Mike Wooten elected Chairman of the SCDOT Commission

John N. Hardee elected Vice Chairman

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Commission on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, unanimously elected Mike Wooten of the 7th Congressional District as the new Chairman of the SCDOT Commission.

The Commission also unanimously elected John N. Hardee of the 2nd Congressional District as the new Vice Chairman of the SCDOT Commission.

Wooten, of Murrells Inlet, is the Founding Partner and the Principal Engineer of DDC Engineers, Inc., a Myrtle Beach based consulting engineering firm specializing in land planning, landscape architecture, environmental planning, land surveying and civil engineering. Prior to founding DDC Engineers, Inc., in 1986, Wooten was employed by Santee Cooper where he was responsible for the upkeep of 42 miles of dams. He also served as the liaison with the US Army Corps of Engineers and South Carolina Congressional Delegation for the state owned utility. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from The Citadel in 1977.

Hardee, representing the 2nd Congressional District, is Director of Public Affairs for Lamar Outdoor Advertising. Hardee previously served a term as SCDOT Commission Vice Chairman from 2002 to 2004. Over a six-year period, Hardee helped secure $1.2 million in funding for enhancements in the Loris community. A portion of US Highway 701 is named in his honor. Hardee has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Midlands Council of Governments since 2004. He is chairman of the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism and was a member of the Richland County Transportation Committee prior to becoming an SCDOT Commissioner again. For his efforts in securing funding for the Airport Connector, the road was named in his honor, the “John N. Hardee Expressway.”