Company History/Commitment to the Community
In 1957, M. Keith Fearing, Jr., formed what is now known as Outer Banks Insurance Agency, Inc., by purchasing the Theodore Meekins Insurance Agency and merging it with the A.W. Drinkwater Insurance Agency that he purchased years earlier. (A. W. Drinkwater was the man who telegraphed the message about Wilber and Orville Wright’s first flight.)
Keith was already a respected business man, having opened the first pharmacy in Dare County in 1947. At the time, it was the only pharmacy between Morehead City and Elizabeth City. Keith was able to secure doctors to provide medical attention to the residents of Dare County when there were no doctors available. In the years that followed, Keith was chosen president of the State Pharmaceutical Association. In 1994, he was named North Carolina’s Pharmacist of the Year.
Keith helped in establishing the first bank on Hatteras Island. He assisted in bringing central water to the Barrier Island beaches. Keith served as a State Representative in the General Assembly in the 1960s. In 1967, he was instrumental in passing SS 58-45-1 which is commonly known as the “Beach Plan” insurance policy. Prior to this legislation there was little to no insurance coverage available for the coastal areas.
In 1980, Keith’s son, Malcolm K. Fearing III, met his bride, Susan at the Southeastern Insurance Institute. Within two weeks of meeting, they were engaged and six weeks later they were married. Malcolm and Susan now own Outer Banks Insurance Agency, Inc. Their marriage journey of 35 + years has been blessed with children, grandchildren, a supportive extended family and many friendships within the Outer Banks community.
In 2009, Keith’s granddaughter, Kathryn Fearing, joined the family business. Today, Kathryn has responsibility of supervising the daily operations of the agency. Kathryn graduated from Elon University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting and a minor in Business Administration. She was the treasurer for Delta Delta Delta and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. After graduation, she was selected for the Leadership Path Program, a management training program at American Express.
Kathryn highest priority, in managing the agency, is to earn your trust, loyalty and friendship while offering excellent service, quality insurance products and attractive rates, just as her grandfather did for his customers when he started the agency in 1957.
In 2017, Outer Banks Insurance Agency, Inc., will celebrate 60 years of faithful service to the Outer Banks community. As the oldest insurance company on the beach, we look forward to continuing the family tradition of “keeping watch over you and yours”.
Mission Statement
Outer Banks Insurance Agency, Inc., is a dynamic, independent agency of insurance professionals, specializing in personal and commercial property and casualty lines of insurance. We are committed to protecting assets and minimizing risk to help our clients avoid financial hardship. We strive to be the partner of choice for clients, insurance carriers and employees interested in a long-term relationship built on a foundation of trust.
Core Values
We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in our relationship with you, our client.
We endeavor to know and understand your lifestyle and/or business profile in order to provide you with the highest quality insurance information, products and services to assist you in reaching your goals.
We will develop and deliver quality choices of insurance products that are competitively priced to meet your needs.
We will remain flexible and innovative so we are able to satisfy your insurance needs, as circumstances change for you personally or in your business.
We will offer a welcoming office for our clients and employees. We strive to provide opportunity for employees to grow within the agency.
Staff
Gail Gray, Commercial Lines Agent
Gail has been specializing in commercial accounts for more than 10 years. All total, Gail has 25+ years in the insurance industry. Gail is from the Outer Banks, has family here and is committed to the community. Gail enjoys working with business owners to insure they have the coverage they need to protect their property, equipment and employees at the best rates on the beach. Please contact Gail for a review of your commercial insurance needs at [email protected].
Robin Byrne, Property and Casualty Agent
Robin has been a Property and Casualty agent with Outer Banks Insurance Agency for more than 25 years. She has been a licensed agent for more than 30 years. Robin has a broad knowledge of personal lines products on the beach. She is invested in the community and will take care of you and your family, like she does her own. Robin’s primary focus is on keeping primary and secondary homes in our community safe and well protected against any natural or unnatural circumstances that might occur. Please contact Robin for your property and casualty insurance needs at [email protected].
Kathryn Fearing, Office Manager
Kathryn grew up in the office of Outer Banks Insurance Agency, learning from her parents, who own the business and her grandfather, who founded the business in 1957. She graduated from Elon University in 2006 and joined the family business in 2009. Kathryn holds the following licenses: Property, Casualty, Life and Health. She is committed to securing the future of clients, agents and employees by living the agency’s core values daily. Kathryn is “keeping watch over you and yours” and can be contacted at [email protected].
