Michael Burris now at the helm of the S.C. Policy Council
- peter19892
- Jun 18
- 6 min read
By Prioleau Alexander
Charleston’s native son Michael Burris has a long track record of sacrificial service to the public — he’s tackled the hard work, done primarily behind the scenes, requiring the daily support of his wife and three children. He strikes me as one of those rare individuals who places societal good before his own desires, which is why he is today serving as the new CEO of the South Carolina Policy Council.
A graduate of Porter-Gaud School, Michael decided to attend The Citadel, a decision that made him the first student from Porter-Gaud to do so in 12 years. He excelled there, gaining the vaunted rank of company commander and a seat on the school’s honor court.
After graduating on a Naval ROTC scholarship, he was commissioned as an officer and served in the Navy for seven years, including three tours in the Global War on Terror. His time in the Navy included service in conventional and special operations, and a tour as the officer in charge of a Specialized Tactical Small Boat Team stationed in Coronado, Ca. — where he led 40 sailors and Marines while managing $50 million in sensitive equipment.
“Best job ever,” he said. “I got to work with a variety spec ops outfits doing all the fun stuff you’d expect would come with that job. The Navy provided me with an irreplaceable opportunity to lead world-class individuals, challenge myself mentally and physically, and serve my country in a meaningful way. I left the Navy with a strong sense of fulfillment.”
Shortly after leaving the service, Michael married his wife Brooke, a Charleston native, attorney, non-profit founder and CEO, and former Miss South Carolina, with whom he now has three children. Together, they moved to Chapel Hill, where he began grad school at UNC and earned an MBA with a focus in real estate. While there, he served as a volunteer firefighter and became president of the school's Veteran Association.
“I was surprised how much I enjoyed serving as the president of the Veterans Association,” he said. “Being able, along with the other veterans, to share our experience of military service with our classmates was accretive to both us and them. It also didn’t hurt that we threw hands-down the best parties, which is how you truly make friends and influence people.”
After achieving his degree, Michael entered the world of high-stakes commercial real estate.
“The challenge and intensity were right up my alley,” he said, “but I struggled with finding that same sense of fulfillment that I had in the Navy, and knew I needed to fill that void to be my best self.”
In 2021, Michael applied for the hyper-competitive Presidential Leadership Scholar program, which is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. He became the first Citadel graduate to be selected and was invited to join the Class of 2022.
Almost unbelievably, Michael and Brooke agreed to walk away from the financial rewards of real estate private equity after the South Carolina Policy Council offered him the opportunity to serve as their new CEO.
“Brooke agreed it was an opportunity I couldn’t walk away from,” Michael stated. “She knows how much I love the challenge, sense of duty, the political process, and trying to make changes for the good. This position offered all four.”
During our interview, I asked a question I thought had no answer: How do you get policy changed when political parties so far apart?
He answered quickly, “I listen to everyone. I talk with everyone. It’s about understanding what the disagreements are really about and helping to explain why the policies we’re pursuing works for everyone. We also maintain a level of humility due to the fact that we aren’t always 100 percent right and understand that others can and do have good points and knowledge that we can benefit from. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when people talk, as opposed to talking at or over each other.”
Michael Burris seems to be a man we need in these trying times: uninterested in power or the financial rewards the private sector offered. He’s willing to do the hard work of listening before talking and attempting to develop team thinking among those who consider themselves rivals. Moreover, this Lowcountry leader is focused on completing the tasks at hand, not droning on about his “visions” for the future.
I, for one, hope we’ll see more of him in the public eye — his leadership style could lead to significant improvements in governance and fiscal policy here in the Palmetto State.
Deep dive into SCPC
Knowing my limitations regarding this broad topic, I asked Michael a few questions about the South Carolina Policy Council, which he answered in writing:
What do you see as the purpose of the SCPC?
We’re here to provide a solid resource for the citizens and legislators of S.C. when it comes to sound policies around our core values of limited government, individual liberties, free markets, and traditional S.C. values.
Areas of particular focus are tax relief and competitiveness, deregulation, freedom in education, sound energy sources and uses and curtailing corporate welfare initiatives to name a few. In short, our mission is to work in the best interests of the people of S.C. by providing more opportunity and fewer roadblocks to residents pursuing the American Dream.
In a time of such political division, how do you bring the sides together to support your policies and initiatives?
During my time in the military and business I found that listening to all sides of an issue offers one the most informed opinion on a matter. Common ground is not that hard to find if you spend the time to listen and facilitate a calm and welcoming environment in which to converse.
Through that lens we have already experienced success during my tenure at the SCPC. Simply said, exerting leadership and not allowing oneself to be bound into an echo chamber provides a sense of clarity that not only delivers a better result, but decreases tensions and lends to a more productive environment. Building relationships across party and other ideological lines is a focal point of our organization.
What surprised you most in your first month on the job?
How small our state is. For someone who grew up in the Lowcountry, the Upstate, Midlands and the Pee Dee seemed like different worlds. After taking this job I have learned quickly that there are about two degrees of separation no matter where you go in the state, which I love. We truly have an amazing state and to meet so many new people is 100 percent the best part of my job.
What projects and business ventures do you see coming to Charleston in the next few years.
That’s tough to say with certainty now. My hope is that we see liquified natural gas terminals at the port to help facilitate our energy sources and stability; shipbuilding is a national crisis that I believe Charleston and S.C. can and should lead and incorporate into our economy. We want to see continued growth in the tech and medical industries.
Charleston continues to dominate in the hospitality sector, but entry-level jobs in other spaces have been hard to come by and have frustrated employers primarily due to cost-of-living concerns. To make Charleston truly thrive, we need to see a greater focus on technical and vocational training, improve cost of living issues for the workforce and protect our natural environment so that Mother Nature is respected and not further antagonized.
Thoughts on income tax, and how it might be reduced?
We need to be at zero, full stop. Fortunately, the road to zero isn’t hard, and we are on our way. The SCPC authored an amendment that was passed by the House on 5/6/25 that sets triggers of 25 percent or $200 million (whichever is greater) of surplus income revenue to buy down the income tax year over year. This is a major step, but other things need to happen.
We need to have spending caps, ideally tied to population plus inflation,n that will ensure we don’t spend more than we bring in. The final piece is getting to a low flat tax and using those buydowns and spending caps to drive to zero as fast as possible.
This model, which is outlined in detail and available on our website by SCPC’s Senior Economic Fellow Dr. Vance Ginn, will ensure that we achieve a zero percent rate without raising other taxes and keep core government spending sustainable. This will allow S.C. to dominate the Southeast from a competitiveness standpoint. This is especially needed in areas such as the I-95 corridor and western S.C,. where many of our fellow South Carolinians have been left behind while other parts of the state have thrived.
Any other issues you’d like to cover?
We need full-scale reform when it comes to the SCDOT. Around 70 percent of our infrastructure in the state is controlled by the SCDOT, and this includes thoroughfares such as King and Broad streets.
We need to allow for counties and municipalities that have the capacity to manage their own infrastructure. I haven’t met a person yet who wouldn’t rather have their tax dollars go to local government. These are the elected officials who drive the same roads and bridges and are thus keenly aware of local priorities. It also enables voters to hold their local governments accountable for these decisions.
