Surfside Beach taps former official to lead as town’s interim administrator.
Surfside Beach officials have tapped a former employee to lead the town as they search for a permanent replacement to fill the role of town administrator.
With Town Administrator Dennis Pieper set to retire after nearly three decades of public service, Surfside Beach Town Council in a special meeting on Wednesday morning unanimously appointed Jim Duckett as interim town administrator. Duckett previously held the position of town administrator before he resigned in 2012 after serving for nearly two years.
He later served the town again as interim administrator in 2018 before Pieper was hired to fill the position. Prior to arriving in Surfside, Duckett was the town administrator in Lexington before voluntarily leaving in 2010.
Duckett’s hiring will be effective Aug. 24.
Officials during their meeting thanked Duckett for stepping up and volunteering to serve as their nationwide search begins.
Pieper announced his retirement earlier this month after spending just over two years in Surfside Beach. Prior to arriving in Surfside, Pieper served in the city manager position in Fort Mill for about five years after transferring from Tega Cay in 2013.
With much controversy and infighting currently surrounding town council, Pieper had noted that his departure wasn’t an abrupt decision.
“I have been planning my retirement for quite some time,” Pieper said. “I am happy to announce that I am retiring in September after nearly 29 years of public service to our great state of South Carolina.”
