BRADLEY D. BELT
Brad Belt was re-elected mayor of the Town of Kiawah Island on November 4, 2025, and is currently serving a four-year term. He was first elected to Town Council in December 2022, filling the unexpired term of a departing council member, and was subsequently elected mayor on April 2, 2024, to serve the remainder of his predecessor's term.
Mayor Belt's career spans the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. He began in public service as senior staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and later served as executive director and CEO of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation during the administration of President George W. Bush. He has also held senior positions at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Milken Institute, where he served as a senior managing director. In the private sector, he is vice chairman of Orchard Global and founder and chairman of Palisades Capital. He has served on the boards of directors and advisory boards of numerous companies, nonprofits, and professional associations.
Mayor Belt's key priorities for Kiawah Island include:
- Preserving the natural environment
- Planning for and managing growth
- Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of residents
- Ensuring open, transparent, and responsive government
- Fostering civic and civil engagement
Role of the Mayor in the Mayor-Council Form of Government
The Town of Kiawah Island operates under the Mayor-Council form of government. Under state law, the Mayor presides over Council meetings, calls special meetings, and votes as a member of Council. The Mayor also serves as the Town's chief administrative officer, supervising Town departments, hiring and dismissing employees under personnel policies adopted by Council, and ensuring that Town ordinances and applicable laws are carried out. The Mayor prepares and submits the annual budget and capital program to Council, presents an annual financial report to Council and the public, and reports to Council on Town operations. A Town Administrator assists the Mayor in carrying out these responsibilities.
