Interview: Understanding Policy and Government Relations with John Brooker
This month, we’re highlighting the crucial work of the Policy and Government Relations team here at CVSC. This knowledgeable, highly-skilled, and dynamic team is led by SVP of Policy and Government Relations, John Brooker, who organizes our efforts with legislators, partners, and community members to advance CVSC’s conservation priorities at the Statehouse. Keep reading to learn about how this work fits into CVSC’s theory of change, our collaboration with elected officials, and the critical year ahead for conservation.
Q: Hi, John! CVSC’s theory of change is to invest in people, build political power, and drive bold policy. How does the work of the Policy and Government Relations team fit into that puzzle?
A: I think of the Policy and Government relations team as the ‘tip of the spear’ for CVSC’s efforts to enact our policy vision with state decision makers.
Our policy team identifies what changes are needed in state policy to better protect South Carolina’s air, land, and water. This can be proactive solutions to challenges faced by our state, or defensive fights to protect South Carolinians and our environment from harmful proposals. Our government relations team builds relationships and trust with lawmakers and stakeholders and implements the strategy required to transform these policy ideas into law through the legislative process.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that none of this is possible without two essential building blocks: electing pro-conservation leaders who can champion these ideas, and maintaining a strong, collaborative relationship with the public. This includes educating everyday South Carolinians and equipping them to engage in the legislative process as well as learning from community-based groups to ensure their experiences and stories shape our policy priorities.
Q: As you and your team work alongside legislators to make lasting change in South Carolina, how does the support of CVSC advocates make a difference?
A: Elected leaders are ultimately accountable to their constituents at home. Although CVSC and our partners build trust with legislators and share the perspective of the conservation community, the concerns and issues raised by their constituents provide a powerful beacon to guide legislative action.
This is why it’s vital to stay engaged and take action, like picking up the phone or sending emails, to ensure state legislators hear the voices of constituents who share our values of protecting our environment and the natural places that make our state special.
The active participation of engaged citizens amplifies our message, ensuring that lawmakers understand that protecting our state’s air, land, and water is not just a priority for advocacy groups but a shared value among the people they represent. Without the collective voice of the community, well-funded interests with their own agenda can too easily dominate the conversation and the resulting policies.
And as a bonus, I’ll say that state lawmakers don’t receive nearly as many contacts as national politicians and are much more accessible to their constituents. I hope you’ll join us at one of our events at the Statehouse in 2026, so we can introduce you!
Q: Speaking of our work at the Statehouse next year, can you explain why 2026 be such a critical year for conservation in South Carolina?
A: I’d say first and foremost, I think most agree that we are well past due to take an honest look at how our state is growing. Legislators know this, and people around the state see irresponsible development, sprawl, and congestion in their communities already. How our state grows has an enormous impact on the land and water of our state and quality of life, making it an issue we can’t afford to ignore.
CVSC and partners made essential progress on this issue in 2025 by advancing bills in the legislature under CVSC’s SC Prosper and Preserve initiative, which provides new tools for local communities to more intentionally and sustainably plan for and manage growth. Given the progress made and the bipartisan support for these measures in the General Assembly, 2026 is a critical time to get these bills across the finish line.
Passing these bills would also be a step forward in achieving Governor McMaster’s goal of protecting 10 million acres of land in South Carolina. Legislative action will be essential to sustain the momentum created by our Governor before his term ends in 2026 and to continue working toward this laudable and ambitious goal of protecting our precious land and water resources.
With billions of dollars in new energy infrastructure proposals currently moving forward, legislators must act now to keep power bills affordable and fair while protecting the state’s air, land, and water. With the passage of the 2025 energy bill, several important measures affecting both customer bills and environmental protection were left unresolved. Fortunately, many lawmakers recognize the importance of energy affordability and have publicly committed to ensuring existing electric customers only pay their fair share of increased energy demand and that we hold utilities accountable for delivering energy efficiency programs to lower customer bills through energy savings.
Q: What do you see as our biggest challenge to overcome next year? And what do you see as our greatest opportunity to advance conservation?
A: As we enter the second year of a two-year session, ensuring legislators act quickly will be the biggest challenge. Many different issues will be competing for legislators’ attention, and there is limited ‘runway’ to move legislation across the finish line before the clock runs out in May. With that said, we’ll need help from supporters like you to contact their legislator on issues early in the new year to remind them that conservation issues should be at the top of their agenda and that these issues cannot wait.
I think our greatest opportunity in 2026 will be to build momentum toward Governor McMaster’s goal of protecting 10 million acres of land and water in South Carolina. By working with both sides of the aisle and achieving real progress in 2026, we can show that this bold goal is well within reach. With consistent progress year after year, we can reshape what is possible over the next decade, protecting the landscapes that make South Carolina special and securing a legacy of conservation that lasts for generations.