Mount Pleasant Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

Mount Pleasant Town

Administrator Eric

DeMoura is standing

in the middle of what

soon will be Billy Swails

Boulevard. Behind him,

Jennie Moore Elementary

School and Laing

Middle School are under

construction.

Though he posted a nifty .354 batting average during

his senior season, DeMoura reached the realization that

his future was not in baseball but in government. With

an undergraduate degree in Political Science in hand, he

continued his education at Clemson and earned a master’s

in Public Administration.

DeMoura still faces difficult decisions today. As Mount

Pleasant’s town administrator, his major challenge is to

keep his adopted home from being overwhelmed by its in-

credible rate of growth. Working with nearly 600 full-time

employees, the mayor and the town council, he must make

hard choices that ensure that the town will be able to serve

the needs of a burgeoning population while maintaining

the quality of life that continues to lure new residents to

Mount Pleasant.

To the 40-year-old DeMoura, growth is the most im-

portant issue facing Mount Pleasant, and careful planning

is the key to easing the town’s growing pains.

“People see Mount Pleasant as a place to meet their

families’ aspirations for a better life,” he commented. “The

other side is that we must act in ways that make sure we are

maintaining the quality of life our residents and business

owners are used to. Our citizens rightfully demand quality in

everything from public education to recreational services.”

Though he expects Mount Pleasant to continue to

grow, with its population nearing the 100,000 mark in the