TEAM / Brandon Dermody
Brandon Dermody became Managing Partner of The Southern Group’s South Carolina office in 2005. Brandon’s areas of expertise include agriculture, appropriations, banking and finance, economic and business development, local government, lottery, outdoor advertising, policy, public and private partnerships, sports and entertainment, strategic planning, and transportation.
Early in his career, Brandon served as special assistant to U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. In this capacity, Brandon’s duties ranged from constituent services to economic development. Brandon helped organize the U.S. District Court Appointments for Pennsylvania and developed the Eastern Pennsylvania community outreach program to complement the 1996 Medicaid Reform Bill co-authored by Senator Santorum. Later, Brandon was a senior manager of government and regulatory affairs for AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan for seven years before assuming the role of senior director of government affairs for Select Health of South Carolina. Prior to joining Southern, Brandon started The Harrell Group and served as owner/president from 2003-2005.
During his tenure at Southern, Brandon successfully secured a $9 million loan to help save the U.S.S. Laffey, the most decorated naval destroyer in the history of the U.S. Navy.
Currently, Brandon serves on numerous boards and commissions, including the Coastal Carolina Fair and the South Carolina Junior Tennis Foundation, as well as the advisory council for the Lowcountry March of Dimes. Brandon has been a guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels School of Government and LaSalle University’s political science department. Brandon also served as Honorary Commander for the USAF 14th Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base, and after two years of service, he was asked to join the Charleston Air Force Base Commander’s Advisory Board. In 2009, Brandon was invited to attend the National Security Forum at the prestigious Air Force War College in Montgomery, Alabama.
Brandon received a BA in political science and a minor in Russian linguistics from Florida State University and studied abroad at St. Petersburg University in Russia. Brandon also earned his PAHM certification from the Academy for Health Care Management. Brandon lives in Charleston, South Carolina with his wife, Kay, and their two children.
