SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The town of Surfside Beach will be looking to fill two key positions after Finance Director Diana King and Fire Chief Rob Clemons recently announced plans to leave their positions, a town official said.
The official confirmed the departures to News13 on Thursday but was not able to provide any additional information. News13 subsequently filed a Freedom of Information request with the town and received copies of King’s retirement notice and Clemons’ resignation letter.
King did not say in her letter to Town Administrator Gary Vincent why she is retiring, but it indicates that she was asked to retire.
“I have thought about your request for me to set a retirement day,” the letter said. “After discussion with my family and a review of the situation at Town Hall I have determined that I will retire effective November 18, 2023. This will allow the financial audit to be complete and the town to comply with state law. This will also allow for a transition period for the new finance director.”
Clemons also did not give a reason for his resignation in his two-sentence letter to Gary Vincent.
Clemons told News13 that he’s worked in a consulting position part-time and will be switching to full-time. He said it’s a perfect fit because he will still be involved in the fire industry but will be moving to Nashville to be closer to his children.
“This letter serves as my official resignation from the Town of Surfside Beach in the position of Fire Chief,” the letter said. “My last day is Friday, August 11, 2023.”
Clemons had served as the town’s fire chief since the fall of 2021. He later took on the role of interim town administrator in December 2022 after William Shanahan resigned and accepted a similar position in Newport, North Carolina. Clemons held both job titles until May when Vincent became the full-time administrator.
Clemons has been in the fire industry for 35 years and a fire chief for six years.
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Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here.
