Despite having served local governments in South Carolina for nearly two decades, Joe Henderson realizes that he doesn’t know everything about being the chief administrative officer of a seaside town of just under 2,000 residents. He is, however, confident that he’s ready to assume the role of Sullivan’s Island’s town administrator, and members of the Town Council apparently agree. At their regularly scheduled monthly meeting March 19, they voted to offer him the opportunity to replace Andy Benke, who will retire in June after 21 years on the job.
“There’s still some coaching to be done,” said Henderson, who has worked for the town since June 2013 and has served as Benke’s deputy for the past two years. “In town government, you should always be willing to learn, and you should always be open to creativity and new ideas.”
Henderson’s first job with Sullivan’s Island was as the zoning administrator, where he worked with the town’s various boards and commissions. He was later promoted to the position of director of planning and zoning, then to deputy administrator in 2022, when he started working more closely with the Police, Fire and Water and Sewer Departments and “learning more about what goes on with the town.” He’s well-aware that his life will change somewhat when he takes over as town administrator at the Council’s June 18 meeting.
“There won’t be any hours off. I’ll be on call 24/7,” he said. “It will demand a lot more of my time and much greater responsibility.”
The path he has taken during his career has prepared him for new job, he said. Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Coastal Carolina University, a graduate certification in urban planning from the College of Charleston and a master of public administration from Clemson University. He’s a certified floodplain manager, arborist and building inspector and is also certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Various internships also have played a key role in being able to replace Benke, a Sullivan’s Island icon. Henderson interned with Horry County and in the city administrator’s office in Myrtle Beach.
“That’s when I realized how diverse that role was. That opened my eyes to what my career would be,” he explained.
Henderson gained valuable experience working for the city of Conway, serving as zoning administrator and interim planning director. He said working with Benke also helped get him ready him for his new position.
“I was fortunate to have Andy as a mentor, especially the past two years,” Henderson said.
Sullivan’s Island Mayor Pat O’Neil stated: “We were privileged to have Andy Benke serve as the administrator since 2003 and wish him well in retirement. His efforts helped keep Sullivan’s Island a desired place to live and visit. An Andy’s deputy administrator, Joe Henderson is well-suited to succeed him. I am confident that the great work we have started over the past years will continue with Joe.”
Henderson lived in Louisiana until he was 8 years old, when his family moved to Conway. On two different occasions, his parents, who met in the Peace Corps, relocated the family to Columbia in South America. He said he speaks Spanish, “but not as much as I used to.”
He and his wife, Cari, have two teenagers who currently attend Lucy Beckham High School in Mount Pleasant: Olivia, 16, and Joseph, 15. He also has a 26-year-old daughter, Jenna, from a previous marriage.
According to Henderson, the biggest challenges facing Sullivan’s Island right now are stormwater management and dealing with the question of resiliency. He said the town has five major ongoing stormwater initiatives and is about to embark on “a really exciting project,” the development of a resilience and sea level rise adaptation plan, funded by a $150,000 grant from FEMA.
He added that he intends to remain in his new position “for as long as they’ll have me.”
“I’ve grown to love the island. After working to develop its comprehensive plan, I understand the vision and the plan for the island,” he said.