The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce has selected 20 professionals from across the region for the 2026-2027 class of Leadership OBX, the Chamber’s flagship program for emerging and established leaders.
Class members work in health care, education, tourism, local government, real estate, banking, conservation, the arts and small business, at employers that include Outer Banks Health, Dare County Schools, Dare County, the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Roanoke Island Festival Park and the North Carolina Coastal Federation.
From late October through mid-April, the class will take part in a welcome reception, an opening retreat Nov. 2-3 and 10 full-day sessions that go behind the scenes of the industries and institutions shaping the Outer Banks. Session topics include economic development, health care, tourism, education, housing, workforce development, government, environmental stewardship, public safety and regional collaboration.
Every session is designed by the volunteer Leadership OBX Planning Committee. Committee members shape the curriculum, line up speakers and open doors to the businesses, agencies and organizations that class members visit throughout the year, giving their own time so each new class can see how the Outer Banks works from the inside.
“This class brings an incredible mix of experience, from health care and education to tourism, conservation and small business. What makes Leadership OBX work is the volunteers behind it. Our Planning Committee gives its own time to build every session and open doors across the Outer Banks, and we’re grateful to them and proud to welcome this year’s class,” said Hunter Walsh, president and CEO of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.
Graduates join a network of Leadership OBX alumni who serve on local boards, lead organizations and volunteer throughout the region.
The 2026-2027 class is as follows:
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Emily Austin, Stellar Tile & Flooring
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Cady Breslin, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Dare County
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Lynda Burek
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Anna Leigh Chapman, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
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David C. Decker Jr., Carolina Designs Realty
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Brianna Diggs, Carolina Designs Realty
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Madison Floyd, G.R. Little Agency
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Traci DeGrote Florez, First National Bank
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Adam Harris, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
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Austin Horner, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
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Amy Craft Klassen, Roanoke Island Festival Park
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Stefanie McMahon, Outer Banks Health
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Tanya Negron, OBX Room in the Inn
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Olivia Pratt, Roanoke Island Festival Park
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Clifton Ragland, Dare County
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Kevin Schaack, Outer Banks Health
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Lela Schlenker, North Carolina Coastal Federation
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Kelly Short, Outer Banks Health
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Caitlin Spruill, Dare County Schools
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Anne Watts, Outer Banks Play Therapy Center
Leadership OBX is made possible by lead sponsor Outer Banks Health and sponsors Carolina Designs Realty, the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, G.R. Little Agency, the Outer Banks Community Foundation and the First Flight Rotary Foundation, together with the volunteer Leadership OBX Planning Committee.
