About Councilmember Whitley

G.M. Whitley was first elected to Mount Pleasant Town Council in 2017. She was reelected in 2021 and resides in Mount Pleasant with her husband, four children, and a dog.

She earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was a member of Law Review and a moot court semi-finalist. After completing her law degree, G.M. taught at the University of Chicago and practiced intellectual property law in Los Angeles. She then retired from active practice to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Whitley Household. In 2020, she cofounded Lattice Climbers, a company dedicated to teaching soft and life skills to young adults.

G.M. is also President of the Girls State Alumnae Foundation and attended the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State in 1996, where she was elected governor. She has volunteered with the ALA Girls State program in both California and South Carolina in a variety of capacities since 2000.

Council Achievements

  • Initiated placement of a referendum on the 2022 ballot for $50 million dollars to build and enhance parks and recreation facilities in Mount Pleasant.
  • Initiated funding for rental of a facility to support community arts and culture.
  • Initiated Art on the Half Shell working with staff and the Culture, Arts, and Pride Commission
  • Initiated the creation of Mount Pleasant's Youth Council
  • Ensured the addition of a splash pad to Memorial Waterfront Park
  • Initiated the formation of Mount Pleasant's Settlement Communities Task Force
  • Worked with Recreation Department to add Toddler Time as an offering​
  • Worked with staff to revamp online resources for seniors
  • Initiated an amendment to the No Smoking Ordinance to include vaping
  • Worked with staff to place barriers at Old Bridge to prevent golf cart destruction of turf
  • Initiated non-discrimination ordinances unanimously approved by council
  • Worked with Humane Society to initiate ordinances to support humane tethering of dogs and Good Samaritan rules for dogs in hot cars unanimously approved by council
  • Initiated a study of the arts in Mount Pleasant
  • Initiated change to have Mount Pleasant residents register first for town recreation offerings
  • Initiated creation of a fund to support creation of an arts center in Mount Pleasant​
  • Worked with Public Services towards nontoxic maintenance of ball fields
  • Initiated opening of a fund to accept donations to support work with Magwood family to bring a bronze sculpture of Captain Magwood to the Magwood Boardwalk

Significant Council Votes

  • Supported ban on single use plastics
  • Supported Short Term Rental ordinance restrictions
  • Supported permit allocation and moratorium on apartment buildings
  • Opposed increase in building heights at Patriot's Point
  • Supported lowering of building heights throughout the town
  • Chaired Planning Committee through unanimous council implementation of the Comprehensive Plan​
  • Supported masking ordinance for grocery stores and pharmacies during the pandemic

Service Above Self 

                 "In addition to bringing my ideas forth to council and representing the town at various events, my job is to listen to constituents and, where I am able, help them implement the changes needed to better our community. It's my job to take the football and try to run it to the end zone, and the only way to achieve this is through collaboration with my fellow council members." -- G.M. Whitley