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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR R. MAC BURDETTE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PATRIOTS POINT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AFTER YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE, AND TO WISH HIM CONTINUED SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN ALL HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives has learned that Mac Burdette will begin a well-deserved retirement after almost thirty-five years as a premier executive, the last nine of which have been as the distinguished and highly-regarded executive director of Patriots Point Development Authority; and
Whereas, a native of Simpsonville, he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Clemson University and served as the city administrator for the Town of Mount Pleasant for twenty-five years, during which the town's population tripled to more than sixty thousand and the town's staff grew to more than five hundred; and
Whereas, under Mr. Burdette's leadership, the Mount Pleasant Town Council executed a program to reign in growth so that roads and services would not lag behind demand. The program allowed only six hundred twenty single-family home permits annually, and the town grew with status for being family-friendly and safe; and
Whereas, he encouraged the creation of the Design Review Board, forcing businesses to think about the appearance of their buildings and allowing citizens to have input; and
Whereas, in the patriotic tradition of sons of South Carolina, Mr. Burdette served with distinction in the United States Army Reserve until his retirement at the rank of Colonel in 2003, and he is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War in Southwest Asia; and
Whereas, he became executive director of Patriots Point in 2010, responsible for the operation and management of the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum and the development of more than four hundred sixty acres of state-owned property on Charleston Harbor, and now the museum is Mount Pleasant's top attraction and viewed as a state symbol of patriotism; and
Whereas, developing aggressive business plans, Mr. Burdette brought record attendance, ticket sales, and revenue growth while emphasizing community inclusiveness and veteran relations; and
Whereas, Mr. Burdette and his team have invested more than a million dollars into new exhibits that use the latest in audio/video technology to bring history to life. Those exhibits include a recreated Vietnam Support Base of three acres, a holographic production about the Cold War inside the USS Laffey's Combat Information Center, and the first phase of a million-dollar project to enhance the Engine Room of the USS Yorktown that will tell the stories of the sailors who operated it; and
Whereas, in order to expand the museum's educational offerings to students across the State, he secured funding in 2018 for Patriots Point history and science programs, initially offered only to schools during field trips, to be made available to all South Carolina fifth-grade classrooms through distance learning at no cost to the schools; and
Whereas, using his experience with the Town of Mount Pleasant, Mr. Burdette, along with members of the Patriots Point Development Authority governing board, successfully negotiated a ninety-nine year lease with one of the Lowcountry's largest locally owned real estate and development companies that will govern the development of more than seventy acres of remaining land at Patriots Point into a destination that will provide a long-term funding solution for the agency and museum at no cost to the State; and
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the unparalleled dedication that Mac Burdette has devoted to Patriots Point, and the members wish him and his wife, Ann, many years of enjoyment in this well-earned retirement. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, recognize and honor R. Mac Burdette, Executive Director of Patriots Point Development Authority, upon the occasion of his retirement after years of outstanding service, and wish him continued success and happiness in all his future endeavors.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to R. Mac Burdette.
This web page was last updated on April 30, 2019 at 12:33 PM