Hilton Head People

DR. ROBERT CLODFELTER KEEPS HIS SENSE OF HUMOR AFTER DECADES LEADING HILTON HEAD HOSPITAL’S EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

After more than 20 years running the emergency department at Hilton Head Hospital, preceded by a decade working in a busy trauma center in Florida, Dr. Robert Clodfelter has his share of stories.

Not all of them are family friendly.

ARTIST D. PIERCE GILTNER REBORN AS BUDDING TABBY MASTER

D. Pierce Giltner is not much a fan of playing it safe. His path to acclaimed artist status has come by way of a winding creative road rooted in unconventional carpentry and a forte for chronicling the lives of laborers working the Lowcountry land.

“I knew I had born talent, it was just about teaching myself art and putting it out into the world,” said the Bluffton resident who began using house paint and canvases of reclaimed wood and roofing tin in his native Chester in the mid-1990s.

BLUFFTON NATIVES KAYLYNN AND HALEY WILLIAMS BROUGHT SOUTHERN CHARM TO THE AMAZING RACE

It started in 2018 with a photo that Kaylynn Williams had posted on Instagram. The photo itself was nothing particularly remarkable for the young Bluffton native, just a shot of her and a friend. What was remarkable was the comment posted beneath it, from a casting director at CBS’ The Amazing Race telling her to check her DMs.

1. HODGE JOINS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY 

Lisa Hodge has joined Community Foundation of the Lowcountry as a program associate. Hodge will support grant and scholarship applicants; serve as liaison to giving circles, nonprofit agencies and scholarship funds; perform general accounting functions and work in various data management platforms. 

Last February, Dr. Sanjay Gupta came to visit Volunteers in Medicine prior to giving a speech for the Lowcountry Speakers Series. 

Little did any of us know the extent of the crisis we were about to face. 

Since then, Dr. Gupta and Dr. Anthony Fauci have been reliable sources on the extent of the pandemic and strategies to mitigate its disastrous consequences. 

ENTREPRENEUR BEA WRAY PENS BOOK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE PLAYROOMTHE PLAYROOM

Bea Wray had a great education, earning degrees from Emory University in Atlanta and the Harvard Business School.

Great, but incomplete.

It wasn’t until she spent six years on Daufuskie Island — raising her three children — that she added essential life lessons to round out her people skills, ranging from effective listening to successful team management.

CHARITY AUCTION RAISES $100,000 FOR PANDEMIC WORKERS

When Eric Sedransk retreated to Hilton Head Island in mid-March, it was a two-pronged move. He thought it wise to escape New York City, where the COVID-19 pandemic was raging, and he wanted to be here to assist his newly widowed mother.  

He could run errands, help around the house, and provide emotional support for a grieving mother suddenly faced with the additional stress of navigating a pandemic. 

LONG COVE FUND GIVES BACK DURING UNPRECEDENTED TIME OF NEED

Roy Bowen visited Hilton Head for four decades before finally buying his dream island home five years ago. The CEO of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturers Education Foundation knew the first time he and wife Karen visited Long Cove Club that they had found more than a new residence.

“Every place has great golf courses and amenities, but I immediately felt this place was different. I found a community of caring and compassionate people,” said the new chairperson of the Long Cove Fund. “Giving back is in my blood and I found a new home that shares that purpose and drive.”

THE WATTERSON FAMILY FOUNDATION FLOURISHES AS MAJOR FORCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE 

For many of us, this past year has been one of unimaginable struggle. Whether you have lost a loved one to COVID-19 or you’ve seen your small business hobbled or your livelihood destroyed by the financial meltdown that followed the pandemic, 2020 has been a year of almost unsurmountable challenge. 

But sometimes, from the darkest days shine the brightest hopes. Sometimes adversity teaches us, makes us stronger as we turn our wounds to wisdom. Few know how much of a motivating factor hardship can be better than Billy Watterson.