State Senate recognizes ‘real tangible results’ of efforts by Dare commissioners’ chair
KILL DEVIL HILLS — Bob Woodard, chair of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, received state recognition during Tuesday’s State of the County for bringing community members together to accomplish “real tangible results” across many projects.
The sold-out annual address took place at Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills. This year’s theme was teamwork, and each of the seven commissioners — dressed in football jerseys to emphasize the theme — spoke on topics of importance to the county, from the annual budget to ongoing infrastructure projects.
At the beginning of the event, Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck) read aloud and surprised Woodard with a certificate of appreciation from North Carolina Senate District 3, which he and Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) had signed.
The Jan. 23 recognition noted Woodard’s efforts toward promoting education, workforce housing and public access to the board, along with his work toward maintaining N.C. 12 access to Hatteras Island, “safeguarding our precious shoreline and natural resources,” maintaining waterway access and addressing infrastructure needs.
“What Chairman Woodard brings to the table is the ability to bring people together,” Hanig said in remarks before reading the resolution. “Doesn’t matter if you’re Republican, Democrat, unaffiliated. His interests are purely for the best of Dare County and North Carolina.”
Hanig said he was “honored to call him my friend.”
Woodard was “the driving force who led the board in providing tuition-free education at College of The Albemarle for all Dare County graduates,” ensuring a quality education while “keeping students and their families out of debt,” according to the certificate.
The board established the Dare County Guarantee Scholarship in 2019, setting aside $250,000 annually for high school graduates in the county. Since mid-2021, the scholarship has also extended to Dare County adults who are not recent high school graduates.
The certificate also said Woodard “served with distinction on the COA Board of Trustees and wouldn’t rest until his dream was fulfilled to have a new COA campus here in Dare County so our students would have to travel to Elizabeth City.”
It praised his efforts to become more accessible to the public, including expanding public comment time and creating “a way for people on Hatteras Island to speak directly to the board without having to travel to Manteo.”
It praised his efforts leading a bipartisan board and for his being “an outspoken advocate for our watermen who depend on inlet access as their highway to work.” During his tenure as chair, Dare County launched the first public-private partnership dredge vessel to keep local waterways navigable.
Woodard’s involvement in building a new animal shelter was also noted.
“When our animal shelter was run down and prone to flooding, he led the way in creating a facility that met our needs now and for the future,” the certificate said.
Following the presentation, Woodard thanked Hanig and said he was at a loss for words, quipping, “You know that’s kind of unusual for me.”
Hanig said in a Friday phone interview that he wanted to honor Woodard for “the work he’s put in over the last 30-some years.”
Often, such recognitions occur too late, Hanig opined — when you “wait until someone passes away, it doesn’t have as much meaning.”
Dare County is in Senate District 1, not 3.
However, Hanig represented Dare County for four years in the House of Representatives, until 2022, and said he also owns a business that operates in both Dare and Currituck counties.
He said he’s worked with Woodard “on several initiatives” and stressed the importance of regional work.
“With the new maps, I’ll have Dare County again,” he said.
Hanig faces Democratic challenger Susan Harman-Scott of Nags Head for the newly configured Senate District 1, which includes both Dare and Currituck counties for this year’s election.
