FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 10, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today welcomed its newest Board member and Chair, Columbia attorney Robert Bolchoz.

“We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Robert Bolchoz as our new DHEC Board Chair,” said DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer. “He is a native South Carolinian who has served in numerous public and private leadership roles throughout his career, and we look forward to working with him as he leads our Board.”

Bolchoz said he was excited about the opportunity to positively impact the health and safety of South Carolinians.

“The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control plays a critical role in protecting the health and welfare of the citizens of the State and safeguarding its natural resources for future generations,” Bolchoz said. “I greatly appreciate the confidence placed in me by Governor McMaster and the South Carolina State Senate and look forward to serving.”

Bolchoz has practiced law for over 30 years, with stints in public service, private practice and corporate law. He has represented presidential candidates, statewide elected officials, major corporations, corporate executives, public agencies, political parties and individuals.

After graduating from The Citadel and the University of South Carolina School of Law, Bolchoz spent eight years in public service as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, Deputy District Attorney, and as the Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of South Carolina on two separate occasions.

During 10 years with an international financial services company, Bolchoz managed government affairs operations in 12 states, obtained Series 7 and 63 Securities Licenses, and managed the company’s relationships with its largest institutional customers across the country as the director of a business unit. He departed Corporate America in late 2009 in order to launch his campaign for Attorney General in the South Carolina Republican Primary.

Bolchoz opened his law practice in Columbia in 2010. He is a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. His wife, Cheryl, holds a master’s degree in biostatistics from the University of South Carolina, and the couple have two sons, two daughters and two grandsons. Both Charleston natives, Robert and Cheryl have called Columbia home since 1996.

Bolchoz replaces outgoing Board chair Mark Elam, whose work Simmer praised.

“As we welcome Chairman Bolchoz we also want to express our gratitude for the service our retiring Board Chair, Mr. Mark Elam, has provided,” Simmer said. “He led the Board through the most serious public health crisis in a century, and his leadership and support has been invaluable to our agency and to me personally.”

Bolchoz' term will run from June 30, 2021 - June 30, 2025.

For a photo of Bolchoz and his official bio, click here.

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