As director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Boyles serves as the chief administrator and is responsible for the management and supervision of the agency’s five divisions. Prior to being unanimously confirmed as director, Boyles served as the deputy director of the Marine Resources Division from 2003 to 2019. During this time, he also represented South Carolina on several national and regional marine resources stewardship panels, served on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (2005-2012), and was the vice chair (2006-2009) and chair (2010-2011) of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. He serves as President of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Chair of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Board of Directors. In October 2023, he was named by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission as recipient of the Captain David H. Hart Award for 2023 for his outstanding contributions to and exceptional leadership towards the sustainable management of marine resources along the Eastern seaboard.

Robert holds a Master of Marine Policy from the University of Delaware and a B.S. in Mathematical Economics from Wake Forest University. Additionally, Robert was a Bradley Fellow in Marine Policy at the Duke University Marine Lab.