SOUTH CAROLINA LITTER CONTROL ASSOCIATION

Dear Assocation Members.

As I leave the office of President I just wanted to drop a few lines and thank some of the people who were a great help the last two years. When I took over as President, the association was coming off two years of having a president that was pretty much non-existent. Due to an amazing board the association was still an active tool for the members. I have always been so impressed by the members of the board and their dedication to keeping the cause alive. Fighting litter issues is not easy, and with budget cuts and other agendas and focuses by organizational leaders, it is an uphill battle. They have been steadfast and true to the cause. The board elected this year still has many members that where already there. We also have new members on the board which will help with giving the association new and exciting ideas. Ryan had asked me before the conference if I was going to run again, for if I was he would not run for President. I informed him that the new leadership of my department told me that they would no longer support me in this area, and that they did not want me to run for any position within the association. So I advised Ryan I would not run again. I thought that it was extremely thoughtful of him to ask me. Furthermore, I feel that the association has gotten an awesome new President to lead the group for the next two years.

I do wish that I could have done more in my two years, because there is so much more to do. But I have not had the support of my leadership for over a year and it makes it very difficult to accomplish what needs to be done without that support. I am very happy that we were able to go to Virginia and speak to representatives from that state about our association. They are now in the process of starting an association in their state. That is due to the hard work by all of you. You showed them that such an association is vital to cleaning up South Carolina. I would urge our membership to work on increasing membership within our organization. For only $10 anyone can join. So go out and talk it up and let them know the benefits of joining and how they can make a difference in the state.

I also had the privilege of working with the folks at PalmettoPride. They are such a dedicated group that does so much with the little help that they have. Sherryl is truly the right hand of the Litter Control Association. We could not do what we do without her. All the folks there have been such a great help with so many things. They to face such a tough job with fighting litter. Rick taught the nest lesson of all this past year. He taught me not to take things so serious and he taught me what true strength is all about. Of course, I can not forget to thank Sue Smith for her continued support and motivation.

It has taken a while, but towns, cities, municipalities and state officials are finally starting to see the value in Litter Enforcement and Education. We still have so far to go in educating the decision makers. I understand they have budgets and other considerations in making decisions to fund these programs. It is time that they realized that the citizens of our state are concerned with livability issues. They want that overgrown property corrected. They want the trash blowing out of construction sites addressed. They want individuals assigned to work on these problems and help cleanup our state. They want big business to be responsible for the damage they cause to the environment. We all need to continue going to community and state leaders and ask for change. There is still room for improvement when you have large counties in this state that operate with one Code Officer.

We need to get teams set up that address the livability issues within communities. I oversee some of the Crime Watch groups within my jurisdiction and I can say that their main concerns are related to livability issues. You want to change the world, go into a community and help them clean it up. Get dirty with them and show them you care about them. I believe that we sometimes forget that as government we work for the citizens. I feel so many municipalities miss out by not making that connection with the community. When you make that connation with the community nothing is impossible. While I was in Community Services, with an incredible team of dedicated workers and the help of the residents of North Myrtle Beach we were able to bring food to victims of hurricanes in other states, bring Christmas to children in North Carolina devastated by floods, bring Christmas to area children who would not have had one, clean up tons of trash, and find the heart of a giving community. I had the privilege of making that connection with the community. Once you do that it is very difficult to settle for anything less, even when others try and stop you. Again, a special thanks to all the folks at the Litter Control Board and PalmettoPride for their continued support this past year and a half.

Road Patrols officers play a vital role in dealing with criminals and making connections with the community. It is vital to have that solid enforcement. Yet on the other side of the process it is vital to have a strong livability team to work with Road Patrol officers in making the community a better, cleaner and safer place to live. That is why I love the concept of the Litter Control Association and networking so many different groups together. So I hope that everyone will continue to put up the good fight against litter, politics and the negative responses to your continued effort to make a difference. We can change the world one small effort at a time. I continue to thank God for all he has given me and I will continue to try and make his special gift a brighter and cleaner place for our children. Thanks to all of you for what you do to make South Carolina even more beautiful. It has been a priviledge to work with each and every one of you.