<strong>From staff reports</strong>

Robert Bechtold of St. Helena Island will join Riverview Charter School on April 19 as Interim Director of the 700-student school following action by the Board of Directors.

Bechtold comes to Riverview after serving the past year as interim deputy county administrator for Beaufort County.

When two finalists withdrew from consideration for the Riverview director’s job late last month for business and personal reasons, Bechtold was recommended to the Riverview Board of Directors for his work stepping into a similar interim leadership role in 2020 with Beaufort County government.

He has lived in the Lowcountry on and off for many years after serving 22 years in the Marine Corps. During his service, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, six U.S. Marine Corps Commendation Medals and two Navy Achievement Medals. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Ashford University and retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Sergeant Major.

In the Marine Corps, he served as a Drill Instructor at Parris Island, held multiple senior enlisted leadership positions, and worked as Chief Faculty Advisor at Camp Johnson/Camp Lejeune where he led curriculum and training. Later, returning to Parris Island as a senior enlisted Marine, he led drill instructors. His combat tours were to the Middle East.

“Mr. Bechtold brings great experience in leadership, organizational management and working with people and budgets, and we are excited to bring him onboard at Riverview,” said Reece Bertholf, chair of the charter school’s Board of Directors.

While the three-month search process didn’t yield a director, Bertholf saluted the work done by the search team for identifying an internal resource as well as many staff members’ desire for a fresh, external perspective for the director of the school.

“This is a tremendous opportunity and I appreciate the Board’s willingness to meet with me, hear about my background, and to have me join the team,” Bechtold said. “I look forward to meeting with the school staff, the students, and the families very soon.”

The Board pledged to help him create a leadership team of expertise in academics, curriculum and instruction to balance out his experience in management. The school’s leadership team already has several openings due to retirements and mid-year resignations.

The director’s position came open when the previous director resigned mid-year.