Tee Hooper, the current board chairman and co-owner of FGP International, Inc., which deals with executive search, staffing, and HR consulting, serves as a board member of Southern First Bank and Verdae Development, Inc. He has served as board chairman, co-owner, and CEO of Sign Crafters USA, a sign manufacturing and service company, from 2006–2016; board chairman, co-owner, and CEO of General Wholesale Distributors, a Trane HVAC distributor of residential and light commercial equipment in South Carolina, from 2006–2013; CEO of Profit Lab, a telecom expense management company, sold to Cass Information Systems, from 2002–2006; Southeast regional president of IKON Office Products, 1993–2001; president of Modern Office Machines, MOM, sold to IKON Office Products, from 1983–1993; and general partner of Reedy River Ventures, a “Small Business Investment Company,” which made venture capital investments, from 1980–1984.
In 2009, Tee was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor given in South Carolina, for his efforts in reforming the Department of Transportation, where he was chairman from 2003–2008, appointed by Governor Mark Sanford.
He served as chairman of Patriots Point Authority, U.S. Medal of Honor Museum, and the Yorktown Aircraft Carrier Museum in Charleston, from 1998–2001, appointed by Governor Jim Hodges. Additionally, he served as chairman of Greenville Urban League, as well as the Greenville Chamber, United Way, YMCA, Leadership South Carolina, Camp Greenville, and the South Carolina Council of Competitiveness (New Carolina).
Tee earned his MBA at the University of South Carolina in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1971–1974 and in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1975–1976. Additionally, he served on the Citadel Board of Visitors from 2011–2017.
Tee earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Citadel in 1969, where he was captain of the basketball team and the tennis team. He was inducted into the Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. Tee and his wife, Sherry, have two children and six grandchildren.