SeamonWhiteside Invests in Future of Parks and Recreation with Addition of Tom O’Rourke
New role expands the firm’s ability to plan, design, and support successful recreation systems across the Southeast
SeamonWhiteside (SW+), a full-service site design firm with offices throughout the Carolinas, announces the addition of Tom O’Rourke as director of parks and recreation services. Based in the firm’s Mount Pleasant headquarters and serving all SW+ offices, O’Rourke will lead efforts to expand the firm’s parks and recreation practice while helping communities throughout the Southeast create more impactful and sustainable recreation systems.
With more than 35 years of parks and recreation leadership experience, O’Rourke brings a unique combination of operational expertise, industry relationships, and a lifelong passion for public spaces. His addition strengthens SW+’s ability to serve municipalities, recreation departments, and community leaders by combining planning, engineering, landscape architecture, and operational insight under one roof.
“Tom is one of the most respected professionals in the parks and recreation industry,” said Lee Gastley, managing principal at SeamonWhiteside. “He has spent decades helping communities understand the value of recreation and the role it plays in improving quality of life. His experience, relationships, and passion make him an ideal fit for SW+ as we continue expanding our parks and recreation services throughout the Southeast.”
In his role, O’Rourke will focus on strengthening relationships with parks and recreation departments, supporting community planning initiatives, and helping unify expertise across SW+’s offices to create a comprehensive regional parks and recreation practice. He will also provide strategic guidance on recreation operations, needs assessments, funding opportunities, and long-term facility planning.
The addition comes as communities throughout the Southeast continue investing in parks, trails, sports complexes, and public gathering spaces that support health, economic development, tourism, and community connectivity.
“Planning, engineering, and landscape architecture create the blueprint, but operational insight is what ensures a public space thrives for generations,” said O’Rourke. “I’m excited to join a team that shares my passion for serving communities and creating places that bring people together. By combining our expertise, we can help communities build recreation systems that continue delivering value for decades to come.”
SW+ has a long history of delivering parks and recreation projects across the Carolinas, including sports complexes, playgrounds, trail systems, parks, and community master plans. Recent and ongoing efforts include work on the Saluda Grade Trail, a multi-county rail-trail project; the Kenny Mile trail segment of Mount Pleasant Way; the Orangeburg Baseball Complex; and planning initiatives that support outdoor recreation throughout the region.
Beyond expanding project opportunities, O’Rourke’s role will help recreation departments navigate increasingly complex challenges related to growth, funding, programming, and operations. His experience will allow SW+ to provide communities with a broader range of services designed to maximize the long-term success of public investments.
As SW+ continues to grow throughout the Southeast, the addition of O’Rourke reinforces the firm’s commitment to creating healthy, connected, and vibrant communities through thoughtful planning and design.
To learn more about SeamonWhiteside, its offices, and projects, visit www.SeamonWhiteside.com.
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ABOUT SEAMONWHITESIDE
SeamonWhiteside (SW+) is a full-service site design firm providing master planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, urban design, land surveying, water resources, permit coordination, and construction administration to public and private clients throughout the Carolinas. SW+ elevates the site design experience through a full commitment to its people, clients, plans, and communities. Their passion, collaboration, quality, and care results in innovative spaces that enrich lives and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, SeamonWhiteside also has offices in Summerville, Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, Charlotte, and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information on SW+, visit www.seamonwhiteside.com.
