GET TO KNOW THE NOMINEES
ANGIE ABELL: (3-yr) Angie is a life-long resident of Chincoteague Island -- a wife and a mother of two children currently in college. She attended Chincoteague schools and graduated from Sweet Briar College with a BS in Economics as well as a certificate in Business Management. Angie has been a realtor on the island for 26 years and has owned her company, Beach Bay Realty for 13 years. She loves God, family, country, her Island home and friends and is committed to helping the people of Chincoteague Island.
AUSTIN BRODIN: (2-yr) Austin is a native Virginian and alumnus of Virginia Tech’s Pamplin School of Business. After a successful career working as a regional manager and operations director for a Midwest-based grocery store chain, he returned to Virginia, and took ownership of Island Foods Great Valu grocery store. Austin lives on Chincoteague Island and can be found most days stocking shelves and helping customers at his store.
DUSTIN MEARS: (3-yr) Dustin T. Mears is a Vice President with NFP Property & Casualty Services, Inc. and serves as Commercial Lines Manager for NFP’s Eastern Shore locations. Dustin is a 2010 graduate of Chincoteague Combined School. He earned a degree in Business Administration & Finance, from Liberty University in 2014 and obtained his Virginia property, casualty, life and health insurance agent’s licenses. Dustin’s Chincoteague roots are deep. His family has participated in island life for decades, owning local businesses and teaching in Chincoteague schools. Prior to his employment with NFP, Dustin worked at several other island businesses, and was the assistant coach for the Chincoteague Ponies 2017 varsity baseball team.
JEAN ROSE: (3-yr) Jeannie made Chincoteague Island her home in 1999 when she became the General Manager of the Award-winning Comfort Suites. She has faithfully served on the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 2004. Jeannie has been a vital member of the Historic Main Street Merchants Association. Her love of Chincoteague Island is apparent in her passion for her job and the various events and projects she leads. She has been a valuable member of the chamber board.
CYNTHIA WILDER: (3-yr) Cynthia Leonard Wilder is a native islander who has been involved in the tourism industry from a very young age, being underfoot at the Refuge Motor Inn since she could crawl, and riding along on daily nature tours as far back as she can remember. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Va., where she studied Communication, American Culture and Business. After college and a brief relocation to the big city, she and her husband Justin returned to their beloved Chincoteague in 2013, when she took her current position as the Marketing Manager for the Refuge Inn.
