Luncheons

January 8, 2026 - John Moseley is the Curator of Education for the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, he graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, SC with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1989. In 2001, he returned to school to work on his master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While there, he was awarded the 2003 North Carolina James Madison Fellow and graduated in 2005, with a master’s degree in American history focusing on the Colonial and Early Republic period.

December 11, 2025 - David M. Bennett is the Curator of Maritime History for the North Carolina Maritime Museum System, and he oversees the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center. He is originally from Morehead City, North Carolina. David has a B.A. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Maritime History from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. His research interests focus on North Carolina's commercial fishing industry as well as traditional workboats.

November 13, 2025 - Nancy Strickland Chavis, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, is director and curator of The Museum of the Southeast American Indian at UNC Pembroke. With over 20 years of experience in museum education and curation, she has worked with the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the First Americans Museum. Her work centers on sharing authentic Indigenous stories through art and history, including guest-curating To Take Shape and Meaning at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

October 9, 2025 – Together, Tyndall and Sawyer bring deep expertise in the history of southeastern North Carolina. Tyndall, author of five books on Civil War and World War II history, and Sawyer, Collections Manager and Programs Coordinator at Fort Fisher State Historic Site, share a strong commitment to preservation and research. Their combined experience includes academic study, extensive archival work at the National Archives, and leadership in public history through educational programming, staff development, and historic interpretation.

September 11, 2025 – Historian Wayne Peale shares his presentation, “The Sand Spit Has History,” highlighting Topsail Island’s unique story. This talk promises to share both well-known and surprising chapters in the story of the island we call home.

May 8th, 2025 – Ms. Shannon Walker talks about her conservation efforts, including the rescue and relocation of the iconic Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), a rare carnivorous plant found only in the wild in parts of southeastern North and South Carolina.

March 13, 2025 – Ms. Christine Brin will discuss the Stories of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Golden Age of Piracy.

February 13, 2025 - Mr. Kenneth S. Chestnut, will discuss the development of the Ocean City Community on Topsail Island and the upcoming Jazz festival in the summer of 2025. Open for Special Announcement!

January 9, 2025 - NC in the American Revolution| LTC Retired Gary O. Green who will speak about NC in the American Revolution.

November 14, 2024 - Jeff Wenzel is an active member of the Historical Society of Topsail Island and is passionate about preserving and sharing local history.