Hilton Head People

REALITY STARS COME FROM THE LOWCOUNTRY

Hilton Head Island and Bluffton are a rich vein of talent for some of the most popular reality TV shows in recent years. A Bluffton man got his 15 minutes in the limelight in May, and three recent episodes followed the cast of “Southern Charm” — including two area natives — during a stay at a luxury rental on Hilton Head. And, of course, the Lowcountry is home to a Food Network star.

J. BANKS WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBERS

J. Banks Design Group recently promoted one and hired several new staff members to its commercial support department.

Amanda Ives, Allied ASID, was promoted to design support manager of the company’s residential and commercial support teams. Previously, Ives managed the residential support staff, where she assisted with property management and scheduling for the firm’s hospitality projects.

4M METALS IS HELPING DEFINE THE LOWCOUNTRY LOOK.

You’ve seen the shirts. They’re everywhere. Stamped across the front: “Got Metal?” Across the back is the stylish, angular logo of 4M Metals. When it comes to popular T-shirts, it’s second only to the brightly colored shirts for a certain canine-based seafood restaurant. As far as getting the 4M Metals name out, it’s a stroke of marketing genius. 

FOR HILTON HEAD COUPLE, SUCCESS RUNS IN THE FAMILY

For Myla Lerner, it’s always been about the domino theory: Connect with creative, smart, energetic people and obstacles will fall down, one after another.

“I’m not shy,” said Lerner, an award-winning Broadway producer and president of the board of Lean Ensemble Theater, a performing arts company on Hilton Head Island. “When we first got here, we knew hardly anyone, so I made some connections.”

ART LEAGUE ADDS GALLERY ASSISTANT

Chloe Butler has joined the Art League of Hilton Head team as its gallery assistant. In her new role, Butler will provide administrative support in the gallery, working alongside the general manager to coordinate daily tasks and facilitate artist correspondence. Previously, Butler has worked for a variety of businesses, ranging from a multi-partner law firm to independent art publications. She has a bachelor’s degree in art history and linguistics from Missouri State University.

HARDSCAPE COMPANY PAVES THE WAY FOR FAMILY TO BECOME REALITY TV STARS

At first glance, the Currys seems like any Lowcountry family, but they aren’t your average next-door neighbor. For starters, the family runs a local multimillion-dollar business. They also happen to be the Lowcountry’s newest reality TV stars.

LUNDY'S HAIRSTYLE SALON

When Gina Orage’s mother was ready to retire, her daughter knew she couldn’t let the business, Lundy’s Hairstyle Salon, close. So she took over, continuing to run the shop from the small cement building between her home and her parents’ on the Hilton Head Island road named for their family.

THE G-FREE SPOT

Nicole Gardner struggled her entire life with migraines, eczema and other medical issues. When her daughter began experiencing similar symptoms at age 4, the Hilton Head Island woman decided they would both go on an elimination diet, cutting foods that could trigger reactions and slowly reintroducing them one at a time.

BLUFFTON SCHOOL OF DANCE

Like the comic-book superhero Wonder Woman, Dawn Rosa Miller grew up surrounded by smart, powerful women and girls.

She attended an all-girls Catholic school and was a camp counselor and dance instructor by age 15. Her mother was an obstetric nurse who worked her way up through the ranks to become manager of the neonatal infant care unit at New Jersey’s Hackensack University Medical Center.