February 9, 2021:
Our guest this week was Elliot Summey, CEO of the Charleston International Airport. He gave us a great update on how the airports under his management (which include Mount Pleasant and James Island) have fared during Covid. what they are doing to ensure passengers’ safety as we continue to deal with the pandemic, and how his team has helped with the front line battle against the virus. He shared some exciting plans for the expansion of infrastructure for air travel in the region as well. Also, this week: some new volunteer opportunities are highlighted in this week’s newsletter, including the District-wide vaccination program and the club’s next Adopt-A-Highway clean-up effort, which had to be rescheduled from this past weekend because of rain.
Elliott Summey, Executive Director and CEO of the Charleston International Airport joined us last Tuesday to give us an update on the Airport. Covid has changed a lot over the last year. On any given Monday or Thursday we would see 13-15000 passengers, while yesterday (Monday) we saw 2500. The airport has about 600 days of fund balance which allows the airport to run for that period of time without revenue if necessary.
The first priority of the airport now is to create a safe environment and Charleston International was one of the first airports to mandate masks. They have since created touchless pay terminals, regularly clean the terminal with anti-microbial fogging, have reduced shuttle usage and provide masks to those who do not have them. They have partnered with MUSC to provide Covid testing and vaccinations using the available parking decks and lots which are not being used for parking. They have partnered with TSA to make sure the airport remains operational by keeping the staff healthy.
Financial health, even with a fund balance, is critical. The airport is a fee-based airport requiring about 3500 passengers a day to break even. They are currently losing $1-2M per month due to reduced demand.
They have 3 Airports, Johns Island, East Cooper and Charleston International. They are looking at new revenue streams and diversification to capture suppliers for Boeing and are master planning for long term land leasing at Charleston International and looking at hangars and infrastructure improvements at John’s Island.

Major Capital projects include Terminal Redevelopment, the new Parking Garage, Fuel Farm expansion, among others. The new garage is the largest parking deck in South Carolina and utilizes technology to show where available spaces are, showing green lights at available spaces. The ceilings are high and well-lit to provide safety and EMS access.
John’s Island airport will be the hub for the PGA 2021 tournament at Kiawah Island and improvements are being made to runway lighting as well as security.
The future is bright for both the Airport and the Charleston region.
Go here for a recording of the meeting.
Submitted by Dan Baus, Chairman, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Virginia Lee gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Past President Sandy Morckel welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
- President-Elect Rob Dewey introduced our speaker, Elliott Summey, CEO of Charleston County Aviation Authority, who gave us an update on the Charleston International Airport.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
February 16, 2021 | Issue 4995 President: Lisa Van Bergen
COMING EVENTS
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- Feb. 16 – Sharon Hollis, BCDCOG on “LCRT Updates” (ZOOM)
- Feb. 23 – Helen Hill, The Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism
- March 2 – Chief Luther Reynolds, CPD Leadership Development Institute
- March 9 – Todd Lant, Blackbaud
NEWS BRIEFS
ZOOM Meeting this Tuesday
Just a reminder …. the meeting this Tuesday, 2/16 is ZOOM ONLY! Please do not go to 5 Faber as we will not be there. Below is the ZOOM meeting information– make plans to join us! Join Zoom Meeting:
https://ls3p.zoom.us/j/98908475781?pwd=NVpqSVFvREhtR1VkUlFZOGwzVFUrQT09
Meeting ID: 989 0847 5781
Passcode: 658550
One tap mobile:
+13017158592,,98908475781#,,,,*658550# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,98908475781#,,,,*658550# US (Chicago)
COVID: In-Person Reminder
As we go back to attending meetings in person, we wanted to again share the below from the District. Members are asked to keep this in mind.
It has come to my attention that we need to set some ground rules for dealing with Rotarians who contract COVID-19 and how we deal with this in our clubs. First, for the Rotarians themselves. We MUST maintain absolute confidentiality for ANYONE who tests positive for COVID-19 unless they give us permission to share their information. That said, we MUST also ask, even require, that any Rotarian who has been to an in-person Rotary meeting or other function and later suspects they have COVID-19 report this to their Club President as soon as possible. This could be due to being in close contact with a person who tests positive or that they show symptoms. And, they absolutely must let the Club President know immediately if they test positive. Then, keeping confidentiality, the Club President MUST let all who attended that event know that there was someone at the event or meeting who came down with symptoms or tested positive. This will, at least, give all those notified the option of being tested immediately. And, it gives them a warning that maybe they should limit their contact with others until it is proven that they are not infected.
Rotarian/Non-Rotarian Volunteers Needed To Assist With COVID Vaccine Rollout


Charleston 50
The Charleston 50, a special group of generous supporters who contribute $500 annually to the Rotary Club of Charleston’s community grants program, is almost 50% filled! What a great opportunity to continue our decades-long tradition of grant-making while also building brand awareness and visibility before a group that values local businesses, generous leaders, and community-minded professionals. This group receives exclusive benefits, and all funds will support local charities. Your donation is 100% Tax-Deductible. The group will never exceed 50 donors, and this is your opportunity to join the inaugural class of The Charleston 50! Memberships will be accepted until 50 are obtained, and benefits continue through June 30, 2021. At that point Year Two will start!
Please download and complete the attached Pledge Form, and return it via email to Phoenicia Miracle at [email protected].
As benefits (through June 30, 2021), each Charleston 50 member will annually receive:
- Their logo or name on the website with a hotlink
- Recognition at a meeting (Recognize two at a time)
- Right of first refusal for 2021-22
- a Charleston 50 lapel pin
- A frameable certificate for office
- A decal
- Permission to use The Rotary 50 on their website and email
- Automatic enrollment in and recognition at other Rotary events
- Name association with every good deed Rotary funds
- Special event post-Covid
RCCF Grant Applications Being Accepted Through March 1
The Rotary Club of Charleston Fund (RCCF) is accepting requests for grants. Interested organizations are required to submit a Letter of Inquiry and complete a grant application prior to March 1 to be considered. The application and other details regarding the grant process can be found on our club’s website — www.charleston-rotary.org. For more information, please contact RCCF Chair, David Burt at [email protected].
February Social at Tradesman Brewing Company
All members and their guests are invited to join us for our monthly Happy Hour on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 5 – 6:30 pm. This month we will be visiting Tradesman Brewing Company, 1647 King Street Extension. This is another wonderful outdoor venue and will be a great opportunity to catch up with fellow Rotarians over a cold beverage. If you know that you are planning to attend, please RSVP to the Evite, so we can have a rough idea of how many people to expect. An RSVP is not mandatory, so if you find at the last minute you can join us, please do!
Annual Dictionary Project
Again this year, our club in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Charleston Breakfast participated in the Dictionary Project. This project lead by Karl Riner and David Neff, Past President of the breakfast club, is normally conducted during Rotary Literacy month in September but was delayed this year due to COVID. Over the past several weeks, Karl and Dave have delivered over 300 dictionaries to six public schools on the peninsular. These dictionaries will be distributed to every third grader at the schools. Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn. The goal of this program is to assist all students in becoming good writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary. The funds to purchase our club’s half of the dictionaries was made possible by your continued support of the RCCF.
Adopt-A-Highway in February
We for rained out this week but ther next Adopt-A-Highway service project has been re-scheduled for Saturday, February 20. The plan is to meet at Bee Street & Lockwood at 10AM and begin the pick up about 10:15 (after brief introduction — vest, gloves, bags distribution). We’ll focus on the west end of the street and go toward east as there is more debris on that side because of MUSC. This is a wonderful opportunity to help keep our community beautiful! It is also outside and allows for plenty of social distancing. Please email Stavros Triantafyllidis at [email protected] for more information or to volunteer.
PR Committee Seeking Volunteers
Our club’s PR Team is looking for additional members to join their committee. Specifically, volunteer photographers are needed to take photos at our meetings. If you are interested in serving on the PR committee and helping in this role, please email Mike Sottak at [email protected]. Fancy cameras are not required, an iPhone will do! It would be wonderful to have a couple of volunteers alternating the weekly duty.
Ambassadorial Global Scholars – Volunteers for Selection Committee
The International Committee of our Club sponsors a college student in their pursuit of a $50,000 graduate-level scholarship through the Rotary Foundation’s Ambassadorial Global Scholars program. Over the next couple of months, we will vet a number of students and choose an applicant to compete with other scholars from our Rotary District. Chloe Tonney is our wonderful Rotarian who heads up this effort and is currently seeking applicants from the area’s colleges and universities.
Our Club has not had a winning applicant in the past few years but I have a feeling this year is our year! We are seeking volunteers to serve on our selection committee for our scholar and help prep our scholar for the broader competition.
If you have an interest in helping us out, please email Joseph Tecklenburg at [email protected]
Support The CART Fund
It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.
Support the Rotary Foundation
The District 7770 Million $ Campaign and dinner will be held on May 5th 2021 at the Francis Marion Hotel. Our own Sandy Morkel is the Chair for that event. $10,000 spread over 3 years or a Bequest gets you an invite.
And do not forget your opportunity to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Eighty-five dollars a month gets you there. Please reach out to Karl Riner, Club Foundation Chair, to sign up or ask questions.You can also donate to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate.
Our Club is on Social Media
Members are encouraged to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us pictures of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be sent to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].
MEMBER NEWS
With much regret, the Board accepted the resignation of long-time Rotarian, Beth Savage, at this past week’s meeting. We wish her all the best in her retirement. We will miss her!
New Member Orientation on March 2nd
If you are relatively new to our club and Rotary and haven’t attended a new member orientation session, please make plans to join Past President Digit Matheny and the membership team for a meeting on Tuesday, March 2 at 11am upstairs at 5 Faber. Over the past year due to COVID, we have been unable to hold a new member education session and know that many of you who are new to Rotary have lots of questions. Attending a new member orientation session is a requirement of new members, so we hope as many of you as possible will attend. New members should also look for an email from Past President Digit with details of the meeting.
Proposed New Member
The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Robie Scott – sponsor: Past President Sandy Morckel; classification: Media
In the event you know Robie, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Joel Cardwell
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- JOINED: 2/2/2021
- SPONSOR: Past President Sandy Morckel
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Real Estate
- PROFESSION: Broker Associate, Brand Name Real Estate
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I won first place in the City Paper photo contest in 2006, and have had my photos published in virtually every local newspaper and magazine in Charleston. I have one of the best collections of Charleston photography around, have had my Charleston photos installed in two local hotels, and sold photo CDs in the visitor center gift shop, the airport gift shop and the aquarium gift shop in the past. I frequently participate in fundraising silent auctions by donating my Charleston photography and photography services to help local nonprofits raise money. You can find my photo galleries on Facebook, or Instagram.
Birthdays
- 2/19 – Herb McGuire
- 2/22 – Virginia Lee
By the numbers
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- Attendance on February 9, 2021 (In-Person and Zoom): 55
- Not in attendance: Allen, Baggs, Baus, Berry, Bini, Brack, Burt, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Coxe, Crouch, DeGraff, Diminch, Donaldson, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Fason, Fink, M., Finniff, Gill, Goxhaj, Hanger, Holmes, Howard, Husser, Imam, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Kaufman, Lietzow, Minson, Moore, Moring, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Peters, Plotner, Ravenel, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Smith, H., Staley, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Vanek, Wackym, Walters, Webb, Weston, Williams, Woodell
- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Stand up every 30 minutes while working
Reduce the harmful effects of sitting (like at your desk job) by standing up and moving around for a minute or two every half hour
ARE CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30AM Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
- We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Lisa Van Bergen
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved