Randy Pierce, who has been the Town of Seabrook Island Administrator for 18 years, is retiring on December 30, 2017. Almost anyone who has come to the Town Hall has probably run into Randy while there. Randy has been the constant presence through 6 different mayors and has been invaluable in assisting each of them. He brought a thorough understanding of how the town and local governments operated that was especially helpful because he had worked for the county on his previous job and knew just who to call when a question came up. His job was to see that everything was done that the Mayors and Town Council needed to have accomplished and he was very good at it. The Mayor would turn to Randy during a meeting and say “Randy, has this project been done?” and Randy would answer “Yes, Sir”. This answer was his Marine Corps training on display. You always knew when Randy was in the office because all of his vehicles over the years proudly displayed the Marine Corps’ logo and his time served with the Corps was very important to him.
He was very complimentary of all the Mayors and Town Councilors that he served under. He felt that they were a much “higher caliber” than he had seen in various other communities in the area and that this was a well run and wonderful island. He has thoroughly enjoyed his job and is happy that he has been able to help the island run efficiently and smoothly.
During his tenure as Town Administrator, he has much to be proud of. The bike path that runs from Baywood Drive to Freshfields Village was developed under his direction. He said that the wooden bridges along the path were “built to last” and he loved seeing the constant use that our residents make of the path as they travel up and down it. He also was proud of his role in establishing the 4th of July fireworks tradition. It started as a small display on the green at the Real Estate office, moved from there to the beach, and has ended up being a huge event held at the Club. He saw our Beach Patrol change from one staffed by off-duty Charleston County Police to a professional Beach Patrol with trained lifeguards and rescue equipment.
Seabrook Island holds a special place in his heart. He feels that the residents are friendly and great to work with and that our island is beautiful. He remembers being here as a child when it was not developed and marvels at the changes but agrees that it still maintains the natural environment that he remembered.
Randy married his high school girlfriend and they have had some interesting adventures together prior to his work with the County. They spent three years in Gaza where he was business manager of a group affiliated with the Baptist Church that provided health services to Palestinians. That was an important time for both of them as they felt that they provided a needed service to the locals.
When he reflects on his time here he feels “blessed with his life and work that has been interesting”. He especially feels lucky to have had his wife behind him all these years and they are looking forward to his retirement. They can enjoy their two children and seven grandchildren and spend more time with them. He also is looking forward to taking his two dogs on long walks on their property near Middleton Plantation.
Randy’s last day at work will be on December 29th when the new Town Administrator, Joseph (Joe) Cronin, will be fully in charge. Joe is already here and the two can work together to ensure a seamless transition for the town.
-Sue Holloman, Tidelines Staff Writer