Catching Up with Tina Schell
E
ach year the Kiawah Conservancy’s
annual report features a volunteer who
has devoted time to furtherance of the
organization’s mission. Our selection
this year is Tina Schell. If you’ve met Tina, it’s likely
you’ll remember the occasion. Her boundless energy,
quick wit, and positive outlook combine to make an
indelible impression. Tina speaks her mind fearlessly,
applying the stamina and clear focus that illuminate
every conversation she engages in and every task she
tackles. Maybe some of these formidable traits link
to Tina’s DNA or her upbringing. She was born and
raised in central New Jersey—the second oldest of
five children and the only girl. Growing up with four
brother (and, yes, their names are Tim, Tom, Todd and
Tony), she quickly learned how to make herself heard
and seen, even when she was not the largest or loudest
person in the room.
As it turns out, Tina not only survived but also
flourished in the tumult of family life and beyond. Even
today she vividly remembers when, as a seventh grader,
her takeaway from a “career day” forum was that the
brightest path for her and other girls like her was
to become … a secretary. Obviously, that particular
lesson didn’t take. She graduated from Saint Francis
University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and started her
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career in human resources at Johnson & Johnson in
New Brunswick, New Jersey.
During the ensuing years, Tina transitioned
from HR to sales, assuming positions of escalating
responsibility. She eventually relocated to Philadelphia
to become part of what were then the early days of the
computer industry. She moved from Sperry Univac
to Data General Corporation, and finally to Cisco
Systems, where she ultimately became a Director of
sales and services.
Along the way, Tina met and married Bailey
Schell, her husband of twenty years. Together they
retired in February of 2000 and both knew they
wanted to relocate from the Northeast to a warmer
climate. Their search was careful and purposeful, and
while researching myriad possibilities, Tina applied
the single-mindedness that is as natural to her as
breathing. Together, Tina and Bailey visited many
communities along the Eastern Seaboard—but upon
setting foot on Kiawah Island, they knew they had at
last found their way “home.”
When it comes to Kiawah, Tina doesn’t mince
words. “We have traveled all over the world, and there
is just no other place like this island,” she says. 8