A Charleston conservationist is Gov. Mark Sanford's pick to lead the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control board.

Elizabeth M. Hagood would become the first woman to chair the environmental regulatory board if confirmed by the S.C. Senate, agency officials said Tuesday.

Her selection by Republican Sanford could signal a shift to the right for the DHEC board, but several conservationists and businesspeople said they do not believe the change will be substantial.

Hagood was director for six years of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust, one of the state's most active land protection groups, and is a member of the S.C. Coastal Conservation League, an influential Lowcountry environmental group. More recently, she co-chaired Sanford's Quality of Life Task Force, which examined environmental issues in South Carolina.

Hagood, 41, would replace current DHEC board chairman Brad Wyche, appointed by former Gov. Jim Hodges, a Democrat. Wyche, of Greenville, has also been active in natural resources preservation.

The DHEC board chairman leads the seven-member panel in establishing environmental and health policies, as well as adopting regulations.. DHEC is one of the state's largest agencies with about 5,000 employees and a budget of more than $400 million.

Hagood said Tuesday that she isn't ready to lay out her agenda because she wants to talk with agency staff first and research issues the department must deal with.

But she said she believes DHEC should work closely to include business and environmental groups.

Generally, Hagood said, South Carolina should take steps to protect its most important wetlands, clean up smog, and enforce environmental rules.

"Business and conservation principles can and must work together so that we're advancing our economic interests and preserving the health of our people and the natural resources that make South Carolina so uniquely attractive," Hagood said. "My goal will be having regulations that incorporate both perspectives."

A mother of three, Hagood is married to Charleston business executive Maybank Hagood, who runs William M. Bird & Co., a well-known floor-covering and supply business established in 1865. Her brother-in-law is Ben Hagood, a former environmental crimes prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's office.

She is a Charlotte native and daughter of former U.S. Rep. Alex McMillan, R-N.C.

Wyche and representatives of the S.C. Coastal Conservation League, the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. Environmental Law Project praised the governor's choice. They said Sanford's pick would likely continue the moderate tone set by Wyche.

"She comes from a more conservative place than I would be, but she understands environmental and quality of life issues,'' law project director Jimmy Chandler said, adding that he doubts she'll receive much Senate opposition because the Legislature is dominated by Republicans.

Hunter Howard, chief executive at the S.C. Chamber of Commerce, said, "I'm impressed with her credentials and her goals, in terms of working to advance economic success, health, quality of life and natural resources.''

Hugh Lane, a Charleston conservationist who supported Democrat Hodges last year, said Hagood is "smart and extremely sensitive toward environmental issues.''