Staff

Left to Right, Scout Schillings, Chris Sawin, Nandy Stuart, and Denise Adams

Denise Adams

Denise joined the Community Foundation in April 2023 as Finance Manager. She comes to the Outer Banks from Delaware, where she enjoyed a 35-year career as Controller and Assistant Treasurer of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Wilmington DE). The Outer Banks has been her second home since the 1990’s. In her spare time, Denise loves gardening, canning, and relaxing on the beach with her husband Van and two dogs, Annie and Peaches. You can reach Denise by email at Denise [at] obcf.org.

Chris Sawin

Community Foundation President and CEO Chris Sawin grew up in Kill Devil Hills and joined the Community Foundation in August 2021 with thirty years of executive experience marked by entrepreneurial and organizational accomplishments, at both for-profit and non-profit concerns. He was Dare County Arts Council’s Executive Director from 2012 – 2021, leading that agency’s resurgence to financial stability and strategic, dramatic growth. He has worked in senior executive positions at Chapel Hill-based Mammoth Records, the first indie record label to produce two platinum-certified records; at Batanga, Inc., an independent digital media company serving U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets; and at NC start-up Zenph Sound Innovations, before returning to the Outer Banks in 2011. Sawin graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from Carleton College in Minnesota.

Chris can be reached by email to Chris [at] obcf.org.

Scout Schillings

Scout serves the Outer Banks Community Foundation as Grants Manager. Scout is an Outer Banks native, who was born and raised in Wanchese. A graduate of Manteo High School, Scout holds a Bachelor’s degree from Meredith College, where she was a double major in History and Psychology, and a minor in Public History. While in school, Scout held internships at the Lost Colony, Roanoke Island Festival Park, NC State Archive, Raleigh Museum’s Collections Department, and at the Marbles Kids Museum. Scout first came to the Community Foundation in October 2019, as temporary office support to help with Dorian Disaster Relief gifts processing. When Scout’s not working, she enjoys taking cat naps with her baby British shorthair, Norman. You can reach Scout by email at Scout [at] obcf.org.

Nandy Stuart

Nandy joined the Outer Banks Community Foundation in August of 2019 and is Chief Operating Officer and Scholarship Program Manager. She hails to the Outer Banks from Gainesville, Florida, where she had two very successful careers, the most recent working in the nonprofit sector as the Director of Outreach Programs for a local intimate partner violence agency. Her almost 9 years of experience in the nonprofit world focused mostly in creating and maintaining collaborative community relationships to better serve the public of North Central Florida. Nandy earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Florida and relocated to the Outer Banks to be closer to family. She has travelled extensively in South America and loves to experience new places and cultures. Nandy considers herself an animal advocate and has served on a shelter’s board of directors and volunteered at several rescues. She and her rescue dog, Mika, love the outdoors and enjoy spending time on the beach and walking the trails of the Nags Head Woods Preserve. You can reach Nandy by email at Nandy [at] obcf.org.

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