Jan. 6, 2021 • Volume 10, Issue 1 • Complimentary • HiltonHeadSun.com
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Riley leaves mark on town as he retires from manager job By Dean Rowland Former Hilton Head Island Town Manager Steve Riley knows his community incredibly well – inside and out, one might say. He’s worked in town hall since 1991, most recently as town manager for the past 26 years. His last official day on the job was Dec. 31, and the future will find him and his wife Mary Jo visiting Washington, D.C., where he will join the International City Managers Association and start up a new small business as well. Riley knew what he was getting into as the top administrator in an embroiled situation in the ’90s, but it wasn’t a hard decision for him to step down decades later either. “I realized a few years ago it was time,” the Nebraska native said. “I decided to stay for three more years, not until the end of time.” After serving Beaufort County and the city of Beaufort as a planner, Riley worked in the private sector for a while before moving into the role of community development director for the Town of Hilton Head Island for three years. When he assumed his position as town manager in 1994, there was a myriad of challenges facing him and the town: politics, economics, staffing and
quality of life. “I would go back to the early, early days where we had an election every two years,” said Riley, who has been involved for years in community service, leadership roles in local and statewide organizations, and seats on countless civic and governmental boards and committees. “We had never re-elected a mayor,” he said. “There was a lot of turmoil back then, a lot of angst. We started to control growth but there were a lot of definitions of what ‘growth’ meant. When I got here in the early ’90s, there was a lot of turmoil. No consistency on counsel. We were challenged.” His job was to restore calm in a fluid environment and move the town forward into the future. “I tried to deal with some of the issues that were holding us back,” Riley said. Through the years, Riley has had some confrontations and positional conflicts with other leaders. But he doesn’t lose any sleep over them, he said. It comes with his executive turf. “You can’t do this job without compromise and lose one on occasion,” he said. “Move on; get over it.” Riley is proud of what his team, town leaders and others have done to “move a lot of things forward. We have all
INSIDE: Hilton Head Island High School’s ‘Seahawk Times’
Concert raises funds for Gullah Museum 10A
CONTRIBUTOR
COURTESY HHI ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE
Steve Riley celebrates with Gabrielle Muthing and Alan Perry, co-chairs of the Hilton Head Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, following his Grand Marshal sashing ceremony Feb. 9, 2017, at Reilley’s Grill and Bar. Riley was named Grand Marshal for his “above and beyond” efforts before, during and after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Also pictured are previous Grand Marshals Jane Upshaw, Joe Capin, Tom Reilley, Tom Upshaw and Charles Perry.
kinds of plans, and we’ve implemented most of them. I’m proud of the staff and town.” Among the accomplishments he cited are: • Funding and constructing the South Carolina University/Beaufort campus on the island.
USCB student interns for Clyburn 12A
• Funding and constructing Celebration Park at Coligny on the south end. • The town’s response to Hurricane Matthew’s onslaught. • Providing water service to the entire island.
Please see RILEY on page 9A
Nonna Rosa featured in video series 16A
Sunny Side Up 3A • Editorial 4A • Noteworthy 20A • Business 22A • Technology 34A • Home 35A • Health 39A • Wellness 40A • Giving 42A • Pets 43A • Faith 44A • Sports 45A • Real Estate 46A