Mrs. Hagood was named by Gov. Sanford after serving as co-chairman of his Quality of Life Task Force, which recommended an environmental agenda notable for the accord that it achieved between business and conservation leaders. It recommended, for example, using incentives to encourage conservation by the private sector, and called for simplifying the agency's permitting and appeals process. The task force urged the emulation of public-private efforts that have achieved such success in the ACE Basin.

As chairman of DHEC, Mrs. Hagood will be able to influence policy on a broad range of issues, including coastal preservation and development, public health and regulatory reform. The agency's agenda could include protections for isolated freshwater wetlands, tighter septic tank regulations for the coast, limits to dock proliferation and reducing the effects of stormwater runoff on water quality. Coastal programs remain under DHEC since the absorption of the former Coastal Council by the agency.

In making the announcement, Gov. Sanford said Mrs. Hagood recognizes that the value of South Carolina's quality of life is a competitive advantage that must be preserved. Mrs. Hagood's background in conservation and business will enable her to balance competing interests in making state policy. The common ground reached by the governor's Quality of Life Task Force, under Mrs. Hagood's co-direction, suggests that she will be a practical and effective advocate for the environment as chairman of DHEC's board.