The Charlotte area’s fastest-growing county names new leader. He comes home to SC

The fastest-growing county in the Charlotte metro region has a new leader.

Brian Tucker will start as Lancaster County Administrator on July 1. The Lancaster County native and assistant city manager for Myrtle Beach will replace Dennis Marstall, who announced late last year he would leave for a job in Kansas.

Tucker has more than 20 years of experience in public, private and nonprofit work. In his role in Myrtle Beach, he oversaw operations for about 1,000 employees and a $300 million annual budget, according to information provided by Lancaster County. Tucker had direct responsibility there for more than 400 employees.

Lancaster County runs on a $160 million budget.

“Coming home to serve my family and friends is overwhelmingly surreal,” Tucker said in an announcement from the county. “I have watched the growth and evolution of Lancaster County over the last number of years. ”

Lancaster County routinely ranks among the highest-growth counties both in South Carolina and the Charlotte metro region. The county grew 19% from 2020 to last year, easily the highest rate in an 11-county area surrounding Charlotte, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

There are more than 114,000 residents now.

Experience handling Myrtle Beach growth

Yet if any part of South Carolina has experience dealing with growth, it’s the coast where Lancaster County officials found Tucker working.

Lancaster County’s five-year growth rate trailed only three counties in South Carolina. Jasper, Horry and Berkeley are all on the beach. Jasper County had the highest one-year growth rate in the nation, the Census Bureau announced in March.

Myrtle Beach is in Horry County.

Tucker led a downtown revitalization there for a tourism destination that sees about 20 million visitors per year. He’s worked with the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and an arts district.

Prior work includes roles leading economic development for Georgetown County, and chambers of commerce in North Augusta and Georgetown County. Tucker has a financial management degree from Clemson University.

Lancaster County growth and change

Coming home to Lancaster County, Tucker will lead an area that’s undergoing change.

Decades of white-hot residential growth in Indian Land is now moving south toward Lancaster and unincorporated areas beside it. Indian Land, while still adding homes, is seeing unprecedented business growth including additions like Costco and Target.

Keeping a warmth and character about the county while managing unprecedented growth is an exciting challenge, Tucker said.

“I am thankful for the trust that County Council is showing, and I cannot wait to get started,” he said.