Born in Marion, SC, Gerald spent his youth there and summers in Myrtle Beach, where his family had a small cottage. Being the son of a Cotton Merchant, he often accompanied his father on trips between gins and cotton mills throughout the Carolinas. He attended Clemson University, where he received a business degree.
At Clemson, he was an artist and cartoonist for the Chronicle magazine, plus earned the Outstanding Member Award for his participation in the Student Union. After working in hotels in Myrtle Beach and Orlando, Fla., he returned to Clemson for a degree in Forest Management. He was hired away from International Paper by a local architect needing a draftsman, and eventually signed on with S. Derrick Mozingo Associates in 1986. In 1993, after completing eight years of apprenticeship, he obtained his Architecture license in S.C. He was made partner of the new Mozingo + Wallace, Architects, LLC., in 1995.
Gerry and his wife live in a home located in Conway that is on the National Historic Register. Raising two sons got him involved in soccer as a coach and referee, where he has officiated games from Under age 6 teams up to college level, serving as referee coordinator for the Myrtle Beach YMCA league for several years. In Conway, he has served as Chairman of the city’s Planning Commission, has been a deacon and elder in his church, a member of the Horry County Historical Society and a Friend of the Conway Library. He currently serves on Conway’s Community Appearance Board and the Horry County Historic Preservation Commission.
Being trained as a draftsman, Gerry strives to create easily readable and understandable drawings, particularly in building details, using the simplest construction materials possible. This makes construction easier, resulting in great looking buildings with minimal fuss and costs. What excites him about architecture is the creation of the organic and organized entire building, knowing that the structure is pleasing to its users, from an aesthetically beautiful exterior to the smallest interior detail.