Todd Lyle is the newest addition to Lexington’s Town Council.

He was elected in a special election May 29 and sworn in June 11.

The path leading to his candidacy was unusual.

He is one of four siblings who moved to Lexington during his youth.

After touring the world with the armed forces, he settled down in town with his wife and two children.

Active in the community, he attends the non-denominational Radius Church and works as a lawyer and small business owner.

Lyle’s father served in the U.S. Army, creating an example he and his brother, Wes Lyle - a current U.S. Coast Guard and former U.S. Army Captain - would follow.

Lyle graduated from The Citadel in 2003 with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Inspired by the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he joined the U.S. Army.

He later attended aviation school, becoming an aviation officer - a pilot who qualified to fly the OH-58 and AH-64D - the “Apache” helicopter, and earned his current rank of Major. He is still an army aviation officer in the Army National Guard.

He served in Kuwait and Iraq, but “once you’ve promoted up,” he said, “you start flying a desk.”

Years ago, Lyle began a full service real estate business. When the market tanked with the recession of 2008, he decided to try something new.

“I got my rear end handed to me,” he said.

After a tour overseas, he enrolled in the USC Law School and earned his degree. He passed the Law School Admission Test while deployed in Kuwait and enrolled in the post-secondary education program as soon as he returned home.

Lyle’s previous college experience inspired him to make the transition.

During his time at The Citadel, Lyle served a term on the Honor Court.

The Citadel has a strict honor code enforced by students chosen to prosecute and defend peers charged with violations in a formal courtroom setting.

“I took that very seriously,” Lyle said. During his tenure, he defended and prosecuted cases.

His time in the courtroom has given him an appreciation of the importance of local government, inspiring him to run for Town Council.

Lyle ran against local business owner Jeremy Addy and attorney Bennett Casto.

“Lexington is exploding as far as population goes ... there is nothing we can do to stop it from growing.”

The population is expected to double in the coming decades, he said, so the Town Council must use “situational awareness” to plan ahead.

Lexington must use a long term lens to ensure it grows the “right way.”

Leaders need to make decisions that will still be beneficial decades from now, Lyle said.

This is especially important because Lyle and his wife, Kim have a son, Hunter, 5, and a daughter, Hannah, 9, to be raised in the community.

Lyle says this gives him a vested interest in making Lexington a better place to live.