Gordon Hillock

Gordon J. Hillock, one of Kiawah’s top sales executives since 1979, is a full-time resident of Kiawah Island. A native of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Gordon received an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications along with a second degree in Education from Wayne State University in 1968.

After graduation, he left Michigan to move south to Vero Beach, Florida where he worked for Johns Island, a private, gated community. It was there that Gordon was first introduced to the unique lifestyle offered in master-planned, gated community developments.

His responsibilities at Johns Island included construction and property management duties that enabled him to develop a deep appreciation for the finer elements that make for good community planning and development. During this same time, he had the special opportunity to work directly with Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus as they built a new golf course for Johns Island. He soon discovered there is more to a golf course underground than one sees above ground.

Several years later, his development experiences in Florida led him to yet another opportunity. Along the southeast coast of Puerto Rico, the Sea Pines Company of Hilton Head was building a community called Palmas del Mar on an old coconut plantation. Gordon’s new duties included clearing through the island jungle in preparation for the new residential neighborhoods being built. Here he also scheduled and tracked the progress of construction projects, and worked with Ron Kirby and Gary Player on multiple golf courses.

It was his experiences at Johns Island and Palmas del Mar that truly prepared Gordon for his next opportunity in real estate sales – he was invited to join the newly formed sales staff on Kiawah Island in 1979.

Since joining Kiawah’s sales staff, and with a true appreciation for the many facets that go into planned community development, he has been able to apply his construction, property management, communication, and teaching skills to help families discover the many aspects of the Kiawah lifestyle.

Today, Gordon is proud to say, "Selling Kiawah Island has always been a special treat for me because of the unique opportunity to meet successful people from all over the world while representing the Kiawah community."

Gordon and Jeannie, a Charleston native, have been married for over 25 years. They share their time together with their three children, Matt, Kat, and Elliot. Gordon enjoys wilderness canoeing, cooking special meals together with good friends and family, sharing the family summer camp in Traverse City, Michigan, fishing, golf, and reading. He especially enjoys golfing with Jeannie (she’s been a club champion 3 years) when he is out of the office.

In recent years, Gordon and Jeannie have helped sponsor and build four new Habitat homes for the deserving and in-need families just off Kiawah Island. Gordon has served as a board member, as well as a member of the fund-raising committee, with the Sea Island Habitat for Humanity. He is also particularly proud of the fact that SIHH was just recently voted best Habitat for Humanity affiliate worldwide for the second year in a row!