Election 2011 | Myrtle Beach City Council candidate bios

•  Name | Joyce Barnes Age | 64

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | two adult children: daughter, Sandra Snyder, teacher at Conway High School; a son, Daniel Snyder, media specialist at Coastal Carolina University

Education | bachelor’s degree from Miami University, Ohio, in education; master’s degree from Lesley University, Cambridge, Mass., in educational technology

Military | none

Previous offices held | none

Other civic experience | none

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | As one who has been frequenting Myrtle Beach for over 30 years and has surpassed the transplant status with 12 years of residency, I feel confident in representing the people while serving on the city council. Throughout the decades I have seen the businesses change, some for better and some for worse. I am a firm believer in expanding this fantastic tourist destination, however the taxpayers need to be considered foremost.

I am a middle class teacher with a love for the beach and what this city that I call home has to offer. I raised two great kids as a single mom while building a resume that included waiting tables, teaching elementary and college students, serving as a division chair at a community college in North Carolina. I live 232 steps from the ocean in a bright beach colored pink house. My neighbors are hotels and shops. I love the beach, I love the tourists, and I want to experience Myrtle Beach living where the action is.

I believe in small businesses for reviving our city. These are the families that invested their summers for years and years running hotels, restaurants and shops. These are the dedicated people who love the city and work hard to ensure the tourists will come back. I am a supporter of the boardwalk and keeping this area a reasonably priced getaway for the average working class couple.

•  Name | David Bodle

Age | 64

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | Connie Bodle, Bryan Bodle (son,) Jennifer Bodle (daughter), Dylan Bodle (grandson)

Education | bachelor of arts degree from Lycoming College, Williamsport, Penn.

Military | none

Previous offices held | none

Other civic experience | Coastal Network Cooperative chairman for four terms; Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Committee and Travel South Host Committee chairman

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | Healthy small businesses are the backbone of a vibrant economy – the only means to increased employment, less crime and a better standard of living. I propose taking immediate steps to revitalize Myrtle Beach.

1. Small Business Task Force. Create a communitywide task force with members appointed from all business segments. Its mission: to develop recommendations for review and approval by city council and implantation by city management. No idea should be off the table including a review of business fees, regulations, incentives and possible grants to encourage employee hiring. Each recommendation would receive an up or down vote by council. At the risk of oversimplification, making it easier to do business in Myrtle Beach for new and existing businesses will be good for Myrtle Beach and good for our residents.

2. Tourism Expansion. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is charged with attracting new visitors to the city’s businesses. However, to keep our businesses open and prosperous and our residents working, we must become a year-round destination. As a city council member, I will challenge the chamber with the task of developing a detailed plan to accomplish that goal with objectives that are clear and measurable and based entirely on factual, dependable, sophisticated research.

3. Term Limits. It’s time to retire career legislators and to revisit the absurd retire/rehire policy for city staff – a practice that discourages hard work, fresh ideas and new hires.

•  Name | Michael Chestnut (i)

Age | 48

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | Wife, Maxine, three kids, Michael J., Miccaela and Marcus

Education | Myrtle Beach High School, associate’s degree in culinary arts and associate’s degree in HMR management from Horry-Georgetown Technical College

Military | none

Previous offices held | Myrtle Beach City Councilman since January 2000

Other civic experience | Myrtle Beach Housing Authority, Grand Strand Housing Authority, Sandy Grove Baptist Church

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | As a councilman, I continue my promise to empower the residents of the City of Myrtle Beach through economic development. Since Myrtle Beach is a vacation destination, our sustainability efforts in tourism are vital. The more we promote Myrtle Beach as a family destination, a location full of culture and heritage, a top-notch city for meetings, conventions, and sporting events; thus more revenue enters our city.

I think through implementing the 1 percent Local Option Tourism Development Fee, our ability to showcase our destination on a regional, national, and international level increased dramatically in over 45 new markets. From those efforts, we have increased tourism, which in-turn keeps residents employed. We all have witnessed new attractions built and local business expansions/renovations in our area: 1. The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade; 2. The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel; 3. WonderWorks; 4. Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage.

The fact that new attractions opened echoes my opinion, that I and other members of Myrtle Beach City Council are making appropriate decisions and empowering our residents…financially.

Supporting Interstate-73 spurs economic development. The economic research provided by Chmura Economics and Analytic in May 2011 reports, in the first five years the construction phase will employ over 7,720 workers in South Carolina. It is also estimated that after completion of the interstate over 22,347 jobs will be created in our State. No matter how you slice or dice the numbers, employment will increase in Myrtle Beach because of I-73.

I will continue to stimulate economic growth and fiscally strengthening the community, apply the law impartially, and maintain accountability and fairness to the residents.

•  Name | Ann Coghlan Age | 55

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | sons Ryan, 27, and Alexander, 20, daughter, Lily, 9, and grandson, Aaron, 1

Education | bachelor’s of science in respiratory care from SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y.

Military | none

Previous offices held | animal control officer/peace officer, city of Syracuse, N.Y.

Other civic experience | After reading David Wren’s articles in The Sun News regarding Coastal Uncorked, I, along with other citizens, obtained and researched documents relating to Coastal Uncorked. We attended Myrtle Beach City Council meetings and questioned council members regarding these documents. After not receiving any answers we submitted our documents to the S.C. Secretary of State’s Office for investigation.

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help The Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | One primary contribution I could make to the Grand Strand’s (Myrtle Beach’s) economic recovery is to bring back that vision of Myrtle Beach as a fun, safe, friendly and welcoming place for all residents, visitors, families, friends and groups. I will not participate in nor will I encourage selective tourism which does nothing more than further detract from an already suffering economy and the inviting image that Myrtle Beach once so proudly held.

•  Name | Sharon Collar

Age | 64

Running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | husband, four children

Education | doctorate in real estate education, administration and finance; master’s of business administration; bachelor’s in commercial appraisal, from Western States University

Military | none

Previous elected offices | none

Civic experience | none listed

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | I feel that I have very strong skill levels in the area of business development and commercial development. I would be able to offer a strong hand in assisting it to seek out funds that could be available for the Myrtle Beach area. Develop out our industrial status, increase the tourism with a new face for attraction as well as looking into assisting small business owners.

•  Name | Bill Howard Age | 60

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | Wife, 5 children, and 8 grandchildren

Education | High school graduate with 1 year of college

Military | none

Previous offices held | none

Other civic experience | none

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help The Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | I would work with the city manager, council and staff to improve Myrtle Beach as a place to live, work and vacation. With my 40 years of business experience in Myrtle Beach as a developer, builder, operator of restauants, theaters and banks, I can bring a lot of business experience to the table.

I will work with the oceanfront business owners and bring back the tour bus business, golfers and snow birds by making it affordable for them. Myrtle Beach needs to be a year round destination. We can make this happen by having more indoor activites. Some examples are: conventions, musiums and the arts. Things along these lines would make it more attractive for tourist to vacation. We have rooms to accommodate any type of event to come to Myrtle Beach. This would stimulate our economy with more year round jobs, which in turn would raise revenue in the city.

With my background I can listen to the people and understand their needs and relay this to the other city officials to try and better everybodies situation. If you have not been in the business and worked with thousands of people under your employment it is hard for you to understand their needs. We have many people on the city council that do not understand their needs.

Name | Susan Grissom Means (i)

Age | 65

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | husband, Bob; one daughter; twin grandchildren

Education | Myrtle Beach public schools; Coastal Carolina University

Military | none

Previous offices held | 3 terms, Myrtle Beach City Council

Other civic experience | immediate past chairperson of the United Way of Horry County; graduate of Leadership Grand Strand Recipient; Ann DeBock Leadership Award member; First Presbyterian Church past president; Myrtle Beach Women’s Club past chairperson; Ocean View Memorial Foundation volunteer; work for the Heart Association, Children’s Miracle Network, Grand Strand Humane Society

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | I do not believe that any one person can help our local economic recovery, but I feel strongly that council, working as a team, can accomplish a great deal. This is evidenced by the progress we have made with the help of the tourism development fee. The construction of the boardwalk has brought new businesses to the pavilion area, and greatly improved the businesses that were pre-existing. In addition, our strong tie with the Economic Development Commission holds much hope for future investment by non-local entities, and our cooperation with the ITAP promises great returns in airport related industry.

•  Name | Robert Palmer Age | 62

Office running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | a soft-coated Wheaton terrier

Education | bachelor’s of science in business from Nasson University, attended Burlington County College and Bethel College

Military | none

Previous offices held | president/chairman school board and county board delegate to the state, commissioner of public works, buildings, grounds, parks, roads and beaches; commission of water and sewer department; commissioner of revenue and finance; commissioner of beach patrol

Other civic experience | board member, Ocean County College; board member, Ocean County Library; executive member of Boy Scouts of America board; New Jersey state library construction board; board member, L.B.I. Rotary

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | I believe the chamber is doing a great job and would like to help them in a tandem sort of way. Coming from a beach town, my goal was to keep residents content and to have visitors who come here keep coming back year after year. My approach was to ensure that our employees are treated fairly, given all the tools needed for their jobs, valued their opinion, and listened to their concerns. This recipe breeds an air of dignity, respect for all and the willingness to go the extra mile. This stands out in clear view for residents and visitors alike to see.

•  Name | Phil Render (i)

Age | 57

Running for | Myrtle Beach City Council

Family | wife of 28 years, one son

Education | graduate Myrtle Beach High;Wofford College; Medical University of South Carolina, College of Dental Medicine

Military | none

Previous elected offices | two-term city councilman

Civic experience | member: Access Health Horry, Horry County Schools Committee on Adult Education, Board of Trustees South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, First Presbyterian Church of Myrtle Beach; former member Horry County Commission on Higher Education, Ocean View Memorial Foundation, South Carolina First Steps

Question | What’s one primary contribution you can make, if elected, to help the Grand Strand’s economic recovery?

Answer | With sales tax collections in Horry County in 2011 up 17 percent over 2010 and hospitality fee collections within the city limits of Myrtle Beach setting an all-time record for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and net city property taxes down over 88 percent, the Grand Strand tourism economy appears to be recovering.

The city of Myrtle Beach should continue to take a leadership role in diversifying our economy and that of Horry County. We must be mindful that 80 percent of new job creation occurs from the expansion of existing businesses. Ongoing businesses are the stakeholders that have invested time and money in Myrtle Beach and thought should be given to their wellbeing.

Very little in government or business can be accomplished without teamwork. Political egos must be checked at the door and a broad view be taken by civic and business leaders. Greater emphasis must be placed on workforce training and our technical school must continue be innovative in the skills they impart to their graduates.

I appreciate when constituents refer to me as a consensus builder and one who fosters cooperation between members of different legislative bodies for the betterment of our Grand Strand community. No higher compliment could be paid to a public servant.

I hope to continue my work with other members of the Myrtle Beach Economic Development Corporation to have a direct impact on job creation and to promote local assets such as the new International Technology and Aerospace Park in south Myrtle Beach.