As we wrapped up our two-day town council workshop last week, one thing was evident: Our new Town Manager Marc Orlando is the right leader to shepherd us toward the future.
Marc will begin his employment with us Feb. 22, but he took time to join us for the workshop and learn about our goals for the town. He has visited town hall several times to meet staff and learn about projects we have underway.
We originally thought we would have to spend a considerable portion of our workshop discussing how to move forward with the hiring of a new town manager. But, the idea of considering Marc for the position was brought to our attention last year in December following an earlier town manager search.
Marc had been at the helm of the town of Bluffton as its town manager for more than six years.
When contacted, Marc enthusiastically expressed interest in the position. After meeting individually with him, my fellow council members and I thought Marc would be good fit for the Town of Hilton Head Island.
Having followed his work in Bluffton, we felt he would be the right person to help elevate our community and enhance our quality of life. I believe town council’s support of Marc is the direct result of his visionary leadership and his experiences with a broad range of projects and issues.
Marc’s extensive background in local government and in working with residents, businesses and developers will help guide the town through challenges and opportunities. He brings understanding of regional challenges we face. His knowledge will be beneficial as we begin implementation of our plan, the comprehensive roadmap we adopted last year, and as we deal with the U.S. 278 Corridor Improvement project, which is likely to change the landscape of the main road to Hilton Head Island.
While we wait for Marc’s arrival, we have a capable team leading us, and I want to publicly thank them for adjusting their roles and keeping us on track with various projects. They include Interim Town Manager Josh Gruber and Interim Deputy Town Managers Shawn Colin and Angie Stone. They stepped up to the plate without hesitation to ensure we remain responsive to our citizens.
We’re excited to have Marc as a part of our team, and we look forward to working alongside him for the betterment of our community. To learn more about Marc, visit the town manager search page on our website at hiltonheadislandsc.gov.
John McCann is the mayor of the Town of Hilton Head Island. JohnM@hiltonheadislandsc.gov
