The December Dare County Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting marked the beginning of a new era, as county commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance was sworn in as Hatteras Island’s District 4 representative after winning the November 5 General Election.
Ballance is taking the reins from Danny Couch, who retired in 2024 after serving as the island’s county commissioner for eight years.
While Ballance is new to the BOC, she is no stranger to public service, especially on a local level.
She served eight years as a member of the Dare County Board of Education, and has been active in numerous local boards and organizations, including the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation Board, Fessenden Center Advisory Board, Hatteras VFD Ladies Fire Auxiliary, and OBX Seafood Festival Board.
Ballance also coached middle school basketball for two years, was President of the Cape Hatteras Booster Club for nine years, and served as the youth leader for Hatteras United Methodist Church.
Arguably, Ballance is best known in local on-the-docks circles for her advocacy of the Outer Banks’ commercial fishing industry. In recent years, she tackled issues first-hand as a member of North Carolina Waterman United, the Southern Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAMFC) Advisory Panel, and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Flounder Advisory Panel.
As Ballance starts the beginning of her four-year term, we’ve asked her to talk about her extensive ties to the community, her top priorities as a county commissioner, and how she plans to champion Hatteras Island in the future.
The Island Free Press’ “introduction interview” with Mary Ellon Ballance is below. (Click here to read our “exit interview” with former county commissioner Danny Couch.)
First, please tell us a little but about your Hatteras Island background and roots.
Some friends of mine brought me here for a vacation when I was in my early twenties.
At the time, I worked as an executive assistant to the president of a railroad insurance company. My friends had rented a cottage and had extra room. I had never heard of the Outer Banks or Hatteras Island and thought, “why not?”
As we drove into Hatteras Village, and came over Slash Creek Bridge, I looked around and thought, from that moment, that I would live there. It instantly felt like home.
Each day of that week I felt more and more like I was home. I used to drive down here for the weekend just to put my toes in the sand. My favorite thing was going to the docks when the boats came in with the day’s catch. It’s still my favorite thing to do, and if you haven’t done it, give it a try – it’s pretty amazing.
After six years of vacationing here, I decided to take a leap of faith. I moved in the dead of winter and began my life on Hatteras Island in 1998. I met Todd Ballance in February of that year and we married a year later. From there, I fell deeper and deeper in love with Hatteras Village, and still pinch myself that I live here. Hatteras is my heart and my home.
What made you want to run for the Hatteras Island seat on the Dare County Board of Commissioners?
My mother was an amazing women, and raised me to be strong and independent. She was a fierce protector. Watching her advocate for myself and my brother and sisters. along with anyone in our community. was inspiring.
When I started my family, I found myself doing many of the same things she did. I began to get involved in church and community organizations. That lead me to consider that I may want to run for the Board of Education one day, so I began to lay a foundation for that possibility. I volunteered as president of the Cape Hatteras Booster Club for nine years and that set the stage. I was elected to the Dare County Board of Education in 2016 and served two terms, learning so much about how local government works.
As the 2024 election cycle circled around, a decision to run for re-election was looming, and learning that Danny wasn’t going to run certainly altered my thought process. My decision to run for this seat was not an easy one, but my experiences and involvement in many aspects of Hatteras Island and Dare County over the last 27 years made it pretty clear that I could offer a strong voice, and I look forward to opportunities to advocate for Hatteras Island and all of Dare County.
What are your first (or top) priorities as a county commission?
My first priority is to learn. There is always a learning curve in a new role and the switch from the Board of Education to county commissioner is no different. I will look to Bob, Rob, Ervin, and Steve to help me, and the new members, navigate this transition. In addition, I will continue to reach out to Danny and he has been great. Danny and I have both gone from the BOE to Commissioner and I will certainly be open to any advice he has to offer.
Public safety, the economy, and education are obvious top priorities and will always remain at the top of the list. However, advocating for our commercial and recreational fishermen is absolutely a top priority, and I will work tirelessly to act on behalf of the entire fishing industry including fish houses, tackle shops, restaurants, etc.
How would you like to improve Hatteras Island in the future?
The two things that come to mind immediately is beach erosion (protecting N.C. Hwy. 12) and health care.
We need a stronger health care system on Hatteras Island. When the road is out, health care becomes even more critical and invaluable. I would like to see the Hatteras Medical Center back up and running full-time and will work towards finding solutions.
What long-term challenges for Hatteras Island do you see in years ahead? (And how do you think we can start to overcome them?)
The two things that I would like to improve, beach erosion and health care, are certainly long-term challenges as well.
They are the two things that are most critical to the wellbeing of our Hatteras Island residents and visitors.
We have some very intelligent people in our communities; when you get the right people to the table, problems get solved. We have representatives like Dave Hallac. He has been a phenomenal Superintendent for the National Park Service and a friend to Hatteras Island and Dare County. Senators Bobby Hanig and Norm Sanderson are always willing to sit down and work through the issues that face us. We start to overcome these challenges when we begin intentional conversations that cultivate solutions.
And, to be clear, health care includes mental health, primary care, substance abuse treatment, physical therapy, etc. Health care is a broad term, but all of these elements are crucial to the safety and stability of Hatteras Island. We are a small population; however, Eastern North Carolina has many small communities that struggle just as we do with access to health care. It’s time to get the right people at the table to start the conversation.
You have a ton of expertise in the commercial fishing industry. Do you see that as an asset for the Board of Commissioners? (And Hatteras Island in general?)
I think that my perspective and experience with commercial fishing is absolutely an asset. As a wife, a mother, a mate, and a business owner, I live the direct impact of the changes the N.C. General Assembly and the Marine Fisheries Commission have – on tourism, our economy, our families, our communities, our heritage and our way of life.
My commitment and dedication to advocating for the entire fishing industry in Dare County is unwavering.
What are you looking forward to during your tenure as county commissioner?
During my tenure as County Commission, I look forward to an opportunity to make a difference. To work with those that want to make Dare County the very best it can be. I look forward to meeting new people, learning new things, and I look forward to the challenges knowing that there are always opportunities to overcome those challenges if you are willing to face them head on.
Anything you want your Hatteras Island constituents to know about you as you dive into your new role as the island’s county representative?
In a nutshell, what you see is what you get. I am pretty much an open book and I am always willing to have a conversation.
Finding something to agree on isn’t terribly difficult. You can agree that there is a problem even if you disagree on how to solve it. The beauty in that is it starts the conversation.
My life experiences have brought me to where I am, and I like where I am as a person. That gives me the ability to be grateful for the negatives in my past and excited for the experiences in my future.
It’s impossible to please everyone, but know that whatever decision I make was made with deliberate and intentional thought and consideration. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve Hatteras in this new role.
