As a young surfer, Woodard began visiting Dare County and immediately fell in love with the area’s natural beauty and laid back atmosphere. Woodard invested in his first property in Kill Devil Hills in 1968, and he and his wife, Linda, moved to the area permanently in 1995. 

Before retirement in 2022, Woodard had a distinguished 45-year professional career assisting  business owners and their employees with their insurance needs. He most recently served as vice president of Towne Insurance, providing strategic direction for clients in eastern North Carolina. 

Woodard has been committed to public service—“paying his civic rent”—since he ran for president of the United States Jaycees in the late 1970s. His public service continued after he moved to the Outer Banks and became involved with the Town of Kill Devil Hills, serving as a Kill Devil Hills commissioner from 1999 to 2001 and as mayor pro tem from 2006 to 2011. 

While serving as Dare County commissioner and as chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, Woodard has brought his passion for identifying creative solutions and developing meaningful and cost effective programs. He led the effort to bring a new College of The Albemarle campus to Dare County and to establish the Dare Guarantee Scholarship that enables local students to attend the college for free. 

Woodard serves as a trustee for the College of The Albemarle, chairman of the Emergency Management “Senior Leaders,” and as member of the Capital Improvements Planning Committee, Roanoke Island Historical Association, Dare Bombing Range Advisory Council, 5 on 5 Committee with the Board of Education and chairman of the Dare County Housing Task Force. 

He and his wife, Linda, have two sons and four grandchildren. They enjoy traveling the East Coast in their recreational vehicle while exploring new areas. 

To contact Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard, email Woodard@DareNC.gov.  

Wally Overman earned a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina State University in 1968 and enjoyed an extensive career in the U.S. and international textile industry in quality control, research and development and capital equipment sales. 

He and his wife, Ruth, first fell in love with Dare County in the late 1990s and decided they would eventually retire here. They purchased their home in 1998 and spent weekends in Dare County until making it their permanent home in 2000.  

Upon the unfortunate passing of Commissioner Richard Johnson in 2013, Overman was selected by the Republican party to fill Johnson’s unexpired term on the Dare County Board of Commissioners. He found the work interesting and challenging and continues  to enjoy working to make Dare County a wonderful place to live. 

Overman has a passion for helping those in our community dealing with substance use issues and is responsible for creating the Saving Lives Task Force that brings together professionals and community members to increase access and the availability of effective treatment for all county residents in need of help. He continues to co-chair this task force.

In addition, he serves on the Government and Education Access Channels Committee, the 5 on 5 Committee with the Board of Education, the Capital Improvements and Planning Committee, Public Facilities Corporation, Albemarle Rural Planning Organization and the Trillium Health Resources Regional Board. 

Overman enjoys fishing and shooting sports such as skeet and target shooting. He and Ruth have two Maine Coon cats that “allow them to take care of them.” Ruth owns and operates Sleeping In, Ltd., a ladies boutique in downtown Manteo. They both enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

To contact Vice Chairman Wally Overman, email WallyO@DareNC.gov.  

Rob Ross has owned property in Dare County since 1992 and moved to Nags Head full time in 2013. He originally hails from Pittsburgh. Ross holds an MBA from Xavier University and a B.S. in finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

With 36 years of financial management experience—including roles at Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Shasta Beverages, Carlson Companies and Limited Brands, where he retired as Chief Financial Officer of Limited Brands International in 2011—Ross brings a wealth of financial experience to the board.  

Drawn to public service by a desire to give back and leverage his skills, he values the physical beauty and warm community of Dare County. He serves on various boards and committees, including the Capital Improvements Planning Committee, Dare County Audit Committee (chair), 5 on 5 Committee with the Board of Education, Virginia S. Tillett Community Center Advisory Board, Coastal Studies Institute Board of Directors and Trillium Health Resources Advisory Board.

His commitment also extends to volunteer work with several organizations such as the Outer Banks SPCA, Dementia Friendly Coalition, Dare County Special Olympics, Virginia S. Tillett Community Center annual toy drive and OBX Hotline.

In his personal life, Ross, who sadly lost his wife Charlotte to cancer in 2021, frequently visits his daughter and grandchildren in Columbus, Ohio. An avid golfer, sports fan and Kentucky Derby enthusiast, he enjoys scotch on the rocks and the occasional cigar.

To contact Commissioner Ross, email Rob.Ross@DareNC.gov. 

Commissioner Steve House, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, resides in Southern Shores, with his wife Cheryl, and is the owner of First Flight Services. 

An alumni of the National Fire Academy and NC Rescue College/UNC Chapel Hill, House’s experience in emergency services spanned three decades. 

He is passionate about safeguarding the livelihoods of current and future generations of Dare County watermen and serves as the chairman of both the Oregon Inlet Task Force and the Dare County Commission for Working Watermen. 

House is also actively involved in other boards and committees, including the Dare County Transportation Advisory Board, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Roanoke Island Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition, Outer Banks Scenic Byway Advisory Committee and Dare County Youth Council Advisory Committee.  

A self-proclaimed “Jeeper”—whose volunteerism includes serving as president of OBX Jeep Charities—House enjoys spending his free time with his wife, taking their Jeep on off-road trails and camping along the way. House has two daughters, Ashley and Brittney, as well as a stepdaughter, Ashley, and eight grandchildren.

Contact Commissioner Steve House at Steve.House@DareNC.gov. 

Commissioner Bea Basnight moved to Dare County from her hometown of Hertford, North Carolina, in 1973 after working at the Oasis Restaurant in Nags Head the previous four summers. Drawn to the area by its natural beauty, resilient spirit and strong sense of community, Basnight aims to preserve these qualities through her public service.

With a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Elon University and a Master of Arts in education from East Carolina University, Basnight served as a Dare County teacher for 35 years. Her commitment to education extended to her role serving on the Dare County Board of Education for 12 years, including four years as chairman.

Basnight currently serves on the Dare County Library Board and the Dare County ABC Board. Her passion for community service is evident through her involvement in other community organizations, including the Dare County Arts Council. She has also been an active member of the Roanoke Island Historical Association, Hands of Hope Advisory Board, and the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center Advisory Board. 

Married for nearly 44 years to Dare County native Saint Clair Basnight, she cherishes time with family, including "grandchildren" Crew, Kennedy and Brayden. She and husband enjoy traveling, dining in great restaurants, and watching the Tarheels play football, basketball and baseball.  

To contact Commissioner Bea Basnight, email Bea.Basnight@DareNC.gov. 

A 9th generation North Carolinian and a lifelong resident of Hatteras Island, Danny Couch was elected in November 2016 to serve as a Dare County commissioner for District 4, which encompasses all seven villages on Hatteras Island. 

The Buxton native attended Cape Hatteras Schools for grades K-12, and in 1982, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in writing/journalism from East Carolina University. 

Couch is a licensed REALTOR whose professional experience also includes entrepreneurial pursuits in the hospitality and heritage tourism industries; as well as sales and marketing staff management, and automotive repair management.

In addition to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, Couch also serves on the Dare County Waterways Commission, Dare County Children and Youth Partnership Board of Directors and the Fessenden Center Advisory Board. 

His passion for public service extends beyond his duties as a Dare County commissioner. He serves in various capacities on several other boards and committees and volunteers his time to assist numerous local nonprofit organizations, including Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men Emergency Assistance and Food Pantry, Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (North Carolina Maritime Museums), and the First Flight Society Board of Directors.

Couch currently resides in Buxton with his wife, Sherry, and has three children: Susanna Rae, Gideon and Griffin. His many hobbies include beachcombing and artifact hunting, history research and writing, and traveling.

To contact Dare County Commissioner Danny Couch, please email DannyC@DareNC.gov.  

A 6th generation resident of Kitty Hawk who resides on the property where his great-grandfather was once raised, Ervin Bateman was elected to serve on the Dare County Board of Commissioners in 2018. 

He has more than three decades of public service experience, having served on the Kitty Hawk Town Council and Kitty Hawk Planning Board prior to taking on his current role as a Dare County commissioner. 

Bateman has been in the restaurant business since 1990 and is the owner of Sugar Creek Restaurant in Nags Head, where he enjoys meeting and interacting with a variety of visitors from across the country and around the world on a daily basis. 

He also especially enjoys watching his longtime customers who frequented Sugar Creek as children grow up and return to visit the restaurant with new generations of their families.     

In addition to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, Bateman also serves on the Dare County Audit Committee, Parks and Recreation Advisory Council, Dare County Library Board, Health and the Dare County Health and Human Services Board.

He is particularly passionate about providing much-needed resources and assistance to those in the Dare County community who struggle with issues related to alcohol and substance use, playing an integral role in establishing Dare County Recovery Court and securing funding for Outer Banks Dare Challenge.  

His volunteer experience includes serving as co-founder of the Outer Banks Relief Foundation—which was established in 2002 to provide funds for individuals living with debilitating diseases and to help people in crisis—as well as co-founder of Outer Banks Sporting Events, where he was instrumental in creating the popular Outer Banks Marathon event.

In addition to being an avid runner, cyclist and boxer, Bateman is an animal lover who also enjoys watersports and traveling. He has been married to his wife, Teresa, for nearly 50 years, and has a son, Jonathan, who is a local charter boat captain.      

To contact Dare County Commissioner Ervin Bateman, email Ervin.Bateman@DareNC.gov.