Becky Breiholz relocated to the Outer Banks in 1978 from Chesapeake, Virginia with her husband and two sons and has never looked back. She was a stay-at-home mom until 1985 when she became an Administrative Medical Assistant at Outer Banks Radiology until 1991. She then worked for a timeshare development in the credit department from 1992 until her hire with the Town of Manteo in 1998 as their Deputy Town Clerk. Becky became a member of the IIMC and NCAMC in 1999, and the following year was sworn in as Manteo’s Town Clerk in May 2000. She received her CMC designation in 2001, MMC designation in 2008 and became a NC State Certified Municipal Clerk in 2012 when the program started.

Becky has seen a lot of changes on the Outer Banks and a lot of changes in Manteo. Roads that were once two lanes are now five lanes and a big bridge brings motorists into town from the beaches, while another bridge enters from US 64. Manteo, population 1,540, is located on Roanoke Island and the home of the “Lost Colony.” It has the look and feel of a small hometown and promotes the motto of Preserve and Prosper. The town has experienced a lot of growth in the past 19 years. What was once small-town events have now grown to big events that attract residents and visitors alike. Some of those events include Dare Day, a 4^th of July celebration, and the annual Christmas tree lighting and parade that draws thousands of folks to Manteo. When Becky started helping with the tree lighting, she would also make hot chocolate for the folks coming to town to celebrate. Now, doesn’t that just make your mind wander to episodes of the Gilmore Girls? But unlike the fictional town of Stars Hollow where Lorelai and Rory live, Manteo’s Christmas event has grown so much that a coffee shop has taken over the duty of preparing the hot chocolate. With events like this and a town where citizens enjoy hanging out with each other, it’s easy to see why Becky loves her job as Town Clerk and doesn’t really think of it as a job, but more like a second family.

Becky served as NCAMC’s District Director for Region 1 in 2006 and 2008   She has also served on several of the association’s committees, including the Site Selection Committee, Program Education Committee, Scholarship Committee and Membership Committee. In 2010-2011, she was Chair for the Program and Education Committee, and in 2012-2013 she served on the Board of Directors as the recording secretary, but had to resign that position because of an illness. After her recovery from cancer, Becky again served as the NCAMC Recording Secretary from 2015-16.

Becky loves to travel and went to China in 2016 and Thailand in 2017. She has two sons: Brian, a mechanical engineer and NC State Alumni who resides in Wilson, NC with his wife, daughter and son; and Jason, a science teacher who resides in Kill Devil Hills with his wife and two sons, who have affectionately given her the name of Nano! She loves being a grandmother and tries to go to all of their sporting events. Other interests include being at the beach, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

While this spotlight certainly reflects upon the dedication and hard work of one of our peers, it also reminds us of something very important – to keep balance in our lives. Work hard, but take time to enjoy each day, spend time with family and friends, and clown around once in a while! After all, laughter they say is good medicine for the heart and soul!  It also helps reduce stress, and what Clerk doesn’t experience some stress?