SC Gov. Henry McMaster has nominated longtime SC business executive Harry M. Lightsey III to serve as the next secretary of the SC Department of Commerce.

Lightsey, a former top executive with Bellsouth, AT&T and General Motors - will succeed Bobby Hitt, who is retiring in the fall.

“Harry Lightsey has been a fixture in South Carolina’s business community for decades, and I’m confident that with the vast experience he will be bringing to the Department of Commerce, South Carolina will keep winning,” said McMaster. “Our state will have the workforce, infrastructure, intellectual capital, environmental assets and the quality of life necessary to compete – both nationally and globally – for jobs and investment.”

A fixture in SC’s business community for decades, Lightsey served in top executive leadership roles for major corporations in SC and across the nation. Notably, he served as the President of BellSouth Telecommunications for South Carolina prior to their merger with AT&T, afterward becoming President for AT&T’s Southeast region.

Following his 26 years in the telecommunications industry, Lightsey joined the General Motors Corporation where he directed the legacy automaker’s federal government affairs operation, as well as their emerging technologies, OnStar and infotainment divisions. Lightsey currently serves as a principal with Hawksbill Advisors — a subsidiary of Hawksbill Group. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, Virginia.

“It would be my distinct honor and privilege to have the opportunity to serve as South Carolina’s Secretary of Commerce,” said Lightsey. “In addition to bringing new businesses into our state, I believe we have a role to play in helping our established businesses thrive and transform when necessary. As the governor has said, South Carolina needs an educated, trained, and skilled workforce so that we can compete nationally and globally for jobs and capital investment. Our workers will need to develop new skills to adjust to ever changing technological advances. I am excited about the opportunities to usher in a new era that enhances the quality of life for all South Carolinians.”

Fluent in Japanese, Lightsey is a 1978 graduate of Princeton University, and a 1981 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Lightsey, a native of Columbia, is 65 years old and is married with 2 adult children.