Former Springfield resident Duane Merrill Swygert has been reappointed to the seven-member South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Board. 

Swygert was confirmed by the state Senate on May 11 after being reappointed by Gov. Henry McMaster.

The governor appoints the members and the chairperson of the SCDNR Board, the policy-making body for the SCDNR, with Senate confirmation. One member is chosen to represent each of South Carolina’s seven congressional districts.

The board meets on a monthly basis to discuss and set policies for the agency, which is comprised of five divisions: Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries; Marine Resources; Law Enforcement; Land, Water and Conservation; and Division Administration. 

Swygert, a retired Jasper County businessman who resides in Hardeeville, is the former president of the Hardeeville Development Corporation and founder and business manager of New River Enterprises Inc. He is currently a managing partner with Tillman Properties.

Prior to his work in real estate development, Swygert had a long career in enforcement, retiring from the U.S. Customs Service as a supervisory special agent in Savannah. Prior to that, he served as a U.S. border patrol agent assigned to El Paso, Texas, and as a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Swygert’s background and experiences have led to his appointments to numerous boards and commissions previously, including the Jasper County Planning Commission, the Jasper County Appeals Board and the South Carolina Juvenile Parole Board. His career also includes being a manager of New River Plantation in Hardeeville and Derry Plantation of Ridgeland where he was responsible for managing wildlife, timber and agriculture operations.

Swygert and his wife, Bonnie, attend Tillman United Methodist Church.

Swygert worked at Union Camp prior to being drafted into the U.S. Army by the Springfield draft board in March 1967.