Otis B. Rawl, Jr.
Incoming President and Chief Executive Officer
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
 

Otis Rawl is a 1977 graduate of the University of South Carolina where he earned a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Government and International Studies with a major in Public Administration and minors in English and History.

Rawl began his career with the South Carolina Department of Revenue as a Motor Fuel Tax Auditor in 1978. In 1981, he became Director of Tax Research and his primary responsibilities included providing research assistance and advice to the legislative and executive branches on tax legislation and tax administration, and providing technical assistance to the Board of Economic Advisors on revenue projections. Additional responsibilities required him to work with the Department of Commerce on the recruitment of new industry and with local governments. Rawl was actively involved in all phases of federal, state and local taxation.

He served a six-month term with the South Carolina State Treasurer performing legislative work on several major tax bills and local reporting of debt limits. In 1995, the Governor of South Carolina appointed him as Chief of Staff of the Department of Public Safety.

In May 1999, Rawl became Deputy Executive Administrator for Tax Operations of the South Carolina Department of Revenue. He served in this position until November 30, 2001, when he retired from state government and accepted the position of Vice President of Public Policy for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce with duties including policy development and legislative affairs. Rawl accepted the added responsibility of Chief Operating Officer in 2004.

On October 1, 2008, Rawl became President and Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. The South Carolina Chamber, the nation’s first state chamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber, is the state’s largest statewide broad-based business and industry trade association representing more than 6,500 member companies and more than 600,000 member employees, with 90 percent of membership comprised of small businesses. As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber is a catalyst for increasing per capita income and enhancing the state’s global competitiveness in order to improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians.