July 19, 2022
Dan Battista, who is heading up the development of the Cooper Hotel, gave us an update on the project, which will add a high-end hotel, as well as an expanded range of public assets to the downtown area – including an expanded Joe Riley Waterfront park and a new pier and marina serving the city residents and visitors.
Dan Battista, executive director of Lowe Enterprises provided an overview and brief history of Lowe as well as an update on the construction challenges and vision for the Cooper Hotel currently under construction.
Battista oversees hospitality, master planning for resorts, commercial development and investments in the Southeast and Caribbean for Lowe. He is actively involved with the Charleston Heart Association, Trident CEO Council, S.C. Aquarium and Explore Charleston.
Lowe Enterprise encompasses private real estate investment as well as development and management companies. They were formed in 1972 by Bob Lowe who remains active. His sons Mike Lowe and Rob Lowe serve as co-CEOs. The company has holdings located across the U.S., with 3020 associates.
They got their foothold in the Lowcountry as owners of Wild Dunes and made the decision to pursue hotel development as the hospitality industry grew. Lowe’s prominent project located within Charleston’s Historic District, The Cooper Hotel, will include 225 Rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, expansion of Joe Riley Waterfront Park, a rooftop bar and restaurant, spa and pier and marina.
Battista sited the unique location as the only waterfront property zoned for a hotel in the historic district. Other qualities include long-term lease parking, and nearby restaurant Fleet Landing (they own the building) public pier and 12,000 square feet of ground floor retail space on Concord St.
The project is a public private partnership between Lowe and the City of Charleston and together they have constructed two 48” storm drains for the Queen St. basin with a total cost of 2.1M. Lowe has contributed 1.8M in costs for the water management project.
-Contributed by Robie Scott, Keyway Committee
To hear a recording of this week’s meeting, click here.
Passcode: ^hcVH8L5
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Chappy McKay gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Alex Bourland introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- Health and Happiness was presented by President Virginia.
- Joseph Tecklenburg introduced our guest speaker, Dan Battista, Executive Vice President and Southeast Regional Leader at Lowe, who joined us to discuss The Cooper Hotel.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
7/26/2022 | Issue 5058 President: Virginia Lee
COMING EVENTS
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- July 26 – Cody Callarman, Carolina Dream
- 8/2 – Willis Cantey, Cantey Technology
- 8/9 – Darrin Goss & Amanda Lawrence; 11 am Board Mtg.
- 8/16 – Andrew Hsu, CofC President
- 8/23 – Phyllis Martin, Tri-County Cradle to Career
- 8/30 – Riverdogs Social – NO LUNCH MEETING
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NEWS BRIEFS
Reminder … Guest RSVP Protocol
If you are planning to bring a guest to Rotary, please let Carroll know by no later than Monday at 5pm. There is some preparation that needs to be done for all guests prior to the meeting.
Riverdogs Social
Mark your calendars NOW! Our first social event of this Rotary year will be a picnic at the Riverdogs game on Tuesday, August 30. We will not meet for lunch that day. There are limited tickets still available, so please be sure to RSVP to the email to reserve your tickets. The ticket includes entry into the game and an All American Picnic featuring hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, watermelon, water, soft drinks and a cash bar.
RSVP today here.
July-Dec 2022 Dues Invoices – Credit Card/Bank Transfers Accepted On-Line
July-December 2022 dues invoices have been distributed via email. Payment is due promptly within 30 days. Please look for them in your inbox and pay promptly within 30 days. There is a new feature and members will receive an invoice instead of a statement. We have upgraded our software and added a new component to our invoicing. We are now able to accept credit card and bank transfer payments online. Members just simply have to click on the “pay now” button on their invoice and make payment. We hope this new feature will make those of you paying by credit card or bank transfer easier. We will continue to also accept payments by check.
Hosts Needed! Our Club’s TWO Youth Exchange Students Arrive in August!
The Rotary Club of Charleston urgently needs local families to host the two female exchange students. One is from Taiwan and the other is from France. Ideally, each volunteer Host family or couple would have the student stay with them for a period of 3-5 months in 2022/2023.
This is a great opportunity to volunteer and change the life of a young person and expose yourself and your family to a different culture! All of the prior students have been wonderful and a delight to get to know and stay in contact with!
Our exchange students will attend the same high school locally for the entire year, so it is important that the host families are in the same school area (and it is convenient to travel to and from). Each girl will attend the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science located at: 1002 King Street, Charleston SC 29403.
Please note that a host family or couple needs to have the desire to provide the following:
- Love as a family member. The student will be a part of the family, not a guest.
- Transportation- The student will not be allowed to drive while in the US.
- A Bed-The student does not have to have his/her own room, but we do ask that they have their own bed.
- Food- We ask that you provide food for the student, including lunch while at school. Again, treating the student as you would your own.
If you are able to volunteer for this opportunity, please go to http://yehub.net/SC1-hfapp and complete the online Host Family Application as soon as possible. We need to line up our first host soon for each girl. Please note that Hosts do not need to be a part of Rotary, so it’s okay (and appreciated) if you share with other couples and families that you feel may be interested.
The application can be done on your smartphone, tablet or PC. You will also need to consent to a background check as part of this process. Please note the following:
You will need two references (emails, street addresses & phone numbers for each). Also, include photos of your home including: student bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, family room, exterior of home and a casual family photo (smaller sizes work best) in the application.
Please review the attached checklist for an overview of the process and timeline.
Once you complete the application, we can schedule a time for me to visit you and your family at your home to go over some additional information and also address any questions or concerns you may have.
Rotary Youth Exchange Dates to Remember
2022
- June: Training- Host Families & YEO/YEC in Charleston
- August: Inbound Student Orientation Training Weekend- Charleston, SC
- December: Disney World Trip! Mandatory for all Inbounds
2023
March: District 7770 Rotary Conference, Columbia, SC
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.
MEMBER NEWS
Daniel Woodcock was briefly introduced on Tuesday to the club by his sponsor, Past President Digit Matheny. Daniel was officially inducted into our club at the social event on 6/28. It was great to learn a little more about Daniel and welcome him into our Rotary family!
Congratulations to our newest Rotarian, Katherine DeMoura! Katherine was introduced and sponsored by Kerby Teller. Katherine is a former member of the Pickens, SC Rotary Club and joins us with the classification of Architect/Business Development. We are excited to have her as a member!
Our wishes for a speedy recovery to Brian Johnson, who is having knee surgery on Monday.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- Amber Allen – sponsor: Joseph Tecklenburg; classification: Sherriff/Communications
- George Reeth – sponsor: Digit Matheny/Alissa Lietzow; classification: Non-Profit Exec.
In the event you know Amber or George, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideals of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Richard Kelly
- JOINED: 2022
- SPONSOR: Amy Riley, Member Charleston Rotary Club
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Banking/Finance
- PROFESSION: Commercial Relationship Manager
- CURRENT PROFESSION: FNB Corporation (First National Bank of Pennsylvania)
- Community Service Organizations, Current Activities or Activities/Volunteer Work in the Past: Richard Kelly’s expansive community service is Vice President of the Board of Directors for Penn State Alumni Association Charleston Chapter.
The Urban Land Institute. The Young Leaders Council, Group and Regional Policy Committee. Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. Volunteer Educator for Junior Achievement of South Carolina. Executive Mentor and Alumni Task Force for Penn State Behrend Black School of Business. Trident United Way and the United Way of Southwestern PA.
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:
Richard Kelly’s name is inscribed on one of the microprocessors that ran the landing deck of the NASA probe InSight, which is currently on the Mars planet surface.
BIRTHDAYS
- 7/26 – Past President Andy Brack
- 7/27 – Bob Leventhal
- 7/31 – Richard Kelly
- 8/1 – Jeremy Cook
WELLNESS TIP
Fix Your Posture
Good posture can support good form when exercising, helping you to avoid injuries while active. But what does good posture look like? According to Harvard health experts, good posture means having your shoulders and hips even, chin parallel to the floor, and weight evenly distributed on both feet. If you’re feeling a little out of balance, simple exercises can help to improve your posture. Focus specifically on stretches and activities that build muscle strength and improve your balance. Ask your healthcare professional for help if needed.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
North Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC
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
Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Mt Pleasant Presbyterian Church. 302 Hibben St. 29464.
Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Marriott Hotel, 4770 Goer Drive, 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: Rob Dewey
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