Hilton Head Monthly Magazine Voice of the Lowcountry 
Shawn Leininger knows he’s a Lowcountry cliché, the Ohio native and Ohio State Buckeyes alum drawn south by the siren call of the May River. Bluffton’s director of growth development once admired the town’s expansion from afar while forging his own real-life “SimCity” efforts up north.
Leininger made the move to Bluffton in 2011 and has spent the past four years using that admiration as a base for putting his own mark on the area’s growth plan. How does he think it’s working out so far?
Marc Orlando has been at the forefront of a decade of enormous change in Bluffton. He joined the town as a planning director in 2004, moving into positions as director of growth management and deputy town manager before taking over for retiring town manager Anthony Barrett in September 2014.
We let the 44-year-old town leader reflect on a decade of growth and what’s ahead as the once “sleepy little hamlet” evolves into a metropolis.
A STAR IS BORN
For many actors, the road to the stage is long and winding, with twists and frustrations and pitfalls at every turn. It’s a struggle you see time and again when you read about how Broadway stars slaved away waiting tables and doing bit parts in commercials for years waiting for their big break. Most of the time, raw talent is never enough.
Harrison Leahy, however, proves that sometimes it is.
The dream began to take shape 42 years ago. P.J. Tanner got to shadow his uncle, an officer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
“We rode in the DNR boat. They paid for him to have a truck. A boat, a truck and serving others? Wow. That’s a dream job right there.”
As he became an adult, he looked to apply for the DNR, but because of a budget freeze, there were no jobs available. So his uncle introduced him to Beaufort County Sheriff Morgan McCutchen, who hired him three days after his 21st birthday.
For many, the only thing better than vacationing in a top travel destination, such as Hilton Head Island, is being able to call that paradise one’s home and place of business.
However, while Hilton Head offers countless amenities that appeal to both visitors and residents, including beautiful beaches, a pleasant climate, countless cultural and culinary offerings, and beyond, maintaining and attracting businesses requires much more than award-winning aesthetics and attractions.
Hilton Head Island may be only 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, but the 2.5 million visitors that the intimate subtropical locale attracts annually enjoy miles of award-winning beaches, more than 100 miles of scenic leisure paths, 24 world-class golf courses, 350 tennis courts, more than 250 restaurants, numerous outdoor activities, noteworthy cultural offerings, a large number of shopping experiences and more. Most, if not all, will agree that Hilton Head is among the most family-friendly and popular vacation destinations in the world.
THIS MONTH’S COVER ARTIST HAS DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO THE COLORS AND LIGHTS OF THE SOUTH
You need only glance at this month’s cover to gain an instant appreciation for the works of West Fraser. His understanding of the unmistakable colors of the Lowcountry, the way the salt air tinges the setting sun with vibrant strips of orange and pink, the way a tangle of Spanish moss gently eases the light to the ground in a spiderweb of shadows, comes from roots that run deep.
THE FUN-LOVING HILTON HEAD ISLAND NATIVE TALKS ABOUT HIS TV SHOW ‘SOUTHERN CHARM,’ THE CHARLESTON TRAGEDY AND HIS LACK OF A 5-YEAR PLAN.
So you think you know reality TV star Shep Rose?
Actually, there’s a good chance you do.
The 35-year-old lives in Charleston now, but he grew up in Sea Pines, attended Hilton Head Preparatory School and returns home frequently to visit family and friends.
NEW LEADER OF LOCAL WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Since 2004, the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head has been the leading forum on the island for serious discussion of foreign policy. Today, the group is approaching 1,000 members — a milestone that reflects the island’s intellectual curiosity and desire for a deeper perspective on geopolitical affairs.
This fall, Lee Wilwerding begins his tenure as the council’s new president. Monthly recently sat down with Wilwerding to gather his thoughts and insights on the Council.
Construction on River Ridge Academy, the Beaufort County School District’s newest school, began last summer. The facility, which will teach kids in prekindergarten through eighth grade, is near the intersection of Bluffton Parkway and S.C. 170 and will open with an enrollment of about 900 students. The school will be home to the River Ridge Raiders, with school colors of purple, black and silver. Here are 10 questions Hilton Head Monthly asked new principal Gary McCulloch.
