KEVIN PHILLIPS

The Power of Giving Back

story by HEATHER STEINBERGER                                photos by JENNY PHILLIPS

The South Carolina Lowcountry is magnetic. It calls you home, and it often ignites a powerful sense of purpose — to explore, connect, create, and give back in countless ways.

Just ask Kevin Phillips. A Georgia native, Port Royal’s mayor came home to the Lowcountry as a law school graduate, and in the process, he found his calling.

The oldest of three children, Kevin was born and raised in Snellville, Georgia, where his family settled in the 18th century. They were deeply involved with their community.

His parents both worked for the local school district, his father as a high school teacher and then athletic department administrator, and his mother in the payroll department. His dad coached Little League; his mom ran a women’s Bible study group.

“We were very engaged,” Kevin says. “I played football and baseball, and we went to church on Sundays.”

Kevin caught the first glimpse of his future when his seventh-grade class read Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird and staged a play. Kevin won the role of Atticus Finch.

“The teacher called the house to tell my parents how good I was,” he remembers. “I loved playing Atticus.”

The law would have to wait, however. Kevin, who describes his high-school self as “a class clown with great grades,” formed a heavy-metal band with friends and decided to tour with them after his 2001 graduation.

“We moved to California, and seven of us lived in a two-bedroom apartment,” he says. “Then we toured the West Coast, living out of our van. It was very exciting.”

When rock-and-roll life came to an end, Kevin moved to Atlanta and worked as a bartender. He was ready for an even bigger change by 2010.

“After nine years of wild adventures, I was ready to go to college,” he says with a smile. “I definitely took the nontraditional route.”

Desiring to be near the water, Kevin set his sights on Charleston. He attended Trident Technical College for a year, earned his South Carolina residency, and transferred to the College of Charleston.

It was there, in the Holy City, that he rediscovered the destiny that first called to him as a seventh grader. It happened purely by accident.

“I loved the food-and-beverage business, so I took my resume to King Street,” Kevin says. “The third place I visited was Halls Chophouse. Tommy Hall (son of Bill Hall Sr., who passed away in 2020), was eating his lunch and asked me to do the interview right then and there.

“Bill Sr. came from the hotel business, and he ran his restaurant like a five-star hotel,” he continues. “I learned so much about hospitality, work ethic, and how to treat people.”

Halls Chophouse was a preferred establishment for the city’s judges and lawyers. Kevin absorbed their conversations as he worked.

“I was fascinated by clients, cases, justice, and helping people,” he says. “I thought, I can do that. That was it — I was going to be a lawyer, someone who fights for the little guy.”

In 2014, Kevin graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. As far as law school was concerned, he took valuable advice from one of his instructors: Attend school where you want to live.

“I knew I wanted to be in the Lowcountry,” Kevin says. “I fell in love with the people, climate, food, culture, and environment, so I decided to go to the Charleston School of Law.”

Prior to his final year, Kevin interned for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Beaufort. He says he took advantage of every opportunity to become acquainted with this new corner of the Lowcountry.

“I had no friends, family, or connections in the area, so as soon as I was done with work for the day, I would explore,” he recalls. “I went all over Beaufort, Port Royal, Bluffton, and Hilton Head Island.”

That summer, serendipity struck yet again. Kevin’s parents visited Beaufort, and he took them to Hunting Island State Park. As they got settled, Kevin struck up a conversation with a neighboring beachgoer: Bennett Schiller III, of the Beaufort-based injury law firm Schiller & Hamilton. It was a meeting neither would forget.

In 2017, Kevin graduated from the Charleston School of Law and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar. He also moved to Beaufort. He knew it was the right place, although he didn’t have a job lined up.

“I was thinking I might start my own law firm,” he says. “Then I saw the nonprofit South Carolina Victims Assistance Network had an opening. I never thought I would do something like that out of law school, providing free legal services to victims of violent crime. It opened my eyes to a whole other world.”

Kevin also searched for ways to become more involved in the community. One day, he picked up a copy of The Island News and spotted an article about Leadership Beaufort, one of the city’s most prestigious organizations.

“I saw the paper on Thursday, and the application deadline was Friday,” he says, laughing. “That was another serendipitous moment!”

He was accepted into Leadership Beaufort’s class of 2018, where he met his future wife, Jennifer Sanborn Phillips. He also met the owners of Carolina Air, who were on the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry’s Board of Directors.

Not only did Leadership Beaufort prompt Kevin to join the YMCA board himself, it also reconnected him with Bennett Schiller.

“Bennett went through the program as well,” Kevin says. “I became an attorney for Schiller & Hamilton in 2020.

“Everyone there is very involved and community-oriented,” he continues. “We sponsor the YMCA’s Boots & Bling event and Beaufort-area nonprofits. I love what we do. I see this as a public service job and a big responsibility.”

Kevin embraced this sense of purpose. He volunteered for everything from annual festivals to trash pick-ups, and he entered local politics, running for a seat on the Town Council of Port Royal.

Perhaps it was inevitable. At the College of Charleston, Kevin served as a senator in the student government and volunteered as a city council representative.

“I learned that local government is where you can have an immediate impact,” he explains. “I knew I would get involved in local politics someday.”

Port Royal was the right fit. At the time, Kevin was living with Jennifer on 12th Street (they married in 2021, and their daughter, Evelyn, was the first baby born in Beaufort County in 2024).

“It’s so cool and funky,” he says of his adopted hometown. “I fit this place like a key. I wanted to be part of it and give back in any way I could.”

He even enjoyed the process of campaigning. He and Jennifer turned an extra bedroom into a war room, and she used her marketing expertise to assist with outreach.

“I see campaigns like a job interview,” Kevin says. “They’re not personal. I was running for the town, not against anyone. I’m proud of running a clean, issues-oriented campaign.”

He won, starting his term in 2020. Three months later, Covid hit. That’s when he felt the magnitude of what it means to represent the people.

“I was happy, things were good, and then bam, manage this,” he says, shaking his head. “It was stressful, but we did our best, and it was awesome to see the community come together. I loved seeing solutions like the outdoor beer garden, where restaurants could deliver meals.”

In 2023, Kevin decided the time was right for his next big step: running for mayor. He wanted voters to know that he was dedicated to preserving what makes Port Royal special.

“I heard the people, loud and clear, and to get my message out to them, I had to run for mayor,” he explains. “I won 60-40.”

Growth is inevitable, Kevin says, but he believes the community has a unique situation and can afford to move slowly.

“People want to live here,” he explains. “We don’t have to convince anyone, which means we can be particular about how we grow.”

Whether it involves developing the Battery Creek waterfront, adjusting the tree ordinance, or establishing a temporary moratorium on large-scale apartment complexes, Kevin says he wants to see Port Royal get it right.

“I want to look back one day and say, ‘Look how many trees we saved, look how many areas we preserved,’” he says. “They’re tough decisions, and it takes a strong will to do what’s right, but we’ll be glad we did it.”

Kevin encourages his fellow citizens to get involved in any way they see fit. As he says, democracy demands participation.

“It was given to us through blood, sweat, and tears,” he observes. “It’s our duty to preserve it. You just have to show up.”

Learn about the issues, attend the meetings, organize people, and volunteer. And in doing so, you just might find your connection to your home will deepen and strengthen.

“I love this town,” Kevin says. “I felt at home as soon as I got here. Other than my family in Georgia, this place has given me everything I love in this life, and it is the most beautiful place on earth. I want to give it everything I can.”