Joey Elswick is this New Year’s Bartender of the Month and you can
find this happy chick at Huc A Poos! I first met Joey at Wind Rose and I
thought this girl was fun. Turns out, I was right. Joey is fun! Always smiling
(except for the three days after her birthday party), you can’t help but
giggle when she’s in the room, and it’s from that smart mouth and witty
sense of humor. When I sat down with our Girl Friday for the month I was
in for a treat! You never really know people until you get drunk together (I
mean drink water and behave like ladies), and with a name like that (her
mom loves “Guess who’s coming to dinner?”), what could possibly go
wrong?
Here is Joey’s story: Born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, with
her sister, Joey graduated from Capital High School and was (is) such a
talented artist that her mentor and art teacher, Mary Smith, insisted she
pursue a degree in graphic design. After looking at several schools, Joey
decided SCAD was for her. While she was SCAD ing, she discovered Tybee
and that was really all it took! This Tybee beach of ours lures people in! She
would wear her bathing suit to class every day in anticipation of hitting the
beach and it saved time! Love it!!
After graduating from SCAD with her Bachelor’s in Graphic Design,
Joey moved back to Charleston and started working for Charleston Area
Medical Center in their marketing department. After creating and designing
38 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JAN 2018
ads for them for eight years, it was time to move along and she went to
a Charleston agency as a Senior Designer. Just around the same time,
she was also an adjunct professor at West Virginia State College, teaching
graphic design. Just imagining this lady teaching makes me smile. I’m sure
all of her students had the best year of their lives in her classes!! During all
this she managed to fit in having a baby, Damon, and is now grandma to
three: Josiah, Amiah and Ayla! This girl is busy!
Growing tired of office work in particular and West Virginia in general,
Joey moved directly to Tybee. She got a job at North Beach Grill and melted
into Tybee Life. When a position became available at Poos, Joey leapt at the
chance to be a part of that great, crazy place and has been there for over
two years now.
I asked the Four Questions of Existence:
Tybee Life: Since 2014 (y’all do the math)
When I grow up I want to be: Retired
Passion: Movies! Every Sunday after church was movie day and Mom
got me hooked on Elvis.
Spirit Animal: The Otter. They love to swim and they are free and fast
as well as sleek and mean when they want to be.
Joey’s go-to drink is the JoJo CoCo. A fab mix of Rum Haven and other
stuff I can’t divulge. Just know if you have a few you can guar on tee
losing your shoes and maybe your bra (this is based on eye witness
reports), but there are other shoes and bras in your closet so who cares
anyway?
Joey loves her job and her people; you can tell. She is still free lancing in
graphic design and art, but when you are on the beach slinging drinks,
everybody’s on Tybee Time enjoying the laid back life.
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By Alaina Loughridge - Photo by Wen McNally