Congratulations to Herbert Jenkins-46 Years at Palmetto Dunes!
Congratulations to Herbert Jenkins, who celebrated 46 years with Palmetto Dunes this month!
Herbert Jenkins was born in Jasper County in 1955, one of 13 children. He graduated from Ridge High School in Jasper County in 1974 and started his career in Palmetto Dunes in 1976 as an employee of Phipps Land Company.
“And I never looked back,” Herbert said.
When Herbert first started working in Palmetto Dunes, he did landscaping-planting flower beds and worked out of a small shop behind the General Store. He drove to the Island from Jasper County, having to take the draw bridge to Hilton Head. At that time the Queens Folly corridor wasn’t finished, and Leamington and Shelter Cove were merely a vision.
Herbert said the biggest difference between working in Palmetto Dunes now and back then was that it was difficult to communicate. They had to use walkie talkies to communicate with each other throughout the community. “Now days, it’s just so easy to communicate!” he said.
One of Herbert’s favorite people he’s worked with over the years was Per Brunn, the engineer from Denmark who designed Palmetto Dunes’ lagoon system. Herbert remembers him as a very nice man, but also extremely strict. Herbert said that Per loved the tide gate and taught him a lot about the lagoon system and how the tide gates operated.
Herbert is a loyal and dedicated employee, who can always be counted on to accept any task asked of him. He is well-known throughout Palmetto Dunes, not just for his longevity, but also for his deep knowledge of the community.
Q&A with Herbert Jenkins
Job Title
Maintenance Irrigation Technician -“I love that job!”
What does a typical day look like?
Working on all irrigation on Queens Folly, in the greenspaces, and throughout the community.
What do you like most about your job?
I love trying anything new. I’ve done a lot of jobs within Palmetto Dunes. I’ve learned from a lot of people; some did it right, some did it wrong; I’ve taken everything I’ve learned and found the best way to do it.
How would people describe you?
Hard worker. I love seeing owners in the community that have known me for years and they recognize my hard work.
What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this?
If not working here, I’d be doing landscaping somewhere else. I love working with my hands in the dirt and with the water.
What is your family like?
My wife, Jennifer, works in the Pass Office in Palmetto Dunes. I have two daughters and seven grandkids who live in Jasper County and Columbia.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I’ve got a garden in my yard, and I love to be out there. Or fishing with my grandson. He also loves to for me to play baseball with him.
Fun Fact
In the 1980s a shrimp boat wrecked on Palmetto Dunes’ beach that was carrying drugs in the hull. Herbert was recruited to off-load the drugs and stand guard of the boat.