When Lewis Blanchard was assigned to work as a school resource officer at the new Lakeside High School in 1990, he was initially derided by many students as the “Narc,” the “Snitch” and the “Country Club Cop.”
After all, Blanchard was barely out of high school himself, and since he had the last name of Blanchard, it was assumed that Lewis was a “nepo-hire;” but that could not have been further from the truth.
MORE: Augusta man challenges eligibility of 47 voters
The son of a Labor Department bureaucrat father and a hairdresser mother, Blanchard came from solid middle class stock and had already embarked on his dream of being a public servant before graduating high school.
As a student, Blanchard joined the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Explorer program, which is affiliated with the Boy Scouts. As a senior, he pursued further education through joint enrollment at Aiken Technical College to earn his Emergency Medical Technician certification.
During summertime, Blanchard worked as a lifeguard and beach patrolman and was actively involved with the Sea Pines Forest Beach Fire Department and Hilton Head Island Rescue Squad.
The students at Lakeside found out quickly that Blanchard was no country club cop; he was hired to be on hand in case an emergency arose, but he found that most of his time was spent mentoring students rather than chasing them around when he smelled a whiff of cigarette smoke.
“I was raised in a loving Christian household, and I was taught to be compassionate at an early age. So, I have never thought of myself as a member of a SWAT team. I see public safety just as the term suggests, using the skills I learned to help keep the public safe,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard tells of a time when he caught a student carrying marijuana on campus and when the mother arrived to pick up her son, she was angrier than a wet hen, only she was angry at Blanchard for busting her little darling.
According to Blanchard, the student calmed his mother down and took the blame on himself.
“Mom, don’t be mad at Lewis. I’m the one who brought the pot to school. This is all my fault,” the kid said.
Blanchard says he was surprised when the 1991 Lakeside Valedictorian Weems Pennington, who is now a successful doctor, singled him out in his graduation speech.
“Lewis always tried to make a positive impression while helping but not enabling,” Pennington remarked, reflecting on the officer’s guidance during his time at Lakeside.
Over time, Blanchard progressed to the role of chief of police for the Columbia County School District and was appointed sergeant with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
From there, Blanchard was approached by the hospitality industry to provide his services, but he says that he initially was not interested.
“It certainly seemed like something that would be fun, but I really wasn’t sure until they made me an offer that I just couldn’t refuse,” Blanchard said.
The job would have Blanchard working events like the Masters, U.S. Open, Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and Kentucky Derby. Throughout this time, he expanded his work in hospitality; however, he was always keen to play by the rules set by the event organizers and unlike some unscrupulous characters, he was never accused of making an extra buck off of scalped or below-board acquired tickets.
Long time police veteran and friend Scott Peebles recalls Blanchard taking him and a group of friends to Belize to look at a resort property he was interested in purchasing. On arrival, the friends were not at all impressed by the resort and urged Blanchard to pass on the deal.
“It really didn’t look like much to me, but Lewis had a vision and he bought the property,” Peebles said.
According to Blanchard, he saw potential for the property, and its main problem was something he felt he could fix immediately. The property was plagued with staff turnover, and that had given the resort a bad reputation in terms of service.
“My feeling has always been that if you want the most competent and loyal staff, you have to pay them what they are worth, and you have to show them, not just tell them that they are appreciated,” Blanchard said.
After Blanchard settled in as owner, the turnover rate fell to nearly zero, and he later sold the property at a profit. “The Breezeway” restaurant at the resort has won numerous awards and is rated in the top 1% worldwide by TripAdvisor.
Blanchard’s foray into hospitality did not mean he would abandon his love for public service and law enforcement. In 2016, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams invited him to serve as chief deputy of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, a role he would serve until his retirement in 2020.
Donny Thompson, owner of Windsor Jewelers, says he has had a long association with Blanchard and holds him in high esteem as a self made man.
“Lewis is probably the most organized person I have ever come across and he is a hard worker. He is someone who has earned his successes in life,” Thompson said.
Currently, Blanchard is running for sheriff of Burke County in the November 5 election.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
