Sea Pines rep won’t run again for Hilton Head council. Here’s who could replace him
Residents of Sea Pines will have a fresh pool of candidates to pick from this fall for the Ward 5 Hilton Head Island Town Council seat.
Steve Alfred, who was elected in November 2022, recently announced his plans to retire at the end of his term in December. By August, he’ll be 92 years old, he wrote in an emailed statement.
“While I feel in great shape, both physically and mentally, I cannot predict that such will continue until I am 96 at the end of the term,” Alfred wrote.
Ward 5 includes all of Sea Pines, plus the Seabrook Retirement Community, Woodhaven Villas and a portion of the Point Comfort area.
Before confirming his decison to retire, Alfred said he spent “several months” talking to Sea Pines leaders to see who might make a qualified candidate to replace him.
“One such person is David Ellis, recently-retired CSA chairperson, who has agreed to run,” Alfred wrote.
Alfred told the Packet he’s holding off on making any formal endorsements at this time, but that he’s spent a lot of time with Ellis and that he’s “very qualified.”
Ellis could not immediately be reached by phone Monday afternoon.
Who is David Ellis?
In a press release, Ellis announced his plans to run for the Ward 5 seat and flaunted his years of experience in community leadership.
A resident of Sea Pines for nearly 20 years, Ellis previously served on the Sea Pines CSA board of directors for six years and on the Sea Pines Property Owners Association board for three years.
Before moving to Hilton Head, Ellis practiced law for nearly 40 years in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he spent a significant amount of time representing the city’s government and other governmental entities in the region, according to the press release.
“My life’s work has been public service, and I hope to continue that here on Hilton Head Island, which I believe is one of the best small towns in America,” Ellis said in a statement.
