A dedication ceremony for the “Ben Bernanke Interchange” has been scheduled for Saturday, March 7, in Dillon.

The ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the City of Dillon Wellness Center, 1647 Commerce Drive.

Acting on a concurrent resolution from the General Assembly, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Commission approved a resolution on Feb. 21 to name Exit 190 along Interstate Highway 95 in Dillon County the "Ben Bernanke Interchange."

“Dr. Ben S. Bernanke grew up in Dillon County, acquiring knowledge and developing integrity and personal skills in rural South Carolina…this solid foundation is the building block upon which Dr. Bernanke has established an impressive career as an economist,” the resolution noted.

On Feb. 1, 2006, he was sworn in as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve System, appointed by President George W. Bush to succeed Alan Greenspan. He also serves as Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, the system's principal monetary policymaking body.

He was previously Chairman of the United States President's Council of Economic Advisers from 2005 to 2006, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve since 2002; and has also served the Federal Reserve System as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia (1987-1990), Boston (1989-1990), and New York (1990-1991, 1994-1996); and a member of the Academic Advisory Panel at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1990-2002).

According to the resolution, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University (summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is married and has two children.

“Dillon County and South Carolina are proud to have Dr. Bernanke as a native son, and would like all who travel Interstate Highway 95 to know that he is from our State,” the resolution noted.

Sept. 1, 2006, was declared “Ben Bernanke Day” throughout the state, and the Chairman was presented the South Carolina “Order of the Palmetto” by Gov. Sanford at an event hosted by the City of Dillon.

A photograph of Ben Bernanke is available at: http://www.scdot-transfer.org/scdotphotos/bernanke_PUB_5x6.jpg

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