S.C. Republican Party executive director Alex Stroman has resigned his post with the party to take a position in the office of State Treasurer Curtis Loftis.
Stroman, 24, will serve as Loftis’ communications director.
“I’m excited to rejoin Treasurer Loftis’ team as he fights to bring transparency and accountability to state government,” Stroman said in an email to party officials obtained by FITS.
Stroman was a staffer on Loftis’ 2010 campaign.
“Curtis has so much potential,” one party source told FITS. “And Alex is one of the few people who ‘get’ him. It’s a positive thing. It will be good to see Curtis’ press operation improve, too.”
Loftis has been involved in several high-profile battles since taking office in 2011. Most notably he has waged a one-man war against corruption and incompetence at the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (SCRSIC), which manages the state’s $25 billion retirement fund.
He’s made some powerful enemies in the process, too, including several who have launched broadsides against him in the mainstream media. Stroman should be able to help him on that front.
SCGOP chairman Matt Moore told FITS Stroman is “an extremely talented guy.”
“I wish him the best,” Moore added.
It’s not immediately clear who will replace Stroman at the party, which has been suffering from severe financial strains in recent months.
42 comments
Seems to me the “executive director” of a statewide mainstream political party at the age of 24 is a remarkable indicator of a job that no one wants, has very little horsepower and doesn’t pay too much.
Stroman has been in the right place at the right time all his life, nothing more than that.
Curmudgeon, Nitrat and M326 are Loftis haters that are bought and paid for lackeys of the
Investment Commission. These three partisan Democrats love paying high
fees, love low returns and love sucking off the tit of government. There is no level of failure they can’t justify.
People that full of hate are sad, sad souls and one has pity for them. They have prostituted themselves for Reynolds Williams and the “other peoples” money and power he represents. All things will come right in the end. It just takes a bit of time.
Where’s the damn contract Loftis???? Quit talking about transparency and show us the contract you agreed to with the Wall Street Bank that you sued for ripping off retirees. Is this to much too ask?
Curtis, How in the world would anybody love paying high fees with low returns? That is an absurd statement. We love a Commission that does what it needs to do: produce a consistent return of 7.5% to meet the obligations to state retirees. Looks like we are doing that and that is what is required to make the system solvent. This is a balance between risk and return which you apparently do not understand. We are getting the return as set by the Budget and Control Board which the actuaries say is necessary to meet obligations and eliminate the unfunded liability. In fact, we are exceeding that standard and reducing the unfunded liability faster than the 7.5% assumed rate of return requires. Why are you so adamantly unhappy about that? Minimizing risk lowers the rate of return. As long as it meets 7.5% or better, we are fine. Why risk more for an elevated rate when 7.5% does it? Please, give it a rest.
When will you haters realize Curtis has a college intern whose job it is to wind up the investment commission insiders and keep them busy. The kid can’t be 20 years old and he keeps you guys busy posting stupid comments nobody reads.
It really is classic.
Why, it is so stupid that I am amazed that a super-intelligent person like you would even deign to comment. Somehow, you would have to read the comments to know they are stupid. Then you state nobody reads them. Nobody…except you. And that’s enough for me. Read on.
I think it’s all the NON-REGULARS who show up to sing Curtis’ praises on every story about him that are the bought and paid for lackeys of Curtis Loftis and the friends he gives multimillion dollar state contracts and jobs to. Are you out there, too, Mallory?
As this regular has said over and over again about Loftis, the main thing that worries me is that SC voters are STILL willing to put a politician, ANY politician, up on a pedestal rather than evaluating their work product – not press releases – objectively. Have we learned nothing from the Mark Sanford experience?
It also bothers me that an elected state agency head appears to think it’s more important to direct a bunch of internet trolls rather than learn about and manage the office of the state treasurer and not just the pension program which seems to have obsessed him – because it offers the best opportunity for camera time?
As someone said: oh, for the days of a treasurer like Grady Patterson.
Sure didn’t stay long….
Several of us were campaign interns on Curt’s 2010 campaign. Alex enjoyed working for Curt and knows the long hours Curt puts in and shares his belief in transparency and accountability. Alex will be a good addition to the Treasurer’s office. I am glad to hear this.
Alex is a fraternity brother of mine and he is the best. Good luck with the new gig!
As a member of the SCGOP Executive Committee I highly recommend Mr. Stroman. He is unfailingly polite, very smart and a diligent staffer. I am sorry to see him leave the party but glad to see him move to the Treasurer’s office.
As a former member of the SCGOP Executive Committee, I too highly recommend Mr. Stroman….for any position outside the SCGOP. He is unfailingly rude, stupid and lazy. I am glad to see him leave the party and sad to see him move to the Treasurer’s Office.
He should have done what the Investment Commission did, which was hire
Danny Varit, who the highest paid press guy in state government. He
makes $98,000 a year, lives out of town and works 3 days a week. Living
off the retirees money is damn good business.Gotta love it
Poor Dickey, a one trick pony trying to deflect attention from Loftis’ use of taxpayer funds to promote himself. Pitiful, just pitiful.
Isn’t this Loftis 3rd communication director within less then a year???
Curtis exterminated the first two
Curtis is very, very difficult to work with, and impossible to work for. He has a monumental temper, vast mood changes, and tells people he was so hyper as a kid that the teachers used to tie him in a chair. He can be brilliant, and also devious. But above else, it is all about Curtis.
Stroman is well respect and will do a good job. Congrats my friend. Best of luck.
“Communications director” ? Why does Curtis need one of them? What does that have to do with the mission of the Office of the Treasurer? Why can’t Curtis be his own communications director? Sorry but this smells like “traditional politician.” Maybe Curtis can explain hiring a “spin doctor.” How many (other) people are on his staff?
The State Treasurer’s office deals with virtually every governmental entity in the state. It manages billions of dollars, makes millions of payments each year, directs the state’s debt, banking, college saving program, unclaimed property program and many others as well. The Treasurer sits on the Budget and Control Board and is Chairman of the board of Financial Institutions, both entities having numerous and varied programs of interest to the public and media.
The Public Affairs Officer directs the communication concerning all of these entities and programs and manages scores of media calls each month, in addition to a multitude of question by constituents.. He will also assist the County Treasurer and Auditors as needed.
It is a big job with lots of responsibility and I wish Mr. Stroman well.
Danny Varit lives less than a mile from my house in the upstate. He is in the neighborhood constantly. If he has a job in Columbia he is not there very often. For 98,500 one o=would think he would have to show up occasionally. Only in SC, only in SC.
And, why a professional staff member rather than a party hack would be a better choice.
Curtis has obviously been watching Pat McCrony and his appointees self-destruct with this kind of crap in NC. He apparently doesn’t understand what he’s seeing.
Excellent point! But here in SC, Republicans prefer to rant and rave against government employees while placing their political cronies on the taxpayers payroll. People get the government they deserve.
Last I checked, he gone!
He should have done what the Investment Commission did, which was hire Danny Varit, who the highest paid press guy in state government. He makes $98,000 a year, lives out of town and works 3 days a week. Living off the retirees money is damn good business.
Loftis should have hired the Investment Commission’s $98,500 year spokesman Danny Verat. But requiring Varet to work 5 days a week and to do something other than run a campaign against Loftis would be difficult. After all, working part time for a sky high salary is a great gig.
Curtis, give it a rest. Nobody likes a sore loser or a loser of any kind. Just fade away.
Kind of a revolving door, huh? From a GOP leadership job to feeding out of the public trough. From Loftis’ website: “Fiscal responsibility starts at the top, so I promise to limit benefits available to me as Treasurer…I will NOT use taxpayer money to promote myself or to seek personal political advantage through the use of State assets.” Really? But I will use taxpayer money to tout myself while in office. Isn’t that what ex-political party communications directors do? That and preparations for the next campaign.
And, I will use taxpayer money to hire partisan hacks rather than utilize the professional staff already employed by the state agency I was elected to ‘lead’…because they won’t lie for me.
He should have done what the Investment Commission did, which was hire
Danny Varit, who the highest paid press guy in state government. He
makes $98,000 a year, lives out of town and works 3 days a week. Living
off the retirees money is damn good business. Very good business.
This job has a high turnover rate. I think Mr. Stroman sounds like a fine young man and is the third person to hold this job under Loftis. One might question the high mortality rate–just what runs these people off? Perhaps, when he really learns that he will have to stretch the truth quite a bit to please Loftis, his integrity will kick in and we will see number four before long. I hope he has that level of integrity and salvages his reputation with it–he has a long career in front of him at 24 years old. Don’t want to blow that by becoming the lap dog of a self-serving ideologue who is more than a tad off-balance. Take care, Mr. Stroman, and don’t blow the rest of your life. Best of luck to you.
He should have done what the Investment Commission did, which was hire
Danny Varit, who the highest paid press guy in state government. He
makes $98,000 a year, lives out of town and works 3 days a week. Living
off the retirees money is damn good business.
Picking the Seniors clean is easy.
Dicky, I agree with you. Now what is Mr. Stroman being paid? Have you looked at the salaries in the Treasurer’s Office? Mr. Loftis has brought in some very nicely paid folks since being there. Mr. Leidinger at $120,510, Mr. Condon at $95,000, Ms. Raven at $95,790, Mr. Kannady at $77,500, Ms. Crosby at $69,000? These are our tax dollars. Many are being paid at more than the Treasurer himself. Of course, none of these are political appointments–they all bring expertise regarding the state treasurer’s functions…sure, you know that, right?
How one longs for Grady Patterson…
Word on the street has it that at least one of Loftis’ employees, in fact a senior member of his inner circle, works only three days a week and makes $66 thousand a year. I bet a lot of South Carolinians wish they could get in on this deal.
I volunteer. I don’t know if I could work three days consecutively for Loftis but maybe if separated by a day or two…NO, maybe not. I don’t like to be bullied.
Clarissa Adams. She spends most of her time up the…chasing CML.
Curtis likes young men.
I love how these government hating twerps just love to get on the government dole.
“…I will NOT use taxpayer money to promote myself or to seek personal political advantage through the use of State assets.” Remember two or three years ago when Loftis pummeled Converse Chellis for doing exactly what he is doing today, using taxpayer money to promote himself. This young man’s primary job responsibilities will be following Loftis around with taxpayer purchased video equipment to document his leader’s claims that he is standing up for transparency and accountability. It’s nothing but pure sound bites and video clips, digital smoke and mirrors. In the words of the immortal bard, ” it is a tale,… full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” If Loftis is so big on transparency how about filling us in on what is really in that 10 year contract with the big Wall Street Bank that he agreed to in order to get his fraternity brother a nice $2 million payday. It has now been six months since Loftis breathlessly announced that he had personally negotiated a settlement with the Bank of New York but no one has seen the contract except for Loftis his yes men and woman, and his attorneys. Loftis should stop talking about transparency and demonstrate it.
He should have done what the Investment Commission did, which was hire
Danny Varit, who the highest paid press guy in state government. He
makes $98,000 a year, lives out of town and works 3 days a week. Living
off the retirees money is damn good business. The living is easy when you are soaking the senior citizens
How come you didnt report his taxpayer paid salary, as well as his benefits and perks, like you do for every politician that you dont support?