Dan Dennis, President of Dennis Corporation, was recently appointed by Governor Nikki Haley as the Chairman of the South Carolina Small Business Regulatory Review Committee (SBRRC).

In 2004, the SBRRC was created by the General Assembly under the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act to ensure that any state agency proposing a regulation that had significant adverse impacts on small business must first submit the proposed regulation for review. The committee determines if the regulation poses an inordinate burden on small business. The committee has the authority to review, alter or withdraw proposed regulations and petition state agencies to amend, revise or repeal existing regulations that may negatively impact small business.

The latest statistics published by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in January 2012 reinforce the fact that small business is the economic engine that drives the prosperity of our state. Small businesses totaled 358,000 in South Carolina in 2009. They represent 97 percent of all employers and employ 49 percent of the private-sector workforce. Small businesses employed 750,000 workers in 2009 with most of the employment coming from firms with 20-499 employees. While the employment situation in 2008-2009 was weak, small businesses in South Carolina represented 86.9 percent of the net new private-sector jobs from 2005-2008.

Dan was recently named the 2011 South Carolina Small Business Person of the year by the SBA and received his award from Karen Mills, SBA Administrator, at a ceremony held in Washington, DC. He is a Citadel graduate with an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration. He is married to Esther Dennis and they have one child, Amelia Rose Dennis.

“Dan has proven himself a leader in the business community, a role he was fully prepared for as a graduate of both the Corps of Cadets and The Citadel Graduate College,” said Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa, President of The Citadel. “As chair of the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee Dan will use the knowledge and grounding in principled leadership acquired at The Citadel on behalf of the people of South Carolina. We are very proud of Dan and wish him the very best of luck.”

Dennis Corporation, www.denniscorporation.com, is a licensed civil engineering, surveying, and construction management firm. Dennis Corporation’s specific fields of expertise include water, sewer, roads, bridges, buildings, airports and other infrastructure.