Skyler Foley, who serves as Clerk to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, has been named Dare County Employee of the Month for February 2025. The prestigious award was presented to Foley by Dare County Manager Bobby Outten during the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that was held at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Foley’s service to Dare County began on November 29, 2021, when she was initially hired as an administrative specialist/floater who was tasked with filling in for various Dare County departments as needed when other staff members were out of the office or extra assistance was required in order to complete large or ongoing projects.
On January 9, 2023, Foley was promoted to the position of administrative assistant in the Dare County Planning Department, and shortly thereafter she began stepping in to serve as Deputy Clerk to the Board of Commissioners when needed, making her transition to the Clerk to the Board of Commissioners position virtually seamless when she received yet another promotion and was officially sworn in on Monday, August 7, 2023.
“Her talent was known by us almost immediately,” Outten said as he began his Employee of the Month presentation. “So as we had opportunities to move her along, we did, and we always did it with the encouragement of the [departments] where she had worked previously [as a floater] that always gave good recommendations. You couldn’t help but notice her enthusiasm, her willingness to work, her thirst to know more and do more—all of those things showed through.”
As Clerk to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, Foley is responsible for an assortment of important duties that include preparing and maintaining official Dare County records, preparing meeting agendas and minutes, and ensuring accurate documentation of the Board of Commissioners’ actions. She is also tasked with publishing public notices, certifying legal documents on behalf of the county, and performing a variety of administrative duties for both the Dare County Board of Commissioners and the county manager. Additionally, Foley is responsible for managing follow-up on meeting agenda items and actions, serves as the custodian of the official Dare County seal and oversees the board’s departmental budget, playing an essential role in ensuring the efficiency and transparency of Dare County’s operations.
As Outten continued his presentation, he recalled his immediate recognition that Foley would be the ideal candidate for the position following the retirement of former Clerk to the Dare County Board of Commissioners Cheryl Anby in August 2023. Confident in his assessment of Foley’s skills, abilities and strong work ethic, he approached Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard with the recommendation.
“When Cheryl retired and it came time to hire a clerk, I came to the chairman and said, ‘I’ve got the person that should be [the new clerk]. She’s young, she’s only been here a couple of years, but she works really hard, she’ll pick it up quickly—she has been acting as our assistant clerk for a little while.’ He told me, ‘Let’s take a look.’”
Outten then recounted that persuading Foley to consider the new position required slightly more convincing than securing her official appointment by the Dare County Board of Commissioners.
“I went to her and I said, ‘Are you interested?’” Outten recalled. “She was kind of nervous and said, ‘Well, I don’t know if I can do all this….’ And I said, ‘You can do it. We’ll send you to [the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government]—you’re going to be perfect for this job.”
Outten went on to confirm that his initial instincts were correct, noting that in the relatively short amount of time she has been in her position as Clerk to the Board of Commissioners, Foley has excelled in the role, working diligently to expand her knowledge of the complexities of local government and establishing herself as an outstanding employee who is both well-liked and well-respected by her colleagues throughout Dare County.
“You all agreed—you hired her unanimously—and she has been perfect for this job,” Outten told the board. “Her enthusiasm is unparalleled. On a bad day, she’s just like this: she’s smiling. You can’t ask for more. She’s grown in the job. She’s gone from knowing nothing to being able to anticipate the needs of both the board and me. A lot of times, I don’t have to ask—or what I was about to ask for shows up on my desk already done and ready to go. So you all have made a good hire as a clerk. We hope we get 30 years out of [her]. She’s done a fantastic job.”
Outten’s sentiments were echoed by Foley’s colleagues, one of whom wrote the following in their nomination form recommending that she receive the honor of being named Dare County Employee of the Month: “[Skyler and I] communicate regularly about advisory board appointments and commissioners meeting agendas. She is so pleasant to speak with and helpful. She is very prompt in returning any emails or messages as well. I think she represents the [Dare County Board of Commissioners] office in a great light, and I am thankful she is there!”
more information about the Dare County Board of Commissioners, visit DareNC.gov/BOC.
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