The Hilton Head Public Service District (PSD) Commission on July 22 announced that Richard Cyr, General Manager of Hilton Head PSD, is retiring on June 30, 2015. The Commission also announced that Pete Nardi, the current Assistant General Manager of the PSD, will become General Manager on January 1, 2015.
Cyr joined the PSD in 2003. “Richard’s work as general manager has been marked by pivotal, long-term improvements that will benefit the PSD’s customers and Hilton Head Island for generations to come,” said PSD Commission Chair Bob Manne.
Under Cyr’s guidance, the PSD completed an array of alternative water supply projects, including the construction of its Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Facility in 2009 and the island’s first-ever Aquifer Storage & Recovery Facility in 2011. He also led the effort toward installation of the public sewer system throughout the north- and mid-island areas. Cyr, a native of Vancouver, WA, came to the PSD from a position as manager of the water utility for Clark Public Utilities, a regional electric and water utility in western Washington. Cyr will serve as the PSD’s Long-Range Planning Manager during the transitional period from January to June 2015.
“It has been an honor and privilege to work with the PSD Board of Commissioners, our excellent team at the PSD, and the Hilton Head community over the past 12 years,” Cyr said. “I know the PSD is in a great position to continue to meet the expectations of our customers and community as it moves forward.”
Nardi began work for the PSD in 2004 as its human resources and public affairs manager, and was promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2013. “Pete has been a key part of our leadership team, helping to create the organizational culture that will carry the PSD into its next phase,” said Manne. “With his knowledge of utility management and our service area’s needs, we are fortunate to have an individual of Pete’s caliber within our organization to ensure a seamless transition with no disruption to our strategic objectives,” Manne said.
Nardi is a member of the American Water Works Association’s National Workforce Strategies Committee, as well as the South Carolina AWWA/Water Environment Association of South Carolina’s Joint Emergency Preparedness Committee. He holds a Master of Science degree from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont. He also earned the Certified Manager designation from the James Madison University College of Business, as well as the AWWA’s Micro MBA from Virginia Tech University. He lives on Hilton Head Island with his wife, Amy, and their two children.
“I’m honored by the Commission’s vote of confidence in my abilities and am excited to continue to work with our board, team members, and Richard Cyr during this transitional period, and to lead the PSD with the same integrity and acumen as my predecessor brought to the position,” Nardi said.
