4
May 2014
Message from the Chair: Focus on Infrastructure, Amenities
I appreciate the opportunity to make a few comments in my new role as chair of the KICA board of
directors. I am committed to work with the KICA staff, board and other island leaders to provide top
quality service and governance for the KICA membership.
First, I want to welcome three new directors to the board: Townsend Clarkson, who replaces Patrick
Melton as the developer director, Art Jones and Marilyn Olson. Both Townsend and Marilyn previously
served on the board, and all three have extensive experience in the Kiawah community. Our new directors
join returning directors Sue Schaffer, Larry Kreyling, Will Lehder and myself to form the 2014-2015
board. The directors have a broad range of skill sets and prior professional backgrounds, as well as diverse
experience on Kiawah. I believe the board is well-positioned to effectively serve the KICA membership.
Serving the KICA constituency is challenged by the diversity of the over 8,000 individual property
owners. About 20% of our members are full-time residents on Kiawah while the remainder have varying
degrees of part-time status. Some members view their Kiawah property as a personal residence for
themselves, family and friends. Other members view their property primarily as an investment or rental
vehicle, which provides some opportunity to personally enjoy Kiawah. Many own in regimes, while
many do not. We have members who belong to the Kiawah Island Club, the Governors Club or no club. Some members live before the
second (Vanderhorst) gate, while some live beyond it. The list goes on. All of our members, however, share an appreciation of Kiawah’s worldclass beaches, stunning natural beauty; first class golf, tennis and other recreational activities; and proximity to Charleston. Everyone also
shares an interest in enhancing the financial investment they made in Kiawah. The board will strive to improve the members’ commonlyvalued experiences and interests, and to balance the varying perspectives that member diversity brings. The board’s decisions may not always
satisfy everyone; but we promise well-intentioned and thoughtful transparency.
This will be a busy year. We plan to spend more than $2.3 million to maintain the island's infrastructure, such as drainage, road repaving,
boardwalks and other similar items. We expect to spend almost $400,000 on plantings to improve the island’s appearance. This effort includes
replacing the widespread plant damage caused by the severe winter. KICA has also slightly expanded its maintenance crew to cope with further
development of the island. The board’s objective is to ensure that Kiawah ages gracefully and is maintained better than ever.
Improving island amenities will be a major board focus in 2014-2015. We have introduced the Kiawah Shuttle Service by KICA to facilitate
acces