Beaufort County CFO Pinky Harriot is no longer in that position. What we know
Beaufort County’s Chief Financial Officer is no longer with the county, officials confirmed Friday.
Pinky Harriott, who became Beaufort County’s CFO in November 2024, is no longer working for the county, spokesperson Hannah Nichols confirmed Friday morning. Her job ended May 12, Nichols said. A video of the County Council meeting from the day before shows she was present.
The county didn’t release any more details because personnel matters are kept confidential, Nichols said.
News that Harriott was no longer with Beaufort County was first reported by the Island News.
Harriott, who had previously served as the county’s budget director before leaving for a job at University of South Carolina Beaufort in 2023, came on as CFO in November 2024 following a tumultuous period for the county.
Her tenure as budget director overlapped with former County Administrator Eric Greenway, who was terminated by the County Council in late July 2023 amid allegations of mismanagement, including failure to follow procurement statutes, a questionable relationship with a contractor-turned-employee and sexual harassment accusations. Harriott said she learned about Greenway’s troubles through the news.
In an interview with the Island Packet in 2024, Harriott said she knew her biggest task was to gain back public trust.
“For me, as a local Beaufortonian, I’m homegrown from Beaufort County — I left for about 10 years and came back because this is where my family is. I grew up here. I went to school here,” she told the Packet in 2024. “I’m ready to turn the page. I’m really tired of hearing negative, nasty things about our county and unfortunate things that have occurred in the past.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.