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February 18, 2026: The Honorable Jay Doyle

Our guest today was Georgetown’s new mayor Jay Doyle. He is the first third-party candidate to be elected to this position since 1894. Mayor Doyle has been a Georgetown resident for sixteen years. He grew up in Massachusetts and attended Northeastern, but left in order to become an entrepreneur. Over the years, he owned a successful construction and energy-saving company, worked in telecommunications, and also served Brookgreen Gardens as Director of Facilities.

Mayor Doyle spoke to us about the importance of learning. “I’m sixty-eight years old and I’m still learning,” he said. “Learning is something that will stick with you throughout life.” He also pointed out the possibilities and dangers of information people obtain from the internet. “I can go online to figure out how to fix something,” he told us, “ and I can go online to learn how to hate someone.”

Mayor Doyle explained how his goals are to preserve Georgetown’s historical aspects, protect the surrounding woodlands while rezoning, and to provide employment for citizens (especially those impacted by our two mills’ closing). “Urban planning is a huge part of what I’m accomplishing,” he said while discussing his focus on development and where to construct new establishments. He invited students to contribute to his plan by coming up with their own ideas and plans for open areas in Georgetown.

Thank you, Mayor Doyle, for taking time to introduce yourself to us!

By: Eleanor

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October 25: Ray Funnye

On October 25th, Ray Funnye, Director of Public Services for Georgetown County, was our Open Forum guest. Mr. Funnye is a native Georgetonian. He graduated from Savannah State University and began his career as an engineer in Atlanta. His line of work has taken him many places over the years, even to the Virgin Islands.

Mr. Funnye never intended on returning to Georgetown. “I told my dad I was leaving and never coming back,” he said. However, when he visited Georgetown for his brother’s funeral, he happened to get a job offer in public services. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Mr. Funnye said. He has now worked in public services for 31 years.

Mr. Funnye told us that there are all kinds of opportunities in public services. Municipalities and counties hire a multitude of different people: lawyers, planners, engineers, truck drivers, environmentalists, and many more. “It’s a career of service,” Mr Funnye explained. “We are unsung heroes.”

Mr. Funnye explained that his job is to help the people of Georgetown thrive. People in public services help keep the city on its feet–from debris cleanup to city planning, the Department of Public Services does it all. “Knowing I am making a difference for others is important,” he told us. When Public Services hires people, they are not just looking for someone who can do a specific job, they are looking for leaders. Teamwork is extremely important, but so is the ability to lead a team. Mr Funnye told us public services is a very stable job, because humans will always have problems that need to be managed by others.

Overall, we learned that public services is a very important job. Without Ray Funnye and other public services people, Georgetown could not run as smoothly as it does. We salute the Public Services Department and thank Mr. Funnye visiting our school today.

By Sage