagood said Tuesday from her downtown Charleston home.

While blending those two fields might sound like a challenge, task force members often had diverse points of view, but came to agreement, she said. Everyone had the same goal: to enhance the quality of life in this state, Hagood said.

"That is the approach I would take at DHEC, too," she said, adding that she views her role as that of a steward, taking care of health and environmental issues.

Business and conservation principles can and must work together to advance economic interests and to preserve the health of people and natural resources, she said. She described both as critical to the future of the state and said her goal will be to ensure that DHEC's regulations incorporate both perspectives.

Sanford explained, "We've said from the beginning that quality of life is a point of competitive advantage South Carolina has over other states and one that must be preserved.

"Having someone like Elizabeth at DHEC who recognizes that dynamic will be critical to maximizing its benefits for South Carolina."

Hagood said she and Sanford see things similarly.

Hagood, who said she did not seek the DHEC position, said that she is not bringing a slate of ideas to the agency. "I want to take a hard look at people and processes and get input from a lot of stakeholders," she said.

Among other things, the task force recommended regulatory reform such as streamlining agencies, consolidating permitting and looking into appeals processes, Hagood said.

"Is it user friendly?" she asked. "Is it as good as it can be?"Hagood served as executive director of the Charleston-based land trust from 1989 to 1995 and continued in that position part-time afterward as her family grew. She and husband, Maybank Hagood, have three children, Alex, 11; Caroline, 8; and Banks, 7.

She is an associate in the art world at Portraits South, helping to pair artists with those who'd like their portraits painted.

She also serves on the Drayton Hall Property Site Council and has served on several civic boards and committees including the Charleston Neighborhood Association's Board of Directors and the Preservation Society of Charleston's Preservation Committee.