Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Governor and S.C. Chamber to launch task forces this week

Molly Hulsey //April 20, 2020//

Governor and S.C. Chamber to launch task forces this week

Molly Hulsey //April 20, 2020//

Listen to this article

As Gov. Henry McMaster plans to launch the accelerateSC task force, possibly this week, Ted Pitts, S.C. Chamber of Commerce CEO and president, said a separate, chamber-led task force will incubate new initiatives to jump-start the state’s economy.

McMaster announced a 4 p.m. news conference today during which he might, according to Pitts, discuss more details on the makeup of the accelerateSC task force. Pitts said the S.C. Chamber has been in “constant communication” with the governor’s office and expects him to name task force leadership sometime this week, if not today.

Pitts noted that the governor’s task force has been in the works for some time and, once finalized, he said it “will be a good forum for South Carolina industry leaders from all sectors.”

Pitts and the chamber are directly involved in helping launch a Council of State Chambers (COSC) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce task force announced to the public today.

“There is an effort across the country where state chambers and the U.S. Chamber are going to work together with the best practices to relaunch the economy coming out of the pandemic,” Pitts said. “There are a lot of great things and great ideas around the country. Obviously, the states are the leaders in a lot of ways, so this will provide a forum to get the best practices and work with our colleagues around the country to implement policies and programs that can help restart our economy for businesses across South Carolina.”

Over the past week, policy committees at the state chamber have been discussing strategies they can draw up for the accelerateSC task force, he said. Other chamber task force initiatives will speak directly to the state’s business community on safety measures for inviting employees back to the office.

“The COSC and U.S. Chamber of Commerce task force is something we’re going to participate in," he said. "We’re going to bring the best ideas from other places and bring them back to South Carolina."

o