Myra Reece serves as the Interim Director of the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), overseeing the bureaus of Air Quality; Environmental Health Services; Land and Waste Management; Water; and the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.
A member of the former DHEC team for more than 30 years, Myra has served in leadership roles with the regional office system and as the Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Air Quality prior to becoming the director of Environmental Affairs. She works collaboratively with state and federal agencies, local governments, community leaders, businesses and industries.
In the summer of 2021, Myra was named President of the Environmental Council of States (ECOS). ECOS plays a critical role in facilitating a quality relationship among federal and state agencies across the country. She has previously served in leadership roles with ECOS since 2019 as Planning Committee Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Vice President. Myra is part of important national conversations about the successes and challenges of protecting human health and the environment in an ever-evolving and modernizing climate.
Myra received a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Clemson University and a master's degree in public health from the University of South Carolina. She’s also a graduate of the Management Academy for Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a graduate of the Southern Center of Excellence in Environmental Health at Emory University and has obtained professional certification as a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager.