William Bourne - Platform/Philosophy/Positions

1. The trend toward a “resort-like” island poses issues for the property owners who favor a culture of stewardship and conservancy. What are some of the mechanisms BHA might use to address these issues? We purchased on BHI because of its stewardship and conservancy model. Spending summers at my family home on Cape Lookout taught me the value of living with nature and helped me develop a deep connection with its preservation. The development of the island is based entirely on the premise of retaining and protecting the island’s natural beauty. As for what BHA can do, we represent our constituents in ensuring that our rules, codes and guidelines are enforced strictly to preserve the BHI that we all bought into on our first visits. We must take measures to reinforce transparency with our membership as issues arise and clearly understand our membership’s position before taking action(s) that create distrust or heartache over not preserving our tranquil island. We are not Hilton Head or Kiawah, we are unique because we are Bald Head Island, known for our peace, nature and stewardship. Read More Here.

Derek Crump - Platform/Philosophy/Positions

1. The trend toward a “resort-like” island poses issues for the property owners who favor a culture of stewardship and conservancy. What are some of the mechanisms BHA might use to address these issues? The BHA should consider using more before surveys and community forums to receive input from the property owners on their thoughts and positions on any new development and/or ideas for the island. While certain amenities are needed on the island for the property owners, we do need to maintain the original culture of stewardship and conservancy on the island. Communication on all such issues is vitally important. Read More Here.

Victoria Lonker - Platform/Philosophy/Positions

1. The trend toward a “resort-like” island poses issues for the property owners who favor a culture of stewardship and conservancy. What are some of the mechanisms BHA might use to address these issues? I believe a culture of stewardship and conservancy can co-exist with the reality of a “resort-like” island. Our island offers the feel of a remote resort where people come to experience beautiful shelter, good food, kind and caring locals, calm and tranquil scenery, and outdoor adventures. The BHA can continue to support these experiences by ensuring we partner with other island entities such as the Conservancy, the Village, and SILT, among others, to further our common interests.  Read More Here.

Joel Michaels - Platform/Philosophy/Positions

1. The trend toward a “resort-like” island poses issues for the property owners who favor a culture of stewardship and conservancy. What are some of the mechanisms BHA might use to address these issues? The purpose and function of the BHA is set forth in the Covenants. The first duty the BHA has is to “act on such matters as the Board determines affects the welfare and recreation of its members and the beautification and conservation of the natural environment of the properties.” Therefore, the direction the Board is given in the Covenants is to protect the natural environment of Bald Head Island as it promotes the welfare and recreation of its members. BHA is well suited to collaborate with the other Island organizations through effective communication, acting as a unifier whenever the natural beauty of the Island and its conservation are at issue. A strong Executive Director at BHA, a key next step as a hiring priority, should enhance BHA’s visibility by maintaining effective relationships with these organizations. In addition, existing electronic communication tools must be updated and brought into the 21st century so that access is easy, welcomed and not subject to operational barriers that make open communication with all sectors of the community difficult. Finally, to act as a proper steward, the BHA needs to have the appropriate staffing resources to carry out its critical mission. A realistic evaluation of staffing needs should be a top priority for the Board this coming year.  Read More Here.

Tiffany Williams - Platform/Philosophy/Positions

1. The trend toward a “resort-like” island poses issues for the property owners who favor a culture of stewardship and conservancy. What are some of the mechanisms BHA might use to address these issues? I think conservation and stewardship needs to be a priority for every property owner on the island and I do believe there is a way to balance the interests of property owners with those of visitors. First and foremost, we are fortunate that the Bald Head Association exists to protect with this and has covenants in force to help protect the unique nature of our island. The BHA should be working with all island organizations (including BHI Limited, the village, the BHI Club, the Shoal’s Club, the Conservancy, real estate companies) and businesses to ensure the message of stewardship and preservation is being communicated to visitors, potential property owners and those who work on the island. Read More Here.

BHA New Faces & New Spaces

BHA is thrilled to announce that we have filled 4 staff positions. Covenants Compliance Associate Dora Richey has been promoted to Assistant Director. She continues to serve in Covenants Compliance on an Interim basis. If the dual role works well for both Dora and BHA, it may become a long-term assignment. One of Dora’s areas of focus is to work with the Executive Director to enhance service and leadership training of the Team. Maura Wild has been selected as ARC Specialist and Allison Heafner has been selected as an ARC Administrative Assistant. One vacancy remains for an ARC Administrative Assistant position and interviews are underway. With Maura’s arrival, Kimberly Bandera is transitioning from ARC Specialist to Communications Manager and is looking forward to introducing new and exciting ways for  to share BHA news with the membership. Onboarding/Training is well underway for Maura and Allison to make them effective in their new roles. We are excited to have both on the team and congratulate Dora and Kim on their new responsibilities!

Get Involved in YOUR Community

Volunteer with BHA!

Did you know that BHA currently has seven volunteer committees? Volunteers are your BHI neighbors who give their valuable time to help BHA, fellow property owners and Bald Head Island. This is a great way to get involved on this beautiful island! At the beginning of each year, committee terms expire, and new volunteers are needed.

The 2024 committee rosters are on the website, and you can read more about each committee as well as each committee’s Bylaws charges and goals here!

Listed below are the committees and the number of volunteers needed for each:

• Architectural Review Committee (ARC) Sections A and B
• Education and Recreation (ER) Committee
• Resource Conservation and Beautification (RCB) Committee
• Long Range Planning (LRP) Committee
• Finance Committee
• Nominating Committee
• Community Wide Standards (CWS) Committee

If you would like to volunteer, fill out the volunteer application here!

A big thank you goes out to all of our hard-working volunteers!