Last month, the Surfrider Foundation, Outer Banks Chapter, had no idea whether or not they would be able to continue on as an organization or close the chapter for good.

Matt Walker and Ivy Ingram, the current chairs of the chapter, reached out to the community and invited all those interested in helping the chapter stay alive to a meeting at the Outer Banks Brewing Station on January 11.

Forty-five people gathered in the upstairs meeting area of the restaurant that night to hear what the chapter needed to continue.

Ingram and Walker had taken over the chapter around 2005; since then, they have worked to oppose offshore drilling, plastic bags and cigarette butts along with jumpstarting campaigns to promote the health of the Outer Banks beaches.

After 15 years, Walker said, “what it comes down to is that we’re all pretty bushed.” Ingram has recently been appointed Mayor Pro Tem of Kill Devil Hills after being voted onto the Board of Commissioners, along with her teaching position, and Walker is the editor for Milepost magazine. “In a lot of ways, we’re not really doing the chapter justice,” Walker added.

The goal of the meeting in early January was to find new blood. All executive board positions, including chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer and volunteer coordinator were open.

During the meeting, Ingram and Walker invited the attendees to talk to the current board and express any interest in joining. On Thursday, Jan. 30, Ingram said they had their first official meeting with the board members.

The board is still a work in progress, but most of the major executive positions have been filled. Training with the new board will continue to take place as they transition in their new roles. Ingram said the first chapter meeting with the new and current boards will take place on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Outer Banks Brewing Station.

Ingram added, “Our chapter director is going to come down and do some training with the new board in March.” With the new members in place, the chapter will be able to continue to grow.

“New blood is a good thing,” Walker said during the January meeting. The new board consists of co-chairs Tamara and Chris Warren, vice chair Susan Crow, secretary James Ulrich and volunteer coordinator Chris Hamrick. The chapter is still in need of a treasurer.

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