PORT ROYAL ELECTION CENTER
Get to know the candidates running for office in the Town of Port Royal’s upcoming election.
Candidates for Mayor
Mary Beth Gray Heyward
Candidate for Mayor
1. Tell us a little bit about you.
My name is Mary Beth Gray Heyward. I have lived in Port Royal since 1963 with the exception of about 3 years when I lived on Hilton Head. My grandparents and my father were from Port Royal. I have one daughter, Jennifer Phillips, and three grandsons, Chandler, Landon, and Hunter. I graduated from Beaufort High in 1973 and graduated from the Technical College of the Low Country. I have been in the medical profession for over 35 years, working with Beaufort County EMS, Low Country Medical Group and now Beaufort Memorial Hospital. I have served at the pleasure of the Citizens of Port Royal for 27 years as a council member; and now Mayor Pro Tern; serve on the Low Country Council of Government for approximately 26 years representing Port Royal; I am an Ambassador to OneBlood. I have served on many boards during my tenor as a non voting member of town boards. My hobbies include spending time with family and friends, and helping those in need.
2. How long have you lived in Port Royal?
3. Why are you running for office?
4. What will you do to support a vibrant economy in our community?
5. What are the most important challenges facing Port Royal and how do you propose to address them?
6. What are the greatest opportunities for Port Royal?
Joe DeVito
Candidate for Mayor
1. Tell us a little bit about you.
Since my retirement, I have moved into a sales role selling utility related software and hardware.
Over the past 20 years, I have been on the following local boards and committees.
- The Spanish Moss Trail Board; (President)
- County Transportation Tax Committee (VS Chair & currently Treasurer role)
- Metro Planning Commission (Chairmanship role)
- Joint Planning Commission (Chairmanship role)
- Port Royal Supervisor Planning Team
- Northern Regional Planning Team
- Norther Reginal Implementation Team (Chairmanship role)
- City of Beaufort Development Review Team
2. How long have you lived in Port Royal?
3. Why are you running for office?
4. What will you do to support a vibrant economy in our community?
AND
We need to build an environment where people want to invest in Port Royal by moving into the community or investing in a business or development.
The Mayor can’t do these things by himself; it is a joint effort with the community and I will provide the leadership to accomplish this.
I pledge to respond to communication in a timely manner.
5. What are the most important challenges facing Port Royal and how do you propose to address them?
Planning long term funding of our infrastructure needs, i.e., stormwater, roads Cypress Wetland maintenance.
Dealing with the increased traffic through our town to the Islands.
Creating a pedestrian-friendly road network.
Engaging with communities of Port Royal outside the downtown area.
The only way to address these issues is through a joint effort of the council. The staff and the citizen of Port Royal.
6. What are the greatest opportunities for Port Royal?
The redevelopment of the property along Ribault Rd.
The Completion of the Spanish Moss Trail across Ribiault Rd and connecting it to the Sands.
Working with the County and Lowcountry Council of Govemnets to identify and obtain all available grants.
Candidates for Town Council
Jerry Ashmore
Candidate for Town Council
1. Tell us a little bit about you.
I was born and raised in South Carolina. I moved to Port Royal nearly 20 years ago upon graduation from Clemson University. I’ve been married to my lovely wife Tina for 20 years and we have 5 children (Amanda, Sean, Ellie, Katie, Tori) and 5 grandchildren (Tucker, Tyler, Cameron, Giana, Ben). I’ve been employed by The Greenery for 19 years where I am the Director of Workforce Development & Safety. I attend Carteret Street United Methodist Church and serve on the Staff Parrish Relations Committee (SPRC) and the Bazaar Committee where I chair the Garden Shop. I serve on the Northern Beaufort County Regional Implementation Committee (NBCRIC), Vice Chair of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), Graduate of Municipal Association of SC (MASC) Institute of Government and Port Royal Town Council from 2015 – Present. I am a 2012 graduate of Leadership Beaufort (RED TEAM!) and Beaufort Water Festival Volunteer (2020 – Director). I enjoy college football, riding our Harley Davidson and spending time with my family. I am an Eagle Scout.
2. How long have you lived in Port Royal?
3. Why are you running for office?
4. What will you do to support a vibrant economy in our community?
5. What are the most important challenges facing Port Royal and how do you propose to address them?
6. What are the greatest opportunities for Port Royal?
Kevin Phillips
Candidate for Town Council
1. Tell us a little bit about you.
I was born and raised in Snellville, GA. Which is outside of Atlanta. Both of my parents worked in Education. My Father as an Administrator/Athletic Director and my Mother worked in the payroll department. I’m the oldest of three. Having a younger brother and sister. My siblings and I grew up playing sports, going to church, and attending family functions. We were always very involved in our community. My childhood was truly a blessing. Couldn’t have asked for better.
I was introduced to the Low Country when I attended the College of Charleston, where I majored in Communication. I’ve always enjoyed engaging and connecting with new people so my course of study was a great fit. At the College of Charleston, I was elected to the Student Government, started the first chapter of Phi Delta Phi, and ultimately graduated Cum Laude. After the College of Charleston, I attended the Charleston School of Law. I was drawn to the legal profession due to the opportunity it provides to make lasting and impactful change in people’s lives. While at the Charleston School of Law I competed in multiple Mock Trial competitions where I represented Charleston against other Schools across the Country. I was nominated to the position of President of the Charleston County Bar Association Student Division.
One of the best decisions I’ve made was when I chose to pursue a clerkship with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office during the summer before my last year of law school. It was during that summer I fell in love with this area. I spent the entire summer, when I wasn’t working, exploring this amazing place. I met the people, experienced the natural beauty, and enjoyed the life style. After that summer I knew where I was headed once I graduated.
Upon arriving I dove right in. I applied, and luckily was accepted, to the Leadership Beaufort Program. It was a great experience that provided me with a lifetime of knowledge during the 9-month program. Through the program I was fortunate to make memories and friends that will last a lifetime. Since then I have been constantly involved in the community and have even been labeled by some as a “professional volunteer”. Recently I have accepted a position on the local Waddell YMCA Board of Directors.
Currently I work as a Victim’s Rights Attorney for a local non-profit organization that provides free legal services to victims of violent crime. I enjoy my job because every day I get to engage and connect with people that are looking for help that I can provide.
I have always sought to improve the lives of the people around me and since arriving here I have been deeply involved in this community. If elected to Town Council, I will bring those two qualities to the people of Port Royal.
2. How long have you lived in Port Royal?
3. Why are you running for office?
While I was in Charleston I worked on local City Council elections. There I learned how important the work that goes on at the local level is, in shaping the lives of residents. I witnessed firsthand, some good and some bad, what it takes to foster an environment that allows for growth without forfeiting community. I want to use my experiences to make Port Royal have the best possible future it can.
Also, I believe in service. I watched my parents make being engaged in your community an important part of a fulfilling life, and I have tried to carry that on. Port Royal is where I want to raise a family, and I want to set that example for the next generation.
Finally, I enjoy it. I love meeting my neighbors and discussing our Town together. Hearing their concerns and being their voice is something I greatly look forward to.
4. What will you do to support a vibrant economy in our community?
5. What are the most important challenges facing Port Royal and how do you propose to address them?
Quality of Life. Port Royal has always been known for its close knit community. It’s one of the things that makes this place so special. Quality of life of my neighbors is of the utmost importance to me. At the end of the day, we have to live here. Town Council must always remember who they work for. All residents of Port Royal.
Conserving Natural Resources. We live in one of the most beautiful places ever created. So unique and diverse in what is offers. Our natural landscape is one of the reasons I fell in love with this area. It constantly captivates me. As I’m sure it does for all of our residents. The Port Royal Sound’s beauty is one of the reasons so many people visit our home every year.
This fact should always be present in our minds as we make decisions going forward. In whatever we do, conserving this beautiful gift from God should always be a priority.
6. What are the greatest opportunities for Port Royal?
In conclusion, on Nov. 5th I would greatly appreciate your vote. I will be a new and engaging voice for the Town of Port Royal. Thank you to everyone that has supported me and I look forward to meeting more of the residents of Port Royal as the campaign continues. If you see me out feel free to stop me to chat, and remember on Nov. 5th it’s Cool, Coastal, Kevin for Council! Thank you.
Robert Landrum
Candidate for Town Council
1. Tell us a little bit about you.
While at the University of Wisconsin, I founded a small company, High Road Adventures, offering Inn-to-Inn cycling, hiking and mountain biking tours in Scotland. I completed my PhD and landed a tenure-track position at the University of South Carolina Beaufort in August 1999. I’ve worked at USCB for 20 years now and deeply enjoyed just about every minute of it
I bought a cute little house in the then-new “Billy-village” development in April 2000 and over the following years came to know and love my neighbors and my town, and grew increasingly excited, fascinated, and alarmed by the development that was to begin—sometime—at the Port Property just down Paris street.
I met Kat Walsh 2012, we were married in 2013, and when we had a daughter our family outgrew the cute little house. I insisted that we remain in downtown Port Royal, so we moved seven blocks north and gained a couple of bedrooms.
In 2017 I took the advice of several friends, students and especially my wife and ran for a Town Council seat. It was a special election for a vacancy and I was returned unopposed for a two-year term. Since that time I’ve been learning the ropes as a new public servant and relishing the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.
2. How long have you lived in Port Royal?
3. Why are you running for office?
I am running for office during a critical time in the growth of our town to ensure that the Port Royal that my daughter inherits—the Port Royal that all of our daughters and sons inherit—is the livable and cohesive community that I have come to know and love.
As my campaign literature states, I came to office in the knowledge that the Port Development was not progressing and moreover, that the town was falling over itself offering concessions to the would-be developers to get a deal. This culminated in a public meeting of 2015 when community input was sidestepped and the Grey Ghost partnership was allowed to operate the Port Authority’s drystack marina. The concessions continued—$1.1 million of public money spent on infrastructure, town assistance to build out the new Fishcamp restaurant, the sale of property to allow the second restaurant—but the development as a whole is years behind schedule and there has been little visible progress on the infrastructure to handle growing traffic.
So I ran for office to encourage the development, but to do so without further concessions from the town. We have done our part, the developers must now do theirs.
The Port Development then, is why I first came to the office, but after a term I know that the position of a town council member is all about service. I have taken great satisfaction helping my fellow citizens have their ideas heard and their issues addressed. I have learned to adopt other people’s problems: issues like traffic, flooding and stormwater management; sidewalks and parking; trash pickups, sewer projects, potholes, recycling bins and smelly porta-potties. It isn’t glamorous, it does not make the headlines, but it is what we do for and with our neighbors, it is community.
4. What will you do to support a vibrant economy in our community?
5. What are the most important challenges facing Port Royal and how do you propose to address them?
So we must address the practical problems of growth: expanding infrastructure and managing traffic so that our neighborhoods remain quiet and safe; protecting our environment and water quality by expanding sewer service to all existing and new citizens; maintaining the high standards of the Port Royal Fire and Police Departments; adding new sidewalks throughout the town; strengthening and expanding our floodwater management infrastructure. These challenges are the unexciting but vital functions of a town council.