Last Updated on 5/22/2013

Published on 1/3/2013

Murrells Inlet, S.C. — Maxine Dawes is the new chairperson for Murrells Inlet 2020, a nonprofit that strives to make Murrells Inlet a great place to live, work and visit.
Dawes stepped into her new position this week.
Whitney Hills, the group’s former chairperson, said she will continue to help Murrells Inlet 2020, just not by serving on the board.
“I have enjoyed my time on the board immensely,” Hills said. “But I want to give someone else a chance to lead this group.”
Also rolling off the board are Tom Swatzel and Kelly Dorman.
Dawes, who has served on the Murrells Inlet 2020 board for three years, is a real estate broker with Keller Williams in Murrells Inlet where she has lived for 14 years.
She has a daughter, Del Wooten, who lives in  Columbia, and a son, Chuck Dawes, who lives in this area.
Dawes owned real estate companies in Pawleys Island and Loris for 25 years.
She is the former mayor of Loris for 12 years and the past chair of the local chapter of the American Red Cross.
Sue Sledz, executive director for the group, said Dawes is a perfect choice for chairperson.
“She is a take-charge person and I’m sure she will be very effective in leading the board as chairperson,” Sledz said. “I think she’ll be focused on structuring the organization so we can continue to make great things happen with very few resources.”
Dawes said she is honored to be named the new chairperson for Murrells Inlet 2020.
“I consider it an honor and a challenge,” Dawes said. “We’ve come a long way with the organization, but now we are in the position to go forward in a more positive way.”
She is especially excited about a new volunteer program that will utilize the hundreds of volunteers that help the group’s success.
Dawes said the group currently has 179 active volunteers and 141 people on a volunteer waiting list.
The new program will include a volunteer fair to be held on Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. at Inlet Affairs.
At this event, people who want to volunteer can let the group know their interests and talents, and can choose specific positions to fill.
“That way we will know what volunteers will be doing and we can make sure we don’t have too many volunteers for a certain event,” Dawes said.

Other business

• In light of the accident that injured a child in the Murrells Inlet Christmas Parade, the board voted to create a committee to discuss possible changes that can be made to parade regulations.
Hills stated that this was an accident and they should be cautious about making a lot of changes.
“I think it would be a crying shame if the parade turns into an exercise in paranoia because of one accident,” Hills said.

• Bill Judd with the Murrells Inlet Elks Lodge asked the board’s permission to place an American flag poll at the south entrance to Murrells Inlet on a property owned by the group called Luther’s Garden.
The size and height of the flag has not yet been determined.
Judd said he hopes to fly a flag there 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The board asked Judd to give them a draft proposal when the details are decided and said they will make a decision about the flag pole at a future meeting.

By Clayton Stairs
cstairs@gtowntimes.com