For Landon Papay, service has never been about holding a title. It has always been about being there for people—listening, learning, and finding ways to help.
Landon’s connection to the Lowcountry began more than four decades ago. His father, a 22-year United States Air Force veteran, was stationed in Charleston in 1980 for his final assignment. Landon grew up in a small town outside Summerville, South Carolina, where his mother still lives today. He was raised with the values of hard work, responsibility, family, and service that continue to guide him.
Like many people, Landon started working young. His first jobs included Cici’s Pizza and BI-LO before he joined PepsiCo at age 18 as a weekend merchandiser.
Landon attended Charleston Southern University on academic and athletic scholarships, studying criminal justice and playing football. After his first year, he made the decision to enter the workforce full-time and pursue the opportunities developing at PepsiCo.
But he never gave up on finishing his education.
Years later, while building his career and taking on greater responsibilities, Landon returned to school. In 2011, he graduated magna cum laude from Trident Technical College with an Associate in Applied Science in Criminal Justice.
That determination also defined Landon’s 17-year career with PepsiCo.
What started as a weekend job became an opportunity to work his way through the organization. Within a year, Landon had his own sales route. He later became Warehouse Manager in Summerville, moved into sales management, and eventually became General Manager of the PepsiCo sales facility in Beaufort.
That opportunity brought Landon to this area in 2013 and gave him years of experience managing people, budgets and operations, solving problems, and being accountable for results.
It was also during those early years that a mentor told Landon something he would remember for the rest of his life: he was a “people servant.”
At the time, Landon didn’t fully understand what his mentor meant. As the years passed, he did.
He realized that some of the most rewarding moments in his career weren’t about numbers or accomplishments. They came from helping someone else succeed.
Eventually, Landon decided to take the experience he had gained in corporate leadership and pursue the dream of owning his own business. In December 2018, he established his insurance agency.
Insurance may not have been the career he originally envisioned, but it became another way to serve people.
Whether helping a family recover after a major loss, explaining complicated insurance language, or sitting down with a widow or widower trying to navigate life after losing a spouse, Landon believes some of the most important work he does happens when someone simply needs another person willing to listen, provide guidance, and help them through a difficult situation.
Making Hardeeville Home
Landon and his wife, Megan, a high school science teacher, have been married for 18 years. Together, they are raising their three children and have built a life centered on family, community, and service.
When Landon and his family made Hardeeville their home in 2017, he didn’t want to simply live here. He wanted to be involved.
He joined the City of Hardeeville Recreation Advisory Committee and eventually served as its chairman. He has volunteered his time coaching youth sports and has remained involved in the community as his family has grown.
Landon later ran for Hardeeville City Council in 2024. Although he wasn’t elected, he didn’t stop serving.
He went on to serve on the Hardeeville Planning Commission, where he has had the opportunity to learn more about land use, development, and the challenges that come with managing the extraordinary growth occurring throughout Hardeeville.
Those experiences have also taught him something important: there is always more to learn.
That is why Landon believes good leadership starts with listening. It means asking questions, doing your homework, seeking out people who know more about a subject than you do, and being willing to hear different perspectives before making a decision.
Why City Council?
Landon is running for Hardeeville City Council because Hardeeville is home.
He believes our city has tremendous opportunities ahead of it, but rapid growth also brings serious responsibilities. Roads and infrastructure must keep pace. Growth must be planned responsibly. Taxpayer dollars must be treated with respect. Recreation, trails, and green space should remain part of the conversation. Hardeeville should continue attracting businesses and opportunities while protecting the qualities that make people want to live here in the first place.
Most importantly, residents deserve to know that their voices matter.
Landon isn’t running because he believes he has every answer. He’s running because he is willing to listen, ask difficult questions, learn, and work with residents, City staff, and fellow Council members to find practical solutions.
His life has taken him from a small town outside Summerville, to an entry-level job at PepsiCo, through 17 years of increasing leadership responsibility, back to school to finish his degree with honors, into small-business ownership, and ultimately into community service here in Hardeeville.
Through all of it, the lesson from that early mentor has stayed with him:
Be a people servant.
For Landon, that means showing up, listening, helping where you can, and trying to leave things better than you found them.
And when the titles, businesses, and accomplishments are stripped away, the measure of success that matters most to Landon is much simpler:
Being a husband, a father, a neighbor, and someone his family and community can count on.