Ocracoke Boards & Committees
Over the next few months, the Current will delve into more detail about how these boards work and interact with each other and the community.
This is, of course, a living document. Board memberships change often, usually annually, and we'll try to keep the list updated. If anything's wrong on here, let us know and we'll fix it ASAP! (Email is best: ocracokecurrent@gmail.com)
Elected positions:
Hyde County Board of Commissioners: Randal Mathews (Ocracoke), Earl Pugh, chair (Lake Landing), Ben Simmons (Fairfield), Shannon Swindell (Currituck), Jan Moore (Swan Quarter)
Hyde Board of Education: Angie Todd (Ocracoke), chair; Thomas Whitaker, vice-chair; Aleta Cox, Lindsey Mooney, Chanta Gibbs Rickard
Ocracoke Sanitary District: Bill Caswell, Flavia Burton, Regina Boor, Ronnie O’Neal, Scott Bradley
Hyde County Boards and Committees Appointed by county commissioners:
Ocracoke Township Tourism Development Authority (TDA): Kenny Ballance, chair; Susie Rockel, Jennifer Esham, Lisa Landrum, Martha Garrish. Paid staff: Executive director, Helena Stevens; administrative assistant, Sharon Brodisch; bookkeeper, Jeff Dippold; social media manager, Kathryn Waldrop. Funding source: 2% occupancy tax
Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board: Bob Chestnut, chair; Nancy Leach, Trudy Austin, Ann Warner, Lena O’Neal. Funding source: 3% occupancy tax
Ocracoke Waterways Committee: Beaver Tillett, Morty Gaskill, Ernie Doshier, Scott Bradley, Darlene Styron, Farris O’Neal.
Ocracoke Board of Adjustment (a.k.a. variance board): William Howard, chair; B.J. Oelschlegel, John Giagu, Jake Johnson. Alternates: Ann Warner, Joseph Ramunni
Ocracoke Community Center: Donnie Shumate, chair; Doreen Robinson, Candy Gaskill (Note: management of the Community Center has been county-centered since Hurricane Dorian. The board hasn't met since 2020.)
Ocracoke Mosquito Control Board: Rudy Austin, Cindy Gaskill, Chris Salerno, Jennifer Garrish, Brian Samick. Paid staff: Beaver Tillett. Funding source: county mosquito tax.
Ocracoke Planning Advisory Board (Ocracoke Development Ordinance): Corky Pentz, chair; Albert O’Neal, Stevie Wilson, Garick Kalna, Heather Johnson, Sue O’Neal
Ocracoke Emergency Control Group: Hyde County manager, emergency manager, sheriff’s deputies, commissioners; representatives from National Park Service, NCDOT Ferry Division, Tideland EMC, OVFD, Ocracoke School, Coastal Gas, water plant, and some Ocracoke business owners. The control group meets as necessary. Meetings are not open to the public.
Non-profits and Community Organizations:
Ocracoke's non-profits apply for grants, fundraise, seek donations, and/or request Occupancy Tax funds.
Ocracoke Fire Protection Association (OFPA): Ernie Doshier, Albert O’Neal, Karmen Laton, Jeff Dippold, treasurer. Works with Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department (OVFD).
Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS): Executive committee: Ken DeBarth, president; Bill Cole, vice president; Jeanie Owens, secretary; Charlie Ralston, treasurer; Member-at-Large: Kathi O’Neal Weiss; Trustees: Peter Vankevich, Candy Gaskill, Judy Garrish, Bob Kornegay, Brant Godfrey. Paid staff: Executive director, Andrea Powers; administrative assistant, Anne Becker
Ocracoke Civic and Business Association (OCBA): Board of directors: Bob Chestnut, president; Rob Orr, Lynn Murphree, Meredith Rollman. Paid staff: administrator: (position currently open); event coordinators, Connie Leinbach & Sharon Brodisch.
Ocracoke Alive: Desirée Ricker, president; Sharon Brodisch, vice president; Daniel Sockwell, treasurer, John Spagnolo, secretary; Chad Macek, Sonya Allen. Executive director (paid position): David Tweedie
Ocracoke Foundation, Inc.: Scott Bradley, Rudy Austin, Ellen Gaskill, Al Scarborough, Gene Ballance, Claire Senseney
WOVV 90.1FM Community Radio Station: Tommy Hutcherson, chair; Tom Cain, treasurer; Robin Macek, secretary; Jenny Scarborough, Sara Teaster, Tim Fields, John Simpson, Les Wooten, Matt Tolson. Paid staff: Chad Macek, Peter Vankevich, Nathan Modlin, Steph Ihle
Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association (OWWA): David Hilton
Ocracoke Friends of the Library: Carol Pahl, president; Rachael Pulwers, Andrea Arnold, Lisa Landrum, Deborah Ralston, Ann Borland, Cathy Scarborough (Note: Ocracoke Library is a branch of the non-profit BHM Regional Library, headquartered in Washington, NC. The BHM public library services are offered on Ocracoke in the Ocracoke School Library building. Ocracoke's representative to the BHM library board is Liz Hotchkiss. BHM paid staff: Sundae Horn, Jim Borland, Laura McClain)
Ocracoke Race Committee (5K/10K/Half-Marathon): Angie Todd, race director; David Scott Esham, Andy Todd, Steph Ihle, Lulu Perez, Calvin Hanrahan, Bob Kremser, Tommy Hutcherson, Jack Keys
Ocracoke Youth Center (OYC): Vince O’Neal, president; Andy Todd, vice president; Brian Samick, Mary McKnight, Jeanie Owens, Thurston Sumner.
Ocracats: Rita Thiel, vice president; Connie Leinbach, secretary; Gael Hawkins, Laura Trent, Anna Rucker, Melinda Sutton. No current president or treasurer.
Ocracoke Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament (OISFT): Dave Frum, Sharon Miller, Woody Billings
Ocracoke Decoy Carvers Guild: John Simpson, president; Vince O'Neal, vice president; Scotty Robinson, treasurer; secretary; additional board members Trudy Austin, David O'Neal, and Dan Robinson
Ocracoke Needle & Thread Club (Quilters): Ann Borland, Debbie Leonard
Ocracoke Health Center (OHC): Susan Pentz, chair; R.S. Spencer, vice-chair; Julio Morales, treasurer; Susan Dodd, secretary; Michael Adams, Howard Bennink, Morton Gaskill, Earl Pugh, Jr.; Art Keeney, Alice Keeney, Alice McCabe, Ed Cody, Russ Reynolds, Delphine McMurrin (these are Ocracoke and mainland/Engelhard members)
North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (NCCLT): Owns and manages Springer's Point Nature Preserve
Ocracoke Lifesaving Church: Board members: Don Hahn, Dan Robinson, Ed Cody
Ocracoke United Methodist Church: Pastor Logan Jackson
Affiliated with Ocracoke School:
Ocracoke School PTA: Claudia Lewis, president; Allison O’Neal, vice president; Noel Goodwin, secretary; Becca Trejo, Antonia Ortiz
Ocracoke Athletic Boosters: Alice Burruss, Lena O’Neal, Noel Goodwin, Lulu Perez, Cheri Ely, and Eli Straw.
Ocracoke 21st Century Community Learning Center (After-School program) (all paid positions): Nancy Leach, director.
