Margie Smith

Tennis player’s wife devotes her life to supporting others

By Amy Rigard • Photo by 33 Park Photography

While there have been countless tennis balls thrown up in the air and constant traveling for a time in Margie Smith’s life, she has remained firmly grounded through her work helping others.

Smith grew up on Long Island, N.Y., with six siblings and parents who always stressed academics and sports. She first met her husband, professional tennis player Stan Smith, when she was 14 years old and a ball girl for him during a tournament. In 1974, she and Stan married, and she began her life “on the tour.”

As her husband devoted his time and energy to his professional tennis career, she joined the national board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She helped the local chapters arrange fundraising events in conjunction with the various professional tennis tournaments. “Being involved with children with a challenging illness helped me keep life in perspective in the cut-and-dry, win-or-lose world of professional tennis,” she said. “To this day, I treasure framed drawings that were given to me by two young ladies who lost their battle with cystic fibrosis.”

When Smith’s four children reached school age, she assumed Stan’s traveling schedule would lessen and they would spend the majority of the year at their Hilton Head home. That wasn’t the case; Stan was still traveling well over six months of the year. In order to keep the family together, she decided to home-school the children. She bought a curriculum, religiously read the instruction manuals, and prayed the children would listen to her in her new role as teacher. “I loved the 12 years that I taught our children. I could not have done it without Stan’s support. He was the principal!”

Smith’s home away from home is the Hilton Head Island Boys & Girls Club, where she spends four afternoons a week tutoring. “I feel so fortunate that the club exists (not just because it is a safe, positive place for kids to go after school), but because it is a place that gives me the opportunity to make a difference in our community. I have been given so many opportunities, and nothing makes me happier than to feel that I have brightened a kid’s day — whether by helping him with a homework assignment, listening to him describe his day at school, or read to him.”

In addition to tutoring, she (along with Stan) chairs the Boys & Girls Club Spring Gala, which is the major fundraising event for the club. Smith is also a member of Women in Philanthropy, an organization that inspires women to become philanthropic leaders in the Lowcountry.

BACKGRAUND
Bachelor of arts degree in history from Princeton University in 1973, where she was in the first class of women to graduate from the university, and captain of the first women’s athletic team, the tennis team; married to former professional tennis player, Stan Smith; four children, Ramsey, Trevor, Logan and Austin, and one grandchild.

INSPIRATION
“What makes me happiest is to help someone — to make their life a little easier. I hope I can encourage others to give back to the community in their own special way because it is such a wonderful feeling.”

Tom Crews

Architect draws ideas from childhood — an d Frank Lloyd Wright

By Amy Rigard • Photo by Bill Littell

Tom Crews is a pilot, a sailor, a man who loves to write and work with people. But most people around Hilton Head probably know him as an architect and the owner of the firm, Tom Crews Architects, Inc.

Crews was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tenn., a town that was planned and built during World War II’s Manhattan Project as part of the war effort. Growing up in the Secret City (or Atomic City) as it was referred to, he thought that every kid in America understood fission, fusion and fast breeder reactors by the time they were 12 years old.

His birthplace in Tennessee was designed as a completely new community to accommodate the World War II effort. The architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill created a design that was a livable community with a mixture of housing in each neighborhood, walkable relationships to schools, neighborhood shopping and parks. He was aware, as an 8-year-old kid, that someone had planned the experience of living in that community, and he thought about his own experience of walking to school, the parks, the swimming pool and other public spaces.

He asked his mom who was responsible for that, and she told him that they were architects. “That settled it for me; that’s what I wanted to be,” Crews said.

He attended the University of Tennessee and then, after living in Aspen, Colo., for 11 years and working as an architect, an economic downturn provided him a chance to re-evaluate his geographical choices. Having been a sailor most of his life, he focused on a return to the East Coast, which provided sailing opportunities, as well as a professional base. He arrived on Hilton Head on Valentine’s Day in 1987.

Crews started his firm, which provides services for both the commercial and residential markets, in 1991. One of his favorite projects is his ongoing work to renovate and complete Frank Lloyd Wright’s Auldbrass Plantation in Yemassee. Wright started working with Leigh Stevens, the client, in 1939 and continued to do s o, off and on, until his death in 1959. Crews became involved shortly after the current owner purchased Auldbrass in 1987 and has been working on all aspects of the property for 20 years. In the earlier years, he worked with Eric Lloyd Wright, grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright. Crews said he feels close to Wright in his study and design work at Auldbrass, and that’s a reward on his professional and personal scale.

BACKGRAUND
Bachelor’s degree in architecture, University of Tennessee; architect in Aspen, Colo., for 11 years before moving to Hilton Head in 1987; started Tom Crews Architects, Inc. in 1991; married to Patty; two sons, Michael and David, both married and living in Bluffton.

INSPIRATION
“Inspiration comes in many forms, but the more I understand the way we experience space, light, color and scale as humans in relationship with our natural environment, the easier it is to design,” said Crews. “Listening has to go beyond the words that someone will use to describe their thoughts. It has to reach into the soul of the message. The place and intended space has a message as well. The design comes from the message, much like a sculpture comes from the stone. That may sound kind of artsy, but that’s what I do.”

Duffie Stone

Solicitor making a difference in the legal world

By Sally Mahan • Photo by Jillian Walzer Photography

Duffie Stone has helped change the face of law enforcement in his few years as 14th Circuit Solicitor.

He’s created a system that ensures career criminals are not going through a revolving door in the justice system; has given the attorneys who work for him the tools to keep those bad guys off the streets; and has made his office more efficient and effective.

The 14th Circuit includes Beaufort, Allendale, Hampton, Colleton, and Jasper counties.

Stone said he always knew he wanted to be a lawyer and to do trial work. “I  went to law school to be a prosecutor. After the first year of law school I worked as a summer clerk at the Solicitor’s Office in Columbia for $4.25 an hour. That was the greatest job ever. … It helped me afford to pay for my apartment over  Revco (drug store).”

After graduating, he went to work for the Solicitor’s Office in Richland County. He later went into private practice, but his heart and passion were always with being a prosecutor. He joined long-time 14th Circuit Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh’s office part-time in 1994, and was appointed solicitor when Murdaugh retired. He then ran for the elected office in 2006 and 2008.

Since taking over as solicitor, Stone has created the successful “career criminal prosecution team.” That team of attorneys is charged with prosecuting repeat offenders who are in and out of the legal system, clogging up the courts and the Beaufort County Detention Center.

“The problem is that a small percentage of people commit the most crimes,” said Stone. “They have no respect for law or society. We have two goals with the career criminal prosecution team: to prosecute them well and prosecute them quickly as possible. We’re not offering pleas that they’ll take. Our job is to see that they go to (state) prisons and that they aren’t on the streets.”

Stone has set up a system that gives the attorneys time to prepare their cases and the technology to do research. “They have to be ethical — and they have to be prepared.”

The success rate of the program is phenomenal. The team has a 92 percent conviction rate. When the program started in October 2008, there were 125 people who had been in the detention center for more than 90 days awaiting trial. That number has been cut in half.

Next on Stone’s agenda is getting funding to overhaul the current adult drug court and the creation of a juvenile drug court. “The theory is that you take addicts and hold them accountable, that they get treatment, weekly hearings and drug tests. It’s about focusing on the individual and ensuring that they are changing their behavior. It’s about prevention. With a career criminal, it’s about protecting the community.”

Stone’s passion for his job is clear. “I can’t imagine doing another job,” he said. “You’re not expected to make a fortune off it, but to really make a difference in the legal world, it has to be in the solicitor’s office. Our job is to be ministers of justice and to vigorously prosecute those that need to be prosecuted and to not prosecute the innocent.”

BACKGRAUND
Born and raised in Myrtle Beach; attended Wofford College; juris doctorate from USC; worked in Richland County Solicitor’s Office,1989-1993; executive director, S.C. sentencing guidelines commission,1993; private practice, 1994-2005; worked part time in 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office under Randolph Murdaugh III; appointed to elected office of solicitor in 2006, ran in 2006 and in 2008. Married to Holly; three children.

INSPIRATION
“My dad had a great respect for law enforcement and a great work ethic. My mother-in-law, Helen, who passed away last year, showed us how to live. She had fun with life. John Rhodes, mayor of Myrtle Beach. I worked for him starting at 11 years old in his seafood restaurant. As mayor, he’s a great public servant.”

Kathleen Mayers

Active mother raises awareness about Down Syndrome

By Abigail Dudley • Photo by Jillian Walzer Photography

After nearly 20 years of living on Hilton Head Island, Kathleen Mayers has paved a road of success and service to her community.

And that road began behind the wheel of a taxicab. “A lot of people don’t know this, but I drove a cab when I first moved here and was struggling.”

Today, as a wife, mother of three and successful business owner, Mayers says she’d still work any job to support her family.

“There is not a job that’s beneath me,” Mayers said. It’s this work ethic and a dedication to giving back to her community that Mayers hopes to instill in her three daughters.

And she’s certainly leading by example. Mayers is a graduate of Leadership Hilton Head and serves on the board of the Notre Dame Club of Hilton Head.

She also led an initiative called Young at Art to drum up youth support for the Hilton Head Arts Center a few years ago.

But most near and dear to her heart is a program inspired by her daughter, Caroline, who has Down Syndrome.

Caroline & Friends is a nonprofit organization that Mayers and her husband started to raise awareness and provide support for families with children who have Down Syndrome.

Although it can be difficult to find the audience — families affected by Down Syndrome — Mayers is dedicated to spreading the word so that these families know that this resource if available to them.

Caroline & Friends hosts the annual Buddy Walk — a Down Syndrome fundraiser held in cities nationwide — and she is currently developing a brochure for Caroline & Friends. She also encourages people to find out more at the program’s Web site: carolineandfriends.com.

Although Mayers keeps a busy schedule, she insists she still makes time for fun. She loves to travel and over the past few years she and her sister have found a fun way to meet up in new cities: They follow The Boss. The pair coordinates their travels with Bruce Springsteen tours and has journeyed as far as Dublin, Ireland, to do so.

“It’s so fun,” Mayers said. “I’m very fortunate.”

BACKGRAUND
Originally from Tybee Island, Ga., Hilton Head Island resident since 1990; attended Notre Dame and Florida State universities. Worked for Louis Sterling Floorcovering for 16 years, opened KPM Flooring in 2008. Married to Michael, a battalion chief for Hilton Head Fire Department; three children, Emma, 8, Caroline, 5, and Honora, 3.

INSPIRATION
Her children. “I wake up every morning and think of what I can do to make this a better place for my children.”

Frank Concino

Retired banker finds new direction helping young women

By Sally Mahan • Photo by 33 Park Photography

Sometimes life takes us in unexpected directions.

For Frank Concino, that direction went from working more than 30 years in the banking industry to helping young women on the difficult road to recovery from substance abuse and issues such as eating disorders.

Concino worked as a banker in Pennsylvania for many years before moving to Indigo Run on Hilton Head in 2007. Here, he worked with SunTrust for two  years before heading into retirement. That’s when he met Debi Lynes and the direction of his life changed.

Lynes was looking for a business person to help her develop a business plan for her new venture, Tulifinny Preserve of Lowcountry (www.tulifinny.com), a stage  2 recovery center for adolescent females.

The facility, which is set to open Jan. 2, is located in Bluffton on a 47-acre plot off U.S. 46. It also includes an equestrian facility for equine-based therapy.

“I was looking to do some financial consulting, and Debi asked me if I would help put a business plan together for Tulifinny. After doing that, Debi invited me to  be CFO of Tulifinny,” he said.

“With Debi’s enthusiasm and passion and me learning more about these young women’s situations, I got very involved. My retirement was short-lived, but this  was a chance for us to make an impact on young women’s lives and help them get their lives under control.

“Meeting Debi and learning about how these teens suffer was my ‘aha!’ moment in my life,” said Concino. “Statistics show that 1 in 5 young ladies who go through detox and then return to their same environment and return to substance abuse. But the statistics go from 1 in 5 to 4 in 5 with this type of therapy. “I’ve gotten a second chance in life to make a difference and leave a legacy.”

BACKGRAUND
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, University of Notre Dame; master’s in business administration, Xavier University; banker in Pennsylvania for 30 years before moving to Hilton Head; worked with SunTrust on the island for two years. Married to Crystal; two daughters, Lauren, 15 (a special needs child and “the happiest person I know,” said Concino), and Jennifer, 38.

INSPIRATION
“Spiritually, I get a lot of inspiration from God. My father inspired me a lot and I’ve been fortunate throughout my life to work with a lot of good people who taught me to work with people and make an impact. That’s what it’s all about. You don’t  have to be smartest or richest to make an impact.”

Bill Roe

By Sally Mahan • Caricatures by Jerry King

Bill Roe, a right-leaning freelance columnist for Bluffton Today for the last eight years, has strong opinions.

And he’s not shy about sharing them.

On John David Rose, a left-leaning columnist:
“He’s past being just a socialist. When 9/11 happened, his first comments were basically that we deserved what happened. People I’d known for 30 years were killed. My daughter worked in the World Trade Center and just happened to be late that day. I just couldn’t believe that anyone would take that side.” Here’s a sampling of some of his takes on other current issues:

On Sarah Palin
“When you start looking into who she is, you know it’s the real deal. She’s just a breath of fresh air.”

On President Obama
“He’s scary. A lot of people are scared about health care and many other issues. People better get wise to what’s going on.”

On Wall Street
“The average individual has no idea how hard it is to work on Wall Street."

Roe said he backs up all his opinions with “verifiable research from the Internet. I’m not book smart. I’m street smart. I learn from history. People who read my articles can’t say, ‘ay yi yi.’ I have facts. I don’t get caught in political double talk.”

BACKGRAUND
Attended the University of Georgia; served in the United States Marine Corps; moved to the area 34 years ago; was in the investment business for 44 years; worked in New York and Atlanta; owned brokerage firm in Savannah. Married to Nancy; four children, Kristy, John, Kellie and Kathryn; six grandchildren.

INSPIRATION
“My wife inspires me because she’s very intelligent and she set high standards for my children.”

John David Rose

By Sally Mahan • Caricatures by Jerry King

When John David Rose wanted to write a column for Bluffton Today back in 1999, he knew it would be controversial.

“A liberal point of view on Hilton Head is controversial by nature,” he said. But, the left-leaning columnist feels strongly about politics and wanted his point of view to be heard.

His counterpart at Bluffton Today, Bill Roe, says Rose is “past being a socialist.” But Rose counters that viewpoint. “They call me a bleeding heart liberal. But I’m actually a bleeding heart conservative.”

Here’s some of his takes on current issues.

On Sarah Palin
“A very attractive uneducated person.”

On President Obama
“He’s struggling to get his arms around the humungous mess left by the Bush administration. We had a fraternity boy government for eight years.”

On Wall Street
“I don’t have much respect for people who use money for power and to pay off our government. We no longer have a capitalistic system. We have a corporate aristocracy.”

BACKGRAUND
Attended Idaho State University; worked in marketing/advertising for more than 50 years; co-owned public relations firm Gardo, Doughtie & Rose on Hilton Head Island; retired and living in Black Mountain, N.C.; married to Penny; one stepdaughter, Anne; three daughters, Jessica, Melene and Lesele; four grandchildren.

INSPIRATION
“I worked in Orlando for about a year and there was a weekly columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. He was an iconoclast and professional skeptic. I became enthralled with his writing.”

Dean St. Hillaire

Island-hopper beats a different drum

By Charles Edwards • Photo by 33 Park Photography

It’s a typical night at Marley’s. As wait staff glide from table to table, patrons fill their bellies with the unique flavors of the Caribbean. Just as the general murmur of post-dinner conversation is drawing to a close, another of the Caribbean’s “unique flavors” fills the air. This flavor, however is best appreciated with the ears: the unmistakable melodies of the steel drum.

It’s a typical night at Marley’s, but it could be the Westin, the Hilton, the Lowcountry Community Church or the music room at Sea Pines Monstessori Academy, all of which enjoy this rich music of faraway islands thanks to one man.

That man is Dean St. Hillaire, and he is every bit as authentically Caribbean as the instrument he plays, and just as vibrant and enjoyable to listen to.

“It’s a nice instrument and I love it,” he said of the drum, displaying both his deep Caribbean accent and his knack for boiling down the complicated aspects of music into their simplest terms.

The Caribbean accent comes from his childhood in Grenada. Part of a large family of musicians, St. Hillaire —Mr. Dean to his students — knew from an early age that music was to be his true calling.

“I started playing at about 11 years old. I had been singing since I was 6, since my mom was choir director,” he said.

The guitar came next. Then the saxophone. Then bass guitar. The he joined a steel drum orchestra. Then it was a lengthy stint on Caribbean Cruise Lines before making the unlikely move to Cincinnati to work as a saxophonist with the Hamilton Avenue Baptist church. St. Hillaire was convinced by friend Ross Brown to make the move to Hilton Head Island in 2002 (“The climate suits me better,” he joked).

All through his travels, the music drew him onward. It was all part of his country’s culture, to explore music in all its forms.

“As kids we’d come home and mess with the drums,” he said. “That’s just what we did.”

The ability to explain music in easy-to-understand terms comes from that lifelong pursuit, and serves him well as a music teacher at Sea Pines Montessori Academy. His teaching methods mesh well with the Montessori method’s principles of self-directed education.

“Winton Marsalis and Victor Wooten are two big influences on my teaching style,” he said. “I love their concepts of teaching. Very different from tradition.”

That’s not to say “Mr. Dean” isn’t well versed in music theory. He’ll make casual references to the “circle of fifths” in conversation as though it is common  knowledge. Fortunately, he’s quick to explain it to the uninitiated. The circle of fifths, of course, is a diagram that shows the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their key signatures and associated major and minor keys.

“The steel drum is an exact diagram of the circle of fifths. It’s a very practical way of studying music theory,” he said with his trademark enthusiasm. “In this one instrument, you can study them all.”

St. Hillaire, whether on the steel drum or any of the other countless instruments he’s mastered, has used that inspiration and passed it on. Now his inspiration spreads across Hilton Head, encouraging young students to pursue their own musical talents and giving tourists and locals a taste of that island life we all came here for.

BACKGRAUND
Born in Grenada, learned music at an early age from his mother, a choir director as well as his father and uncle, both musicians; picked up the steel drum at 11, followed by guitar and saxophone; moved from Grenada to Cincinnati in 2001 where he played saxophone at Hamilton Avenue Baptist Church. Moved to Hilton Head the following year where he now splits his time playing steel drum at various venues and teaching music at Sea Pines Montessori Academy. Married to Robin, a gymnastics instructor; two children, Kenneth and Deanna.

INSPIRATION
St. Hillaire gets inspiration to spread the love of music from his own teacher, a traveling musician. “He’d start by just playing, and we would play along. While we played along, he’d tell us what we were playing,” he said. “It was just a natural way of learning.”

Jack Schuler

Mercy Flight pilot takes to the air with a mission to save lives

By Abigail Dudley • Photo by 33 Park Photography

It’s likely you’ve heard the slogan “something special in the air.”

It’s less likely you know about a special group of volunteer pilots that really bring the phrase to life.

This network of pilots conducts Mercy Flights, or “angel flights,” to provide free air transportation for children and adults in need of medical treatment. Hilton Head Islander Jack Schuler is one of these pilots.

A former Air Force pilot and subsequent aircraft marketer, Schuler has been around planes most of his life.

Before joining an official network, Schuler flew his first mercy flight about 30 years ago for a friend’s son who was in need of treatment for a rare blood disease at a hospital in Philadelphia. Schuler, who lived in Pennsylvania at the time, continued to fly the young man for years to come — saving his friend’s family valued time and money.

Upon moving permanently to Hilton Head about five years ago, Schuler got involved with Mercy Flight Southeast to continue his service locally out of Hilton Head Airport.

Schuler flies his Piper Twin plane on “missions” about twice a month with all expenses — fuel, time and operating costs — coming out of his own pocket. “There are people that need help, and we like to fly anyway,” Schuler said.

“It’s a doggone good excuse to fly and at the same time help someone in need.” In 2008, Mercy Flight Southeast named Schuler “Pilot of the Year for South
Carolina.”

He was lauded for competing 12 missions in 2007, one of which involved a young woman suffering from brain cancer. Schuler flew her from Raleigh, N.C., to Duke University for treatment.

He said patients have offered to pay for his service before, but their gratitude is enough.

“That’s all we fly for — for the ‘thank you’s and to ease their pain.”

From the caseworker who supplies the initial mission to the air traffic controllers, Schuler said there is a great sense of community.

He said it is not uncommon for air traffic controllers to bump up a Mercy Flight mission to go ahead of commercial jets waiting in line.

“They understand the work we’re doing,” Schuler said.

In addition to sick children and adults, Schuler has also transported organs to hospitals where a donor awaits.

He said there is even a new pilot network forming that transports dogs and cats in need of homes. But, he laughed, “I’m going to stick with people.” With nearly 50 years of flying under his belt, the skyways are a familiar place for Schuler.

“There are people who will do almost anything to get in an airplane and fly,” Schuler said. “It’s a great addiction.”

Although he is humble when he and his colleagues are referred to as modern-day angels, there is no doubt that the skies are friendlier because of their generosity.

BACKGRAUND
Originally from Hanover, Pa.; former Air Force pilot; worked in marketing for Piper and Cessna aircraft companies before starting his own direct marketing company, JASCO. Hilton Head Island visitor for 30 years, became a full-time resident six years ago. Married to wife, Jeanne; two children, John and Beth.

INSPIRATION
“My inspiration is that I like to help people. That’s just it.”

Andrea Keriazakos

High school senior is the definition of well-rounded student

By Sally Mahan • Photo by Morgan Eddington

Andrea Keriazakos’ list of accomplishments is impressive, indeed.

The 17-year-old senior at Hilton Head Preparatory School has been in the honors/advanced placement curriculum throughout her high school career. She is first in her class, has won multiple academic awards in calculus, chemistry, Spanish and biology, among others. She is also a National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholar.

If that’s not enough, she’s captain of the varsity cheerleaders and coaches the JV team. She’s danced in various school productions, is in Junior Leadership, has taken part in Quiz Bowl, Prom Committee, the Math Team, junior varsity soccer and cross country.

Andrea also volunteers. She’s been involved with Relay for Life, went on a mission trip to Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina Relief, volunteers at the Verizon Heritage, Hilton Head Hospital and Carolina House, an assisted living facility.

Oh, and in her spare time she works summers at Kilwin’s Ice Cream.

How does she do it all?

“Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but I’m really organized,” she said. “I have a planner and have to have everything written down. I guess I just keep myself organized instead of wasting time.

“This year I’ve had to apply to colleges and keep my grades up. This is an important part of my future, so I had to set priorities this year. They are school, grades and cheerleading.”

Andrea has applied to Princeton, Harvard and Duke, and hopes to be a doctor. “I really like volunteering at the hospital,” she said. “I got a taste of everything — cardiology, ICU, radiology — and it was so interesting.”

She also loves volunteering at Carolina House. “People there are just so appreciative. I talk with them on the porch or take walks with them. And they’re so interesting! There’s a woman there who is 103 and remembers the day the Titanic sunk! And the men who fought in all these wars … and how much technology has changed.”

Andrea said there are many people who’ve influenced her, including her teachers at Prep. “They really get to know you as a person,” she said.

But, it’s her parents, Betsy and Greg Keriazakos, who have been their daughter’s biggest cheerleaders. “They really have been a big influence,” said Andrea.

“They help me keep my priorities in line and they’ve kept me on the right track.

“Sometimes it gets a bit annoying, because I have friends who have parents who let them do whatever they want. I sometimes think I want that, but then I really appreciate how my parents keep me focused.”

BACKGRAUND
Senior at Hilton Head Preparatory School; daughter of Betsy and Greg Keriazakos; one sister, Alyssa, 15.

INSPIRATION
“My grandmother inspired me. She passed away two years ago. She was really nice and supportive. She always helped out with the church and the library. I want to be just like her.”

Jim Vaughn

Sailor wants to make boating more accessible to public

By Zach Van Hart • Photo by Rob Kaufman

Jim Vaughn dreams that someday soon people who aren’t members of the Yacht Club of Hilton Head will be able to experience the salt air and the thrill of sailing on local waters.

Vaughn grew up in Akron, Ohio, but his sailing education came on Lake Chautauqua in upstate New York. That’s where, starting at 14, Vaughn would spend part of summer with his uncle, former U.S. Congressman William Clinger, on a Flying Scot, a 19-foot stable centerboard boat.

Though it’s been a major part of his life for the past 45 years, he’s always had to work hard. “I’m not a natural sailor,” he said. “I need to have indicators to do it well. I covet those folks who can feel the change of the wind on the back of their neck.”

Vaughn moved to Hilton Head 30 years ago to open a stationary business, Vaughn Business Systems, which he’s still president of today. Soon after his arrival, the Yacht Club of Hilton Head’s commodore, Ed Gibbs, discovered that Vaughn sailed a Flying Scot — as did Gibbs — and asked him to join to the yacht club. Vaughn’s been sailing around the island ever since, an experience he recommends to anyone who spends time here.

“You live on an island and you can’t appreciate Hilton Head unless you spend some time on the water,” said Vaughn. “Golf is great, tennis is great, the beaches are wonderful, but there’s another dimension of Hilton Head that makes it special.”

Vaughn eventually decided to give back to the sport and starting working as race chairman for numerous events on Hilton Head, in Savannah and other local areas. In 1996, he worked the Olympics in Atlanta in the windsurfing event.

Now, he’s pushing for a community sailing and rowing center that would be open to the public. Working with the Town of Hilton Head, Vaughn hopes the center will become a reality in the next two years. “Most communities like ours have a center like this,” he said.

Of course, Vaughn still finds time to race his Flying Scot. Having turned 60 on New Year’s Day, he plans on spending many more years on his boat.

BACKGRAUND
Bachelor’s degree in international relations, Cornell University; owner of Vaughn Business Systems on Hilton Head Island for 30 years; married to Julie for 25 years; two sons, James IV, 18, and Neal, 13.

INSPIRATION
“My uncle inspired me to public and government service — and to sail. And oddly enough, Bill Gates. He melds technology and business in the most advanced way. He has a very well-rounded package of public and private industry.”

Anthony Marzbanian

Music lover bringing the big acts to Shoreline Ballroom

By Gail Westerfield • Photo by Morgan Eddington

Let’s face it. Hilton Head has not been known as a hotbed of rap and rock n’ roll. But Anthony Marzbanian has been trying to change that at the Shoreline Ballroom, bringing in acts like rapper Snoop Dogg, blues legend B.B. King, and legendary rockers Leon Russell and Air Supply, and many others.

As the frstborn child and a business management major in college, Marzbanian wanted to emulate his father’s business success and shared his dad’s love of music. Every summer during college, he’d return to his hometown of Columbia to work the door at his father’s two music clubs. He worked his way up to booking and producing shows in the venues and eventually “took over the entire music scene in Columbia and made it into a big deal.”

Foreseeing the next level in music as clubs for major artists who wanted to play in more intimate venues rather than huge arenas, he and his family moved to Hilton Head in 2004 and purchased the property that would become the Shoreline Ballroom.

He said that he never had any doubts that a music venue on Hilton Head would succeed. “Anywhere else in South Carolina, I might have had some doubts.

People complained that traveling bands always skipped right over us on the way to Florida or shooting up to Atlanta. But on Hilton Head, we’re just 20 minutes from I-95. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the country, and no one’s going to bug artists while they’re at the restaurants here.”

He loves meeting with and talking to the artists, and recalls an hour-long “great conversation with B.B. King,” whom he calls “a really great guy, very kind.”

Shoreline Ballroom is well on its way to becoming an even greater dream come true for Marzbanian, musicians and fans. He says construction on the venue is only 30 percent complete “and we have a lot more planned.” The goal is to have the option for three diferent venues in one, creating a performing arts center/dinner theater/music venue where acts of any size can play.

Marzbanian says his iPod’s been playing bands he wants to bring in early next year, like Dropkick Murphys, Sean Paul and The Ofspring.

BACKGRAUND
Bachelor’s degree in business management from College of Charleston; worked at Columbia bars The Elbow Room Music Hall and New Brookland Tavern; moved to Hilton Head in 2004; opened Shoreline Ballroom April 10, 2008; he and girlfriend Tami have one child, Sophie, 3.

INSPIRATION
Shoreline’s music fans are “the whole reason why I work here. It’s not my venue or my family’s. It’s the fans. It’s their place where they can come and enjoy anything from Dark Star to Rob Zombie to B.B. King.”

Pearla Harvey

Ministry leader assists those in need through nonprofit

By Abigail Dudley • Photo by Jillian Walzer Photography

Pearla Harvey says she dreamed of helping disadvantaged people at an early age. Now, after years of preparation, she is beginning to see that dream materialize.

Beginning in 2001 in her own home, Harvey opened Community First, a ministry focused on helping low-income, single parents and grandparents raise their children and grandchildren and providing resources for afordable food, shelter and medical services.

Known as “Mother Harvey,” she received nonproft status for Community First in 2008 and last year moved the ministry to 1215 May River Road in Blufton.
“We’ve been at this location a year now and have helped over 200 people,” Harvey said.

Harvey said her clientele has grown mostly by word of mouth. She said although her primary focus is to assist struggling families raising children, Community First never turns anyone aw ay.

“For some people, just to know that someone loves and cares about them is enough to inspire them to go forward in life,” Harvey said.

Many of her clients are young people. Harvey said she strives to take stories from the Bible and help children and teenagers relate them to their present-day situations.

She said this can really help young adults center their goals.

“Putting the fear of God in teenagers really helps them get through those teenage years,” Harvey said.

Watching these young people make positive choices in their lives is what really “makes my day,” she said. “It lets me know that what we’re teaching them is working.”

Harvey hopes to instill a special motto into every client and the community: “Knowledge is money, education is the key and success is a lifestyle.”

“How you live every day has everything to do with your success,” Harvey said.

Contact Community First at 843-706-9580 or visit www.familiesindistress.com.

BACKGRAUND
Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; graduate of Broward Community College with an associate’s degree; recipient of a certificate in advanced youth development from Clemson University. Worked for Jasper County Schools as a substitute teacher and became a certified chaplain with the International Federation of Christian Chaplains, Inc. Married, seven adult children.

INSPIRATION
“The word of God and seeing people follow the right path and come out of problems and difcult situations to realize they can handle them.”

Sammy Mulrain

At 92 years old, this golf starter still works the course

By Zach Van Hart • Photo by 33 Park Photography

At 15 years old, Sammy Mulrain was introduced to golf in quite an impressive fashion: working as a caddy at the estate of Adolph Zukor, the founder of Paramount Pictures.

It was in the early 1930s, the height of the Great Depression, and Mulrain would bike fve miles each way to Zukor’s estate in New City, N.Y. , to earn his daily wage of $1.50. A natural athlete — he played high school baseball with New York Yankees legend Phil Rizzuto — Mulrain took to golf immediately.

“I was playing in this beautiful scenery,” said Mulrain. “It made me feel good.”

He’s loved the game ever since. After working at American Can Company for 35 years, he retired in 1978 and moved to Hilton Head Island. In October 1981, a friend asked him to help out at Palmetto Dunes one day a week. Three months later he became a starter, a post he never relinquished.

Every Thursday, Mulrain, 92, arranges tee times, welcomes golfers to the course, keeps them informed of the course’s rules and makes sure they play at the right pace. It’s a job that naturally suits the energetic Mulrain.

“I think I make people enjoy the golf course,” he said. “I have them smiling; I have a feeling like they’re starting of in a nice way.”

Mulrain served other important duties in the golfng community here, working as vice chairman of marshals for the Heritage PGA Tour event for 25 years.

Thanks to his dedication at Palmetto Dunes, in September the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association named him the 2009 Employee of the Year. He received a foot-long plaque, which reads, “In recognition of his extraordinary professionalism and integrity, his unwavering commitment to customer service and his dedication to the game of golf.”

That description perfectly fts Mulrain, who treats this job with the same attitude he approached while working at American Can Company or serving as an Army lieutenant in the 80th Infantry Division during World War II.

“It’s important to do a good job,” he said. “I’ve tried to do a good job all of my life.”

Mulrain plays golf every Monday and Friday with a group of four friends at Sea Pines, and plays some Wednesdays, too. Now a 20 handicap, hitting the links is as important as working on Thursdays — it keeps Mulrain involved.

“You want to keep active,” he said. “You don’t want to sit around doing nothing. Yo u can’t just hide yourself in the corner. Yo u have to go out and meet people.”

BACKGRAUND
Background: Worked at American Can Company for 35 years; moved to Hilton Head Island in 1978; worked at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort for 28 years. Married to wife, Mina, for 56 years before she died in 2000; two sons, Mark, 59, and Jeff, who died at 47 of leukemia.

INSPIRATION
“When I was a kid, I always came into contact with people who were very successful. People who were very successful always inspired me.”

Mira Scott

By Gail Westerfield Photo by Rob Kaufman

Mira Scott dropped out of college, packed a bag and bicycle, and arrived on Hilton Head Island with “a good-looking Irishman” who opened a nouvelle cuisine restaurant. She eventually married another man, moved to Atlanta, then returned to the Lowcountry in 1986.

Now, she is proprietor and artist-in-residence of Picture This on Hilton Head Island, which she opened with just $200. She has transitioned Picture This from “mostly commercial framing” to an eclectic and innovative art gallery that also features workshops, lectures and readings.

Scott considers herself totally self-taught as an artist, and deliberately so. She never wanted formal training so that her skills and style could evolve on their own. From doing muted tones and realistic watercolors, she now uses vivid colors in a completely diferent format.

Scott loves that owning Picture This means her days are “always diferent, always changing. I never know what’s going to come in the door.” She also enjoys connecting artists with each other, working collectively whenever she can, and “pushing boundaries a little bit.”
Toward that end, she implemented a small gallery hop that takes place every two months.

BACKGRAUND
Raised in Montreal; came to Hilton Head after dropping out of college; married and moved to Atlanta, then returned to the Lowcountry in 1986. Currently proprietor and artist-in-residence of Picture This, 124 Arrow Road, Hilton Head Island (www.picturethishiltonhead.com).

INSPIRATION
“Whatever the infuence is, it all leaves an impression on you, whether you’re in the Heritage Museum surrounded by Kandinskys or-sitting on a couch. We’re all so intertwined with everything around us.”

Thomas Young

By Charles Edwards • Photo by Morgan Eddington

Why would anyone want to be in the passenger’s seat with a 15-year-old behind the wheel? Is it the excitement or just the sheer terror? For Thomas Young, it was neither of those things, but rather an opportunity to pass on his knowledge — and make an impact.

“Four years ago I became bored with the ‘retired’ lifestyle of golf, tennis and community involvement,” said Young, who retired to the Lowcountry in 2003.

What he did was open Southeastern Driving Academy, passing on the rules of the road to drivers young and old.

“The business allows me to both teach, which I always wanted to do, and make a diference in the community,” he said. “But who knew it would be with 15- to 17-year-olds in a two-ton missile traveling down 278?”

“ We discuss alcohol, drugs, speeding, reckless driving, and then we show them the results of those acts with teenagers just like them. Dead is permanent. We lose 42,000 people a year in trafc accidents and 6,000 of them are teenagers.”

It’s that sobering reminder that drives Young to create safer drivers. After all, if you’ve been out there on 278, you know how serious it gets out there.

BACKGRAUND
Grew up in Connecticut, received master’s in management from Cardinal Stritch University. Married wife Joellen and began a 31-year career with Whirlpool that included a 15-year stint touring the globe, living in 14 countries throughout Latin America, Europe and Asia. Two daughters, Kristen and Katie, are now married and live in Washington, D.C. Began Southeastern Driving Academy four years ago after a brief flirtation with retirement.

INSPIRATION
“I get my inspiration from the students. When I see them a month or a year later and they tell me that they haven’t had an accident or a ticket, or that they got their ‘clean’ license six months early because of excellent performance. Those things drive me.”

Glenn Love

By Jacquelyn Lewis • Photo by Rob Kaufman

Dr. Glenn Love’s life has all the elements of a great movie. The son of a plumber, Love earned degrees from Duke University and the University of North Carolina.

He served in Vietnam and later came to Hilton Head as the island’s first obstetrician/ gynecologist. He is now the medical director of Hilton Head Hospital and was the impetus behind a program to provide Hispanic women with prenatal care.

So, how did he get where he is today?

“My dad (who was a plumber) wanted to be a doctor,” said Love, who at one time had aspirations of being a professional golfer. “He started out at Duke, but he had to drop out because of economic reasons. I didn’t know when I chose pre-med, but later it became clear to me that it was his infuence, and that I was doing what he had always wanted to do.

“It turned out that it was a natural fit for me,” said Love.

His choice of obstetrics/gynecology came about in an unusual way. Love was drafted into the Air Force during Vietnam, and in his downtime, he and a friend drew up a chart listing the pros and cons of each medical specialty. Obstetrics/gynecology got the best score. “I liked the combination of the hands-on — surgery — and the interpersonal — dealing with people,” he said.

Love moved to Hilton Head in 1976, and over the past 33 years has watched the island’s population grow from just a few thousand people to the more than 34,000 living here today — and he saw his practice grow accordingly. He’s been seeing some of his patients for those 33 years, and he’s also getting new patients every day.

As medical director of Hilton Head Hospital, he was the driving force behind the launch of Clinica de la Mama on Hilton Head. The clinic, which opened its doors in November 2006, provides prenatal care for Hispanic women, regardless of their legal or insurance status.

That mission has generated its share of controversy in the Lowcountry, but Love contends the for-profit clinic is both eficient and necessary.

“Regardless of your political bent, the Hispanic population is here — it’s a fact of life — and they are reproducing. We need to make sure they get prenatal care and that we catch problems early, ” he said.

BACKGRAUND
Pre-med studies at Duke University, medical school at University of North Carolina, internship at University of Kentucky, residency at University of Southern California Medical Center; has lived and practiced medicine on Hilton Head Island since 1976; first obstetrician/gynecologist on the island; has served as medical director of Hilton Head Regional Medical Center since 2004 and medical director of Clinica de la Mama since 2006; married to Bernie; five children, four grandchildren.

INSPIRATION
“My inspiration is that most people care, and they’ll help each other when they need to.”

Pete Stephens

By Jacquelyn Lewis • Photo by Bill Littell

Emergency medicine physician Pete Stephens came to Hilton Head to retire, but in the decade since he moved here, “I’ve probably worked harder than I ever worked in the ER,” he said.

That’s because Stephens became intrigued with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. During hyperbaric therapy, the patient is enclosed in a pressure vessel, or chamber, where he or she breathes 100 percent oxygen. The resulting increase in cellular oxygen concentration is thought to accelerate healing.

The FDA has approved hyperbaric medicine for the treatment of about 13 conditions, from carbon monoxide poisoning to diabetic wounds. But Stephens, who serves as clinic manager for Hyperbaric Therapy of the Lowcountry, thinks there’s a wealth of untapped potential in the much-debated method.

“We have to convince mainstream doctors that [hyperbaric oxygen therapy] is benefcial for many diferent ailments,” Stephens said. “That’s my mission.”

BACKGRAUND
Studied medicine at Medical College of Virginia, trained at Army hospitals (during Vietnam) and at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio; moved to Hilton Head Island in 1999 after more than 34 years as an emergency room physician at Underwood Memorial Hospital in Woodbury, N.J.; married to Anita; two daughters, Helene, 25, and Lara, 21.

INSPIRATION
“Growing up in West Virginia, I idolized my godfather. He was a general practitioner, and he worked all the time — he wouldn’t even sleep.