David Cohen brings decades of experience and a deep connection to the Isle of Palms as he joins City Council.
Cohen first came to the Isle of Palms in 1981 while completing an internship at the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Drawn by the Island’s beach community and affordable cost of living at the time, he began spending time on the Isle while alternating between South Carolina and Tennessee. After graduating from Tennessee Technological University with a degree in Electrical Engineering, he moved to Mount Pleasant full-time in 1986 before returning to the Isle of Palms in 1988. He purchased a home on the Island in 1990.
In 1997, Cohen married his wife, Denise, a Sullivan’s Island native, and together they welcomed their daughter, Emma, in 1998.
Cohen has a long history of civic involvement on the Isle of Palms. In 2009, he was selected to serve on the Isle of Palms Planning Commission, where he served for three years. After retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2019 following a 38-year career, he rejoined the Planning Commission in 2020.
With his background as a systems engineer and his extensive service on the Planning Commission, Cohen looks forward to bringing thoughtful, informed discussion to City Council. He is especially committed to preserving the Isle of Palms’ small-town, residential character while thoughtfully balancing the Island’s role as a family-oriented vacation destination and public beach for the greater Charleston region.