It is a bittersweet thing for me to announce, but today is my last day as the Chamber’s Senior Director of Legislative Relations after serving over 11 years with the Government Relations department. Over the last month, I’ve had time to reflect on my time at the Charleston Metro Chamber, and I’m sure to leave important items out, so forgive me in advance!

First, I want to thank you, the entire membership of the Chamber, for allowing me the opportunity to serve this community over the years…first as Business Advocacy Director and then as your lobbyist in Columbia. It has been a pleasure working with the General Assembly on your behalf for the last seven plus years. If you have written a letter, made a phone call or sent an email for any of our legislative priorities, I am forever in your debt. Without your help none of the following would get done: 

• Mark Clark extension revived 
• The first motor fuel user fee increases since 1986
• Sentencing reform 
• Affordable housing legislation 
• Angel investor reauthorization 
• Broadband funding
• Military retiree pay exemption 
• Military spousal licensure 
• Funding for Trident Technical College 
• Business License reform
• CARES Act Funding 
• Automatic Stay
• Workforce expungement 
• Nuisance lawsuit reform 

These are just a few that immediately come to mind. All of our collective efforts helped get this done and I am forever grateful. 

To Kyra, past Board Chairs, current and former Board Directors and Executive Committee members, thank you for your trust in me to represent you and the Chamber’s interest in Columbia. It has been an honor working with you. 

To the Chamber team past and present, none of what the Government Relations team works to do could be possible without you. We have the best membership, marketing, events/programs, finance, workforce/education and senior staff teams in the country. It has been a pleasure watching you work and push our Chamber forward. The work we are currently undertaking in housing, the Minority Business Accelerator and the work the Chamber is doing in the DE&I space are truly game changers for our region. Continue the great work! 

To my first SVP, Mary Graham, thank you for bringing me into the Chamber fold and for believing in me to take the reins at the State House. Courtney left big shoes to fill.

To Ian Scott and Scott Barhight, thank you for pushing me and making me better – I appreciate your trust in me. And to Bailey, Craig, and past GR staffers, I thoroughly enjoyed working with all of you – it has been the pleasure of a lifetime. To my counterparts in the Metro Chamber Coalition, Jason, Nikki, Joe, Jimmy, and Henri, what we’ve accomplished in just a few years has been amazing and I can’t wait to see what you do together in the future. 

Finally, to Bryan and the Chamber’s senior team, I can’t thank you enough for the last 11 years and all the great times, changes and battle we’ve been through over the years. Your leadership is top notch and I wouldn’t be in this place in my career and the person I am now without your guidance over the years. 

I promise I won’t be a stranger. I plan on serving on the Business Advocacy Committee and hope to make it to as many events as my calendar will allow. If I can ever be of assistance to any of you, my cell phone number is 803-609-3252 and my personal email is gramsey77@yahoo.com. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

See you down the road! Have a great weekend. 

George Ramsey, Senior Director of Legislative Relations