[UPDATED 10 a.m., June 11] Dale Morris, the city of Charleston’s chief resilience officer, resigned Friday, a blow to the city’s efforts to mitigate the effects of rising tides and climate change.
The resignation, which is said to have surprised many past and present city insiders, comes less than three weeks after a major administrative reorganization by Charleston Mayor William Cogswell. In the restructuring, Morris’ office was moved away from directly advising the mayor and put under Logan McVey, the city’s new chief policy officer who was a key part of Cogswell’s successful 2023 campaign.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Cogswell said he was grateful for Morris’ service and the opportunity to work with him.
“From the original Dutch Dialogues and Climate Action Plan to the upcoming Water Plan, Dale’s background in economics and policy has been instrumental in bringing attention to our city’s flooding problems and he has helped facilitate ideas on how to defend against rising waters,” Cogswell said.
But he also suggested a fissure between his approach and that of former Mayor John Tecklenburg.
“While I am sad to see him go, we are at a natural dividing point between policy and action,” Cogswell said. “I am excited to focus on tangible solutions for our growing water issues, and I believe now is the time for engineers to take the lead in building the necessary improvements to protect our residents and their properties.”
Morris brought world-class environmental and planning credentials to the Holy City in building ways to manage water and help the city plan and adapt land-use and water projects for the future. He also was key in the city’s Dutch Dialogues to learn from the world’s other Lowcountry, the Netherlands, about living with rising and ebbing water.
Prior to working in Charleston, he served for six years as director for strategic partnerships at the Water Institute of the Gulf in Louisiana, which was preceded by 24 years of service as senior economist at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Charleston anti-flooding activist Susan Lyons, chairman of Groundwell, said she was “exceedingly distressed” about Morris’ departure.
“I have been focused on Charleston’s flooding problem since 2017, the third of three major flood events,” she said. “For much of that time, the city lacked the necessary direction and expertise to come up with workable, affordable responses to this growing threat. Within a short time of Dale’s arrival less than three years ago, the problem has been tackled with intelligence, experience and a rare sense of commitment.”
She noted that Morris brought extraordinary talents to Charleston in working with homeowners and stakeholders to keep people informed and working together.
“His departure raises the consistently-gnawing question: What is Charleston prepared to do in order to preserve our homes, our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our future?” she asked.
Belvin Olasov, director of the Charleston Climate Coalition, raised similar concerns.
“Dale Morris has been steering a very large and consequential ship, planning for a Charleston that survives climate crisis-fueled sea level rise,” he said. “I hope that in the wake of his departure, the city maintains his sober recognition of the scale of the challenge, his support of nature-based solutions, and his progress on securing federal cooperation.
“A Charleston where folks can continue to live and thrive depends on it.”
In November, Morris told the City Paper that people often don’t think about the crippling consequences of water in a low area like Charleston.
“People think storm surge isn’t a problem in Charleston,” he said. “It is, in fact, the highest risk we face.”
He said people needed to start talking about the issues of heat, water and the Lowcountry’s changing weather. He pointed to last year’s flooding of city streets during Tropical Storm Idalia, which hit Charleston during a king tide.
“That type of disruption happens four or five times a year — it used to happen once every five years,” he said, adding that by 2050 it could happen 16 to 25 times a year if nothing changes.
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