Johns Is. native makes move from treasurer
The town of Kiawah Island looked long but not far to find its new town
administrator. Tumiko Rucker, a Johns Island native and the town's treasurer
since June, was named administrator April 1. She succeeds Allison Harvey,
who left after nine years on Kiawah to become administrator of her hometown,
Clover, in York County.
Rucker, 30, attended Angel Oak Elementary and Haut Gap Middle schools on
Johns Island and graduated in 1993 from the Academic Magnet High School. She
began working for the governments of Rock Hill and Charlotte while attending
Winthrop University. Before coming to Kiawah, she was finance director for
the town of Chester and an analyst for Wells Fargo in Fort Mill. "It's been
my lifelong career goal to become a town administrator. You can imagine my
joy at being named town administrator right here at home," she said.
Rucker will remain Kiawah's acting treasurer until Town Council chooses her
successor. As administrator, she will help with the selection process.
Kiawah Town Councilman Don McIver said about 35 people applied for the
administrator's post. About eight candidates were interviewed during a
search that spanned several months. "At the end of the day, it was clear
that Tumiko possessed the skills Town Council was looking for, said McIver,
mayor pro tem. "The fact that she was already on board as town treasurer and
functioning very efficiently was a plus, and the fact that she has a great
deal of local knowledge was a plus."
Council unanimously approved Rucker, he said. McIver said there would have
been many more applicants, but council "set the bar pretty high. We wanted
someone with an advanced degree in public administration and demonstrated
experience," he said.
Rucker left Winthrop with a bachelor's degree in public policy and
administration, with emphasis on local government, and a master's degree in
business administration. She is the first black to hold the administrator's
post on Kiawah, but she does not "wear race on my sleeve."
Now that she has her dream job, Rucker hopes to put her education and her 10
years of experience in municipal government and the private sector to work.
She and husband Curtis Rucker Jr. have three children and are living in West
Ashley while searching for a house on Johns Island.
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