The president of Kiawah Island Golf Resort, who was instrumental in bringing the PGA Championship to the renowned Ocean Course three times, is stepping down after a 23-year run.
Roger Warren announced he plans to retire at the end of the year.
A successor has not been named.
Bill Goodwin, the resort’s chairman and longtime owner, said in a statement that Warren has “left an indelible mark” on the luxury seaside getaway, which includes the top-ranked 255-room Sanctuary hotel, five public golf courses, multiple food-and-beverage offerings and a world-class racquet-sports center.
“We are extremely grateful for his contributions and look forward to honoring his legacy while identifying the next leader to guide the resort into the future,” Goodwin said.
Warren, a former high school teacher and Illinois native, joined the resort as director of golf in April 2003 from Seven Bridges Country Club near Chicago. At the time, he was the incoming president of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America.
Two years later, he was promoted to the top role at Kiawah, calling it “one of the greatest honors of my professional life.”
Among other accomplishments, Warren made his mark on the local hospitality industry by helping lure the PGA Championship to Kiawah in 2012 and again in 2021. The global sporting spectacle, one of professional golf’s four annual “major” tournaments, will return to The Ocean Course in 2031.
“I am deeply thankful to the ownership and board of Kiawah Island Golf Resort for their trust and support over the past 23 years,” Warren said in a statement. “Any accomplishments achieved during my tenure were only possible because of the dedication, talent, and passion of our executive committee, managers, employees, partners and stakeholders.”
Helen Hill, president and CEO of Explore Charleston, said Warren has played an instrumental role in advancing Explore Charleston’s mission by serving on its Board of Governors. He spent two years as chairman.
“Roger Warren has been a vital part of our region’s hospitality industry for decades,” Hill said. “Among his many contributions to Kiawah and the broader community, one of the most enduring will be his legacy in elevating the Charleston region to the global stage of golf.”
The resort plans “to explore opportunities” with Warren for “advisory support regarding select development projects and transition-related matters.”
Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm, has been hired to help recruit a successor.
Duane Parrish, director of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said Warren’s leadership at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort has elevated both the resort and the state’s “reputation as a premier tourism and golf destination.”
“His legacy will endure through his commitment to excellence in his instrumental role in securing the 2031 PGA Championship for Kiawah Island,” Parrish said. “On behalf of Discover South Carolina, we congratulate Roger on an outstanding career and wish him and his family all the best in retirement.”