Paul Palmer, Jr. has explored and worked every inch of Sandy Cove’s 220-acre property. From living on site as a boy to washing dishes in the kitchen (he even helped install the original telephone system in the Chesapeake Lodge and the pump station at Pioneer Campground) his life is intrinsically tied to the ministry his grandfather started more than 75 years ago. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
While much of his extended family left the area, Paul stayed close, which has allowed him to play a role in the ministry’s inner workings and milestones. He served as Executive Vice President from 1985 to 1989 and leveraged his degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA to oversee the construction of the Chesapeake Lodge. Its completion heralded a new era for Sandy Cove as it became operational year-round for the first time in its history.
“We’ve always told a consistent story,” says Paul, who serves as Chairman of Sandy Cove’s Board of Directors. “And a consistent story is what people believe in. That’s what the Lord has sent me to do and at the end of the day, we’re just telling that story to our family.”
That story has shaped his leadership style as President of Bay Country Associates, a general contracting company.
“It’s about taking care of your customers – that’s what my dad and my grandfather and my Uncle Bob did, and there’s only one way to do it, and that’s to do it well. Whether people see it or not, that’s your integrity.”
