02/12/2026
North Carolina Coast Host held our Annual Membership Meeting & Celebration last week in beautiful Visit New Bern, North Carolina!
We also presented our Annual Tourism Awards which recognize those who have made a significant impact on our state’s travel and tourism industry. Whether it is an innovative business, a captivating attraction, or a beloved local festival, these awards honor excellence across all three of our vital regions: the Northern, Southern, and Inland coasts. This year we also introduced a new distinction: The Stephanie Key Environmental Stewardship Award. This award was created in honor of Stephanie Key, a woman whose creativity and passion reminded us all that the places we promote must also be protected. Stephanie was a tireless advocate for the idea that storytelling, sustainability, and tourism should work hand-in-hand.
🏖 Northern Coast Award Recipient:
Clark Twiddy, Owner of Twiddy & Co in Duck, NC
A native of the Outer Banks and raised in its maritime traditions, Clark Twiddy has built a career at the crossroads of service, leadership, and community. After serving as a combat veteran in the U.S. Navy, he returned home to help lead Twiddy & Company, his family’s vacation rental firm founded in 1978. Today, as President, he oversees a team of more than 125 professionals who manage over 1,200 homes across the Outer Banks, blending Southern hospitality with innovative technology. His steady leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic earned Twiddy & Company recognition in a Harvard Business School case study, highlighting his focus on resilience and care for employees, homeowners, and guests. Clark is also a champion and practitioner of sustainable tourism development and is the penultimate caretaker of his environment with the goal to host visitors to the Outer Banks for decades to come. Beyond his role at the company, Clark serves as President of the North Carolina Vacation Rental Management Association and is a published and best-selling author on the history and culture of the Outer Banks. Through public speaking, professional associations, and civic engagement, Clark Twiddy continues to champion not only his company’s mission but also the sustainable growth of North Carolina’s coastal economy.
🍻Inland Coast Award Recipient:
Ryan Roberts, Owner/Brewer at R & R Brewing in Mount Olive, NC
Ryan Roberts started R & R Brewing in 2018 due to his passion for making beer. He opened his brewery in downtown Mount Olive. Immediately, people started flocking to R & R Brewing to try one of his many craft beers. He was the first person in Mount Olive to introduce food trucks to our town. People stopped by the brewery to pick up food and while there, a beer. Ryan partnered with the North Carolina Pickle Festival to create Pickletown Lager, a pickle-infused beer that is now a staple at his brewery and at other nearby breweries. He also helped the festival to create a Pickle Soda, the only merchandise that has been allowed to put our NC Pickle Festival logo on. His Mount Olive brewery is now open Wednesday-Sunday and features music bingo, trivia night, bands, special celebrations like the NC Pickle Festival Kick off event, Pickles, Pigs & Swigs Cook Team party and the annual R & R Brewing Anniversary Celebration. R & R Brewing hosts birthday parties (including children’s birthday parties), wedding showers, baby showers, work parties, tourism meetings and so much more. His brewery has been featured in Our State Magazine and many other publications.
In 2025, Ryan expanded and opened R & R Brewing Kitchen and Tap Room in Clinton This is Clinton’s first brewery and it is already making a difference in downtown Clinton. He is open 7 days a week, offers special events and is engaged in community events as well. Ryan Roberts and R & R Brewing has changed how we view a brewery. It is not just a place to drink beer, but more importantly, a place for the community to gather. Ryan has done so much to increase the amount of traffic and tourists in Mount Olive and Clinton.
👩🌾 Southern Coast Award Recipient:
Mike & Theresa Lowe, Owners of Mike's Farm in Beulaville, NC
Mike’s Farm is a testament to what happens when a family pours their heart and soul into the land. In 1986, Mike and Theresa Lowe started with a modest dream and a field of Christmas trees. Through decades of grit and vision, they didn't just build a business—they built an engine for our regional economy. By transforming a generational farm into a year-round destination, the Lowes have set the gold standard for agritourism in our state. The impact on our region is staggering. During the peak winter season, Mike’s Farm employs over 200 people. In a world of online shopping, they created the NC Products Barn, a dedicated space that showcases goods from all 100 North Carolina counties. That is a massive commitment to our state’s artisans and farmers, providing them with a platform they wouldn't have anywhere else. But the true legacy of the Lowe family isn't found in a ledger; it’s found in the traditions they’ve inspired. The Festival of Lights has become a rite of passage for families across the East. Couples who had their first date on that hayride are now returning with their own children and grandchildren. That kind of multi-generational loyalty is rare, and it speaks to the authentic warmth Mike and Theresa have cultivated. From hosting weddings in their rustic barns to feeding thousands at their family-style tables, they have turned Beulaville into a beacon of Southern hospitality demonstrating that agriculture isn't just about what you grow—it’s about the community you gather.
🐢The Stephanie Key Environmental Stewardship Award:
Philip Bell, Coharie Tribe Center in Clinton, NC
For generations, the Coharie people have lived in relationship with the Great Coharie River, viewing it not simply as a waterway, but as a living relative that sustains our community’s spirit, wellbeing, and identity. Few people embody that connection more deeply than Philip Bell, who serves as the lead of the Great Coharie River Initiative — a community-driven effort that has become both a cultural revival and an environmental restoration success story in Eastern North Carolina. Under Philip’s leadership, more than 150 miles of the Great Coharie River have been cleared and restored, allowing for the return of wildlife, the resurgence of traditional fishing and gathering practices, and the renewal of cultural gatherings along the riverbanks. His hands-on stewardship has transformed the river into a thriving hub for eco-tourism, drawing visitors from across North Carolina who come to kayak, learn, and experience the Coharie people’s relationship with the natural world. To date, Philip has personally led hundreds of kayaking expeditions, introducing participants to the beauty, history, and resilience of the river and the people who have called it home for centuries. Beyond his work in river restoration and eco-tourism, Philip has been instrumental in forging state and local partnerships to recover and preserve two ancient Indigenous canoes, each hundreds of years old. These historic recoveries stand as a powerful symbol of cultural endurance and environmental respect — connecting present-day Coharie stewardship to the ingenuity and sustainability practices of our ancestors. He also served on the Sampson County Tourism Board for seven years, generously sharing his expertise and insight to help guide our efforts. Through his leadership, he has shown how cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and sustainable tourism can strengthen a community. His work has revitalized the river and created meaningful opportunities for visitors to experience the rich history, natural beauty, and enduring traditions of the Coharie people.
