Mr. Dick Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, 303 Associates will be the guest speaker at the Tuesday, February 10 meeting of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association to be held at 8 AM at the Beaufort Realtors headquarters located in the Palmetto Business Park (behind BB&amp;T) on Lady’s Island Drive.  Mr. Stewart graduated from Beaufort High School in 1967.

After graduating from Georgia Southern University in 1971 and teaching school for one year he entered the business world and quickly moved to sales and marketing with Motorola.

After nearly 10 years with Motorola, he joined MCI and then went out on his own to form several successful wireless companies, including Transit Communications, which in 1994 became part of Nextel Communications, and Grid Towers and American Tower Corporation. After selling Grid Towers to American Tower Corporation, he returned to Beaufort in 1998 with plans for retirement.

However, instead of retirement he found himself creating 303 Associates LLC, believing that the inevitable growth coming to the Lowcountry needed to be properly planned for and managed in order to protect the charm and essence of the area.

In addition to serving as the founder and managing member of 303 Associates, he is founder and managing member of a hospitality company that operates the Beaufort Inn and Grid Properties, LLC a property company with holdings in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  Mr. Stewart was named Economic Development Ambassador for Beaufort County in 2001 and has served as a member of the Beaufort County Council as well as Chairman of the Board of United Way of Beaufort County, Chairman of the Board of Lowcountry Economic Network and Coastal Community Foundation.  In 2008 he was named Homegrown Champion by the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

Mr. Stewart and his wife Sharon gave the original Crystal Lake property to the county for it to become a park and provided financial support for the creation of the Port Royal Sound Foundation.  He presently serves as its treasurer, is involved in the establishment of the Santa Elena Foundation and is a partner in efforts to develop the White Hall property on Lady’s Island.