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Candidate has not yet responded.
Campaign Phone
843-415-8500
Education and Experience
BA Wesleyan University, MA Indiana University, PhD Indiana University. Over 23 years of nonprofit management, currently CEO of Coastal Discovery Museum
I believe that the Council should represent the people who live here. For years, members of our community have been coming to me with issues and concerns related to the environment, historic communities, and unfettered growth. We are now at a tipping point, and I feel strongly that I can represent business owners and residents who care about preserving this special place, slowing development, and focusing on the tourists who share our values and vision for this island. I would like to see us honor the founding principles of Hilton Head - living in harmony with nature. I see a future where we live here and have high-quality services, but we leave a light footprint on this island. This place is our greatest asset and we need to care for it.
The Town Council has approved the new bridge project to move forward, but 70% of the planning and design still needs to be done. These designs will impact historic neighborhoods and traffic flowing from planned communities like HHP. Council will need to keep a sharp eye on this project to ensure all are well served by the final product. Likewise the airport has expanded access and impacted communities. We will never step back in time to the Hilton Head of the 1970s or earlier, but we can make sure we put the residents first, and when we seek to bring tourists in, to make sure that they are aligned with our vision of what Hilton Head Island should be - the visitors like us, who will one day want to live in this beautiful place.
Workforce housing is one of the most important issues we will be addressing over the next four years. I believe that the ultimate solution will be multifaceted - involving public/private partnerships, increased wages for some workers, and the construction of new housing units. It is a nation-wide problem and we can learn from other places that have done it well, or poorly. I am very concerned with increasing density when relatively few affordable units are being created, and fear that building large complexes is likely to make our issues worse in the future. I am in favor of land-leases of public land rather than transfers to the private sector, and I believe that the town has the ability to help solve this problem working with others.
Short term rentals impact workforce housing and the quality of life in residential neighborhoods on this island. I'm proud of the town for passing this ordinance and creating revenue that is invested in making our community better. Like solutions to many complex problems, it is not perfect and I support continued attention to this issue to improve our ordinance from both the process standpoint and measuring its impact on modifying the negative impacts of some STRs.
Campaign Phone
8475336603
Education and Experience
I am a retired executive with over 30 years of experience with Allstate Insurance, a Fortune 100 company with a background in Finance. At 38 I was Controller of an $800 million business unit, and at 40 became an appointed officer eventually running programs of $2 billion. You can see more detail on my LinkedIn profile. I am on my second term on the Board of Directors of Palmetto Hall and have served as Treasurer and President. I have a BBA in Business Economics from Ohio University.
I believe that my corporate finance background, my local experience as President and Treasurer of Palmetto Hall, and the 400 hours of Town meetings I have attended have prepared me for this role. And I believe that our best days are still ahead, but only if we pull together as a community. My key goals are:
1. Implement solutions for our most pressing issues - preservation of our character, over-development, workforce, and tourism while being good stewards of our public dollars and the environment.
2. Invest in our infrastructure, public safety and beaches
3. Continue the work on the WH Gateway Corridor projects including downstream impacts.
4. Focus on future emerging trends so we will continue to be an outstanding place to live.
Tourism will always be an important driver of our economy. We should identify the targeted number, and profile of visitors with an alignment to our Town values. Last year we had -3.5% fewer visitors with a 13.5% increase in GDP. We do not want to strain our resources, environment or way of life.
The way to balance commercial development with residential and historic neighborhoods is through the District Planning Process. District Plans will highlight the unique attributes within the area, and layout potential land use, commercial and residential development, parks, open spaces and infrastructure. It is also important to incorporate appropriate recommendations from the Gullah Geechee Preservation Report to our historic neighbors.
The Northpoint Workforce Housing Neighborhood is a great example of public private partnership with a focus on supporting essential workers.
Workforce housing is a complicated issue and will not be solved by one approach. We should update incentives for developers to encourage new construction and refurbish current commercial spaces. Workforce Housing opportunities should also focus on home ownership, as it is the greatest way to create generational wealth. We must leverage all regional, state, and federal funding opportunities. Measurement will be an important component to understand program outcomes and to make future investment decisions. Ultimately, we are looking to increase the total number of workers who live on the island.
The STR ordinance is new, and with any new program there are typically adjustments that should be made. The primary objective should be to protect the quality of life of residents and provide a quality visitor experience.
STRs that are out of compliance should have escalating fines handled through the Municipal Code. Mandatory inspections should be scheduled from a fire and safety perspective. Parking limits should align with the number of bedrooms and may be capped based on the availability of proper parking on the property. We should capture all complaint date including those in gated communities. With the large number of STRs, I do not think these changes will result in lower ATAX or hospitality taxes collected by the Town.
