Hilton Head People

SECURITY OFFICERS IN GATED COMMUNITIES ARE THE REAL DEAL

Many Lowcountry residents pass through security gates every day, giving the security officer inside the guardhouse a wave as the gate opens and they roll into one of the island’s many gated communities or plantations.

For others, the security guards aren’t as welcome a sight — especially for those who arrive to visit a friend but discover that a promised pass has not been called in. The island’s gatekeepers are firm but polite: Only those who have the proper credentials may enter. 

BALLROOM DANCE HAS A THRIVING HOME IN BLUFFTON

Seaquins Ballroom declares itself the “happiest place in Bluffton.” The studio, on Fording Island Road, is home to Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio, formerly Fred Astaire Dance Studio. And it’s the product of friendships built upon a love for dance.

Sandro Virag, a five-time Hungarian Latin dance champion, came to the United States with $200 and two suitcases. Armando Aseneta, a former enlisted Marine, moved to North Carolina and fell into an unexpected career as a dance instructor.

MONA HUFF ORCHESTRATES THE HILTON HEAD PIANO COMPETITION

Mona Huff, director of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition for the past nine years, describes the young pianists who compete in the annual event as “drop-dead amazing.”

“I don’t play my piano for weeks after they leave, because I can’t bear the thought that I’m trying to play what they so effortlessly do,” she said recently.

PURE BARRE HILTON HEAD HAS NEW OWNER

Jenna Irvin is the new owner of Pure Barre Hilton Head in Shelter Cove. She graduated from High Point University with a degree in sports management and purchased the studio after moving to Hilton Head Island after graduation. She previously was the owner of a Pure Barre studio in Frederick, Maryland.

This month, Monthly invited local women in business, education, sports and the arts to discuss their work and how they define success. In their profiles, these Lowcountry influencers share advice and connect across a diverse range of expertise and industries. They discuss their obstacles, accomplishments, backgrounds, motivation and the people who have inspired them. From the owners of small family businesses to the team that leads Hilton Head Island High School, these local women have made a positive impact in the community. They are the leading ladies of the Lowcountry — women in charge who make Hilton Head and Bluffton better places to live. 

STAN SMITH IS CELEBRATED IN A NEW BOOK

In the tennis world, Stan Smith is a household name because of his accomplishments as a former world champion.

In the Lowcountry, he is known for his charitable work with various organizations, most notably the Heritage Classic Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry.

But around the globe, Smith’s name is known for another reason: The shoe.

LORRI LEWIS AND WENDY CORBITT, THE LEADING LADIES OF SEA PINES REAL ESTATE AT THE BEACH CLUB

Q. What first brought you to the island?

A. (Lorri Lewis) My roommate at Michigan State, her parents lived in Sea Pines and we came down for a college vacation. We rolled into Sea Pines and I was blown away. It left such an impression on me. After I graduated, I always kept a picture of me at the Sea Pines Beach Club in my office and I’d tell people, “If I could find a way to go to this beach as my job every day, that would be great.” Now I find myself running this company, working with agents I used to see in magazines as a kid. It was exciting to be invited into this group of legends in real estate.

Landscape architect David Arnal has been keeping bees since 1988, when he was given five hives while at Clemson University.

“I loved it,” he said. “You don’t just become a beekeeper; the bees pick you.”

Today, his five hives have grown to 40, and he is the president of the Beaufort-Jasper Beekeepers Association. He also is the beekeeper for hives at community gardens in Hilton Head Plantation and Port Royal Plantation, as well as at the Coastal Discovery Museum and St. Francis Catholic School.

THE LEADING LADIES OF STONEWORKS

Q. The leading ladies of sales and design at StoneWorks are helping put the FAB in fabrication and design for dream homes throughout our market. To what do you attribute your success?