Join us for the June 2025 installment of the “Science on the Sound” Lecture Series at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. This monthly, in-person lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina.
This month, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles and Community Engagement Officer Jeff Shwartzenberg will present “Finding Balance: The Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan”. The program will occur at 6 PM on June 19, 2025, at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus.
In recent years, the economic impact of tourism in Dare County’s Outer Banks has reached record levels, surpassing more than $2 billion in visitor spending in 2023, an all-time high and ranking fourth among North Carolina counties behind only Mecklenburg, Wake, and Buncombe. However, with that economic success also comes impacts that can negatively affect a community. In their presentation, Nettles and Schwartzenberg will highlight recommendations on how the power of tourism can help improve the quality of life for residents, while protecting the delicate natural environment and preserving the unique history and culture of the area.
About the Speakers
Lee Nettles
Executive Director, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
Lee Nettles is the Executive Director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, the official Destination Marketing Organization for Dare County’s Outer Banks. He is responsible for the Bureau’s daily operation, managing four local welcome centers, approximately 35 staff members, and multi-million-dollar annual marketing campaigns. In addition to promoting overnight visitation to the Outer Banks, Lee’s responsibilities include oversight of the Bureau’s tourism grant programs which have reinvested more than $20 million into the local community. He works closely with staff and a specially appointed committee to implement the recommendations of the Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP), which provides a roadmap for responsible tourism and managing both the positive and negative impacts associated with tourism. He has served on numerous State Boards for tourism and economic development and was recognized with the Barentine Award for Special Achievement by the North Carolina Tourism Industry Association. Lee is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go Heels). He currently resides in Nags Head, NC with his wife and is the father of two adult daughters.
Jeff Schwartzenberg
Community Engagement Manager, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
Jeff Schwartzenberg joined the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau in the newly created role of Community Engagement Manager in August 2023. With more than two decades of marketing, communications and strategic partnership experience, Jeff is charged with serving as a liaison between the Bureau and numerous local stakeholders, along with helping put the strategies of the Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP) into practice within the community. The plan serves as a roadmap for responsible and sustainable tourism on the Outer Banks. A 1996 graduate of Binghamton University’s School of Management, Jeff has served in various professional capacities in the travel/tourism and sports/entertainment sectors, including roles with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Travelocity and the New York Rangers Hockey Club (NHL). He resides in Kitty Hawk, NC with his wife, teenage daughter and two energetic beagles.
The public is welcomed and encouraged to attend. The program will also be live streamed on the CSI Youtube Channel, for those who cannot make it in person.
Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University. Click on the links below for more information.
ECU's Integrated Coastal Programs (ECU ICP) is a leader in coastal and marine research, education, and engagement. ECU ICP includes the Coastal Studies Institute, ECU's Department of Coastal Studies, and ECU Diving and Water Safety.
The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
