Susan Healey Payson

Executive Director

Susan Healey Payson joined the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort as Executive Director on December 1, 2025.

Susan brings a distinguished career in nonprofit leadership, fundraising and community engagement. Known for her philosophy that “it’s not about the money—it’s about the mission,” she is deeply committed to guiding and growing organizations that serve their communities.

Throughout her career, Susan has raised millions of dollars for prominent institutions, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Northeast Health System, the Neuroendocrine Research Foundation, Mass General/Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Shore Country Day School.

Her background includes leading capital campaigns, strengthening board governance, organizing major community fundraising events and mentoring staff and volunteers.

A native of Rhode Island, Susan grew up in a large and competitive sailing family. She raced in the J24 and S2 7.9 fleets in Newport and along the Eastern Seaboard and served as a sailing instructor and junior sailing program director at the Barrington Yacht Club on Narragansett Bay.

Susan is a graduate of Providence College, where she competed on the indoor and outdoor track teams. She is also a three-time Boston Marathon finisher.

She and her husband, Chip, have five grown children and a yellow lab named Dewey. They enjoy time on the water aboard their power boat and their 36-foot Catalina sailboat, Debutante.

Danielle Marshall

Director of Communications & Advancement

Danielle joined the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum with a career rooted in strategic communications, advancement strategy and mission-driven leadership.

A retired United States Marine and graduate of Liberty University with a master’s degree in communication, Danielle is known for her belief in building strong systems that allow organizations to thrive. She is deeply committed to stewarding the Museum’s story, impact and future.

Danielle brings extensive experience across the Department of Defense, federal and state governments and the corporate sector. Her background includes leading communications, engagement and transformation efforts in complex environments, with a focus on aligning mission, audience and measurable outcomes.

She previously served in a communications leadership role with the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, where she gained valuable experience working at the intersection of state government and nonprofit partners.

Danielle relocated to Emerald Isle in 2009 and made the Crystal Coast her permanent home in 2011 after returning from an overseas deployment.

She and her husband, Joe, are proud parents of a lively blended family that includes three grown sons, a daughter-in-law, a grandson and three young daughters. As a family, they love being on the water and gathering at the sandbars that make the Crystal Coast so special.

Danielle is proud to bring both her professional experience and deep personal connection to the waterways in support of the Museum and the Friends organization as stewards of North Carolina’s maritime heritage.

Darlene Sanchez

Bookkeeper

Darlene joined the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort in July 2024, bringing more than 30 years of bookkeeping experience and a lifelong connection to the water.

Originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Darlene has spent much of her life on or near the coast. She began sailing in college alongside her husband, Frank, on the Chesapeake Bay.

Together, they have explored the Chesapeake Bay, cruised the East Coast and sailed as far as the Florida Keys. Most recently, they completed a voyage from Beaufort to the Bahamas and back aboard their Jeanneau 42 sailboat.

For the past decade, Darlene, a licensed United States Coast Guard captain, and her family have called Bogue Banks home, drawn by a shared love of coastal living, sailing and offshore fishing.

At the Friends, Darlene plays an essential role in stewarding the organization’s financial operations with care and consistency. She is deeply connected to the Museum’s mission and values the opportunity to help ensure the North Carolina Maritime Museum remains accessible to all.

For Darlene, this work is more than numbers. It is a way to stay connected to the water, support a place her family loves and be part of a community dedicated to preserving North Carolina’s maritime heritage.