On this episode of Coffee with Cool People, host Chip Munn welcomed Pete Mazzaroni, Executive Director of the Marion County Healthcare Foundation, to talk about resilience, leadership, and the joy of giving back.
Pete’s story winds through several chapters, law enforcement, corporate leadership, and now nonprofit service. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, he became the youngest recruit in his police department before moving into corporate security. That path led to nearly three decades with Roche, where he worked across security, facilities, PR, and external affairs. What was meant to be a two-year assignment in Florence in 1995 turned into 27 years and a lifetime of connection.
When Pete retired in 2017, he could have stopped there. Instead, he stepped into a second act as Executive Director of the Marion County Healthcare Foundation. Since its creation in 2010, the Foundation has invested $15 –16 million into local nonprofits. Under Pete’s leadership, those funds have expanded access to healthcare, supported public education, and improved economic development and transportation. From 3D mammography equipment and CT scanners at MUSC to Wi-Fi-enabled bus shelters and innovation grants for teachers, the Foundation’s impact is felt across the county.
Pete describes himself as an optimist, problem solver, and community advocate. His leadership style is rooted in humility and humor, traits that help him connect with people from all walks of life. He even jokes that his role feels like being “a year-round Santa Claus,” finding joy in helping others thrive.
Chip noted that Pete’s story is as much about character as career. Whether serving as a young police officer, navigating decades in the corporate world, or leading community initiatives today, Pete has always focused on people first. His favorite fictional character, Ted Lasso, captures that same spirit, loyal, empathetic, and optimistic, even in tough situations.
Now based in Pawleys Island with his wife, Lisa, Pete enjoys life as a husband, father, and grandfather of six. But retirement has not slowed him down. Instead, it has given him new purpose: using every chapter of his journey to serve others and strengthen communities.
Pete’s story is a reminder that leadership does not end when a career does. It evolves. And in his case, it continues to ripple outward, improving healthcare, education, and quality of life for thousands of people in Marion County.
