Jim Moore has spent his entire adult life serving others, and that same spirit of service is what he brings to his work as Saluda County Council Chairman today. From Barnwell to the Navy, from the classroom to the council chambers, his story is one of stepping up when called, learning what needs to be learned, and getting the job done
Born in Barnwell, South Carolina, Jim grew up with the values of hard work, service, and perseverance that still guide him today. After graduating from Barnwell High School, he attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he earned a BS degree in Marketing and got his first exposure to government as a Page in the South Carolina Senate, watching how laws are made firsthand.
Rather than taking an easy path after college, he went to work for Daniel Construction, learning what it meant to be part of a team that builds things that last—a practical, hands‑on approach to leadership that still defines him.
In 1975, Jim enlisted in the Navy, later attending Officer Candidate School and becoming a Surface Warfare Officer. Over a 20‑year Navy career, he served on seven different ships and advanced through every level of responsibility. He served as Navigator, Chief Engineer, and Executive Officer, making multiple deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf, including navigating the USS Peterson (DD 969) in the Straits of Hormuz when President Carter pledged that the United States would keep that vital waterway open in 1977. He later served as the executive officer of a destroyer tender, leading 948 sailors and managing millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and mission‑critical operations—experience in leading large teams, solving problems under pressure, and making tough decisions with limited resources that he now applies to Saluda County government.
When Jim retired from the Navy at the rank of Commander, he chose Saluda as home. He continued his commitment to young people by teaching NJROTC at Saluda High School. Facing a classroom of 30 students became his introduction to public speaking. He also served as academic team coach, assistant golf coach, and rifle team coach, passing on the discipline, character, and leadership that had defined his own career.
After 17 years of teaching, he retired again, but his public service did not stop; he ran for and won a seat on the Saluda County School District One Board of Trustees. He served seven years while working to support students, teachers, and parents with accountability and fiscal responsibility.
In January 2022, Jim was asked to run for Saluda County Council Chairman. He has never claimed to be a career politician, and he did not pretend to know everything about county government when he started. What he did bring was a proven ability to solve problems, to listen, to learn, and to put in the hours required to do the job well.
Elected in June 2022, Jim threw himself into understanding how Saluda County truly works—how roads are fixed, what happens to trash after pickup, how EMS, law enforcement, and fire services operate, and where the money comes from to pay county employees—everything a Chairman should know in addition to running council meetings.
Because he is retired and not working a full‑time job, Jim has been able and willing to invest the many hours necessary to be an effective Chairman, including attending 44 daytime meetings and 93 evening meetings last year alone, not counting one‑on‑one conversations with citizens and daily work in the office.
That investment of time and leadership has produced results.
Under Jim’s leadership, the county has completed most of the capital projects approved in the 2018 referendum, with the final major project—the new Detention Center—scheduled for completion this summer. He worked with Senator Billy Garrett to bring an urgent care facility to Saluda, which is expected to open soon, expanding local access to healthcare. He was instrumental in building a new EMS Headquarters, moving operations out of the basement of the Nursing Home and into a facility that better serves first responders and citizens.
To encourage economic development, Jim partnered with Representative Cal Forrest’s colleague, Representative Clyburn, to secure a 325,000‑dollar Rural Infrastructure Authority grant, combining it with county funds to build a road with water and sewer in the County Commerce Park, substantially increasing the marketability of that property.
As Chairman, Jim Moore draws on a lifetime of leadership—from the ship’s deck to the classroom to the council chambers—to make thoughtful, responsible decisions for Saluda County. He approaches every issue the way he did in the Navy: define the problem clearly, listen to the people most affected, weigh the options carefully, and then take decisive action.
His background in construction and welding helps him understand infrastructure and capital projects; his decades in uniform have ingrained planning, preparation, and accountability; and his years in education and on the school board keep him focused on the long‑term future of Saluda’s children and community.
Jim also serves beyond the council chamber, as a member of Saluda Baptist Church where he has taught Sunday School and has been on the Deacon Board multiple times as Chairman. In local veterans organizations he has served as First Vice Commander of American Legion Post 65 and as a member of the Disabled American Veterans.
Since 2003, Jim has served the Saluda County Republican Party as the Executive Committeeman for the Saluda 2 Precinct.
Jim and his wife, Merry Bryant Moore, have been married for 27 years, and together they share four children and seven grandchildren.
Dedication and service define his life—whether in uniform, in the classroom, in the church, or in county government, he has consistently answered the call to serve and done the work. In this election for Saluda County Council Chairman, voters have the opportunity to keep a proven, steady, and hard‑working leader at the helm—a leader who has earned their trust through a lifetime of service and who is ready to continue that service for four more years.
