Executive Team
Professionals dedicated to the successful creation of resort, club, and residential communities around the world
Commitment to the success of Kiawah Partners is personal for members of our executive team, many of whom have been involved with Kiawah Partners for decades, and have an innate love and passion for our properties.
Charles Pinckney (Buddy) Darby, III
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Since leading the effort to acquire Kiawah Island from the Kuwaitis in 1988, Buddy Darby has held primary responsibility for Kiawah's development activities, overseeing all operations involved in the development of the Island. He is particularly gratified by the fact that under his guidance, "Kiawah has evolved from a languishing regional attraction into one of the world's most renowned golfing destinations," garnering the 1996 ULI Award for Excellence, among other accolades.
Darby expanded the appeal of Kiawah Island by leading the creation of neighborhood shopping at Freshfields Village. He is also responsible for the development of the Doonbeg Golf Club, located in County Clare, Ireland. The Club features residential cottages, exceptional accommodations (The Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club), and a Greg Norman-designed links course, which has been internationally recognized as a top-25 golfing destination by industry publications and travel writers alike.
Darby now has his sights set on 2,500 acres on the island of St. Kitts. The project, known as Christophe Harbour, will include a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a hotel, and a 200-acre marina which will accommodate superyachts in a naturally protected harbor unlike any in the world.
Patrick (Pat) W. McKinney
Principal
Pat McKinney was Kiawah's first director of real estate and part of the management team that launched Kiawah's residential-resort community in 1976. After a short time away, he returned in 1988 as part of the KRA partnership, personally drafting the 25-page financial pro-forma that led to the KRA acquisition of Kiawah Island, and served as president and broker-in-charge of Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE), Kiawah Partners’ exclusive brokerage affiliate for 18 years.
McKinney, who was also advisory general chairman of the 1991 Ryder Cup matches, stepped down as president of KIRE in 2006 but maintains his role as a managing partner. "The realization of our vision for a world-class community and the relationships I've developed along the way have given me immense satisfaction."
Townsend P. Clarkson
Chief Operating Officer
Townsend Clarkson has made significant contributions to the success of renowned Atlantic coast communities far beyond Kiawah Island. A certified public accountant and licensed real estate broker, he came to Kiawah after excelling as vice president of finance at Fripp Island in South Carolina and senior vice president at Amelia Island Plantation in Florida. Today, Clarkson oversees approximately 450 employees at Kiawah Partners and its numerous affiliates, and serves as president of Kiawah Island Utility. Townsend believes "my gratification in being part of this incredibly successful endeavor has been the ability to work with so many types of talented people."
Chris Drury
President of Kiawah Island Real Estate
Chris Drury joined the company in February 2006. During his sales management career with Arvida/St. Joe, Drury spent 17 years in three different residential/resort communities in Florida — The Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in West Palm Beach, Broken Sound/Banyans and Weston. He won awards for both Sales Director of the Year and Sales Manager of the Year, and was Vice President of Sales when Weston was ranked in the top five selling master planned communities in the country, achieving more than 1,700 residential sales in one year. Drury also worked as Vice President of Sales for the Mid-Atlantic Region in Charlotte, NC and for Florida's Capital Region. Current and future property owners alike benefit from his commitment to the brand reputation and enduring allure of Kiawah Island.
Ray Pantlik
Director of Development
Ray Pantlik is a registered professional engineer who has overseen the process of obtaining the governmental approvals of more than 1,000 single-family homesites, the River Course and Cassique golf courses, and numerous other amenities at Kiawah. He joined the company in 1989 and also served as project manager for the construction of The River Course clubhouse and The Beach Club during the 1990’s. Most recently he has overseen the permitting process for Doonbeg Golf Club and assisted in the construction management of The Lodge at Doonbeg and a number of residential suites and cottages at this seaside development in County Clare, Ireland.
Before coming to Kiawah Partners, he worked on behalf of several well-known resort-residential developments in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and handled permitting at Haig Point on Daufuskie Island in South Carolina. Ray says, "It is extremely satisfying to have seen so many projects start as ideas on paper and be transformed as completed and functioning projects."
Charles Arrington
Director of Design and Planning
A veteran of the KRA team since 1992, Charlie Arrington oversees land planning for Kiawah’s new neighborhoods and amenities. He is also Kiawah Partners’ in-house golf architect, working alongside Tom Fazio on The River Course, with Tom Watson at Cassique, and with Greg Norman at Doonbeg Golf Club. Among his many other accomplishments, Arrington took responsibility for directing the site landscaping team at The Ocean Course in 1990. This former golf professional's previous experience also includes developing recreational facilities as diverse as public parks and large-scale equestrian centers.
Robert Crawford
Kiawah Island Club General Manager
As Club General Manager since 1993, Robert Crawford directs the operation of The Beach Club, The River Course, and Cassique. He has worked in club management for two decades, previously serving in similar capacities at Boca Pointe Country Club in Boca Raton, FL; Boca Country Club, part of the five-star, five-diamond Boca Raton Resort and Club; the Elk River Club in Banner Elk, NC; and Perdido Bay Country Club in Pensacola, FL. Like many other members of the KRA team, Crawford's contributions to the Southeastern seacoast extend far beyond Kiawah Island.
Phil Keb
Executive Vice President, Resort Development
As Executive Vice President Mr. Keb is responsible for the company’s resort development activities including hotels, private residence clubs, and other resort amenities. A primary focus is the development of new hotels within the 2,500-acre Christophe Harbour project in St. Kitts.
Prior to joining Kiawah Partners in January 2009, Mr. Keb was an Executive Vice President and one of three founding partners of Atlanta-based West Paces Hotel Group, a hotel management/branding company formed in 2002. From 1991 to 2002, Mr. Keb was with The Ritz–Carlton Hotel Company in a number of senior leadership positions including Vice President of Development. Phil began his hospitality career with Hyatt Hotels Corporation where he held various management positions in the engineering, construction and real estate departments.
Charles Pinckney Darby, IV
Project Manager
After graduating from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Charles Darby began his career in residential development working for a multi-family developer where he managed land acquisitions and development of Class A apartments in and around the Atlanta area. He coordinated the day-to-day development of more than 1,200 units including the permitting process for each project. Having worked closely with architects and engineers throughout the life of a project, Charles has experience in almost every aspect of the development process.
As the Project Manager for Kiawah Partners, he oversees a variety of operational projects across all properties. At present, Charles is actively involved in the development of Christophe Harbour and the rebuilding of the River Course Clubhouse. He is looking forward to seeing the project continue to evolve every day.
Mark Permar
Chief Consulting Planner
Mark Permar is a registered architect and land planner, and principal in the market research and planning firm of Permar, Inc. He was Vice President of Planning and Design under Kiawah’s original developer, and continues to consult with Kiawah Partners on long-range planning, programming, and feasibility analyses for capital improvements on Kiawah. A veteran of the Kiawah Partners team since 1988, he also serves on Kiawah’s Architectural Review Board.
William J. Hindman
Corporate Communication Consultant
Bill Hindman is currently Corporate Communication Consultant for Kiawah Partners, facilitating mutual understandings between Kiawah Partners and many of its constituents, including property owners, Kiawah Island Club Members, elected officials, and other community leaders. During his 45-year career, Bill served in various positions at AT&T in New York and Dallas, and, previous to that, for Mountain Bell in Denver, Colorado. He also served for one year as Vice President of Corporate Communications for American Airlines.
Bill served as a member of the Board of Directors for Spoleto Festival USA for 12 years, and served on the Board of Directors of the Kiawah Island Natural Habitat Conservancy for six years.
Rob Brooke
Legal Counsel
As General Counsel for Kiawah Partners, Rob Brooke is in charge of all legal work for the company’s business activities in Doonbeg, Ireland, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and Christophe Harbour in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. Rob’s work includes drafting contracts, negotiating permits, overseeing real estate transactions and employment issues, and managing litigation.
Before joining Kiawah Partners, Rob practiced law in Richmond, Virginia for 28 years. He was listed in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers’ America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Virginia’s Legal Elite and Virginia Super Lawyers. Brooke is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and a magna cum laude graduate of Washington & Lee University.
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