The leader of South Carolina’s Commerce Department to get pay increase. Here’s how much
South Carolina secretary of Commerce is getting a 15% raise.
The Agency Head Salary Commission on Tuesday approved raising Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey’s salary to $301,392 from $262,080.
Lightsey was appointed secretary of commerce in June 2021, when he replaced Bobby Hitt. Lightsey last received a raise a year ago.
Lightsey has overseen deals that brought Scout Motors’ $2 billion plant to Blythewood and Envision AESC’s $1.6 billion plant to Florence among other economic development deals as the state builds an electric vehicle industry.
His agency has announced more than $10 billion in investment since he came to the role.
“Commerce had the best year in history in 2022 the second best year in history in 2023, under director Lightsey’s control, and the poor man has to travel just constantly he’s never home,” said Agency Head Salary Commissioner Burnet Maybank.
Lightsey’s raise was recommended by Gov. Henry McMaster.
Commissioners also approved a request from First Steps to hire Ann Vandervliet as executive director for $159,000.
Vandervliet was selected to replace previous Executive Director Georgia Mjartan, who left the role to become the president and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation. Vandervliet formally accepted the job Tuesday afternoon and will start Oct. 17.
Vandervliet has more than 20 years of executive experience in the nonprofit and the public sector, with a focus on early childhood education and service delivery, First Steps said in a statement. She most recently served as executive director of the Guilford County Partnership for Children in North Carolina.
“She is a mission-driven leader with deep expertise in early childhood systems building,” said David Morley, chair of the South Carolina First Steps Board of Trustees. “Ann understands the power of partnership and collaboration in achieving meaningful, measurable outcomes for young children and families.”
This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 2:56 PM.
