Story by Hilary Brady
Photography by Keith Ketchum
If you drive by the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce office in Shallotte, you will likely see an orange light emitting through the windows or hear a faint chant coming from within the stucco walls. That’s because Brunswick County’s biggest Clemson fan is busy running through the halls, wearing all orange and encouraging her co-workers to join her for a quick round of Tiger Rag, Clemson University’s fight song.
Megan Masser, a Clemson University alumna, is the Community Programs and Events Director for the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce. Not only does she bleed orange and glow of school spirit, she also radiates personality and an energetic passion for her job.
Since childhood, Megan has loved to plan parties. She grew up in Frederick, Maryland, and as a high school senior she was thrilled about her upcoming graduation but was perhaps a little more excited about what came with that milestone. Parties. Megan’s event planning career began with her own high-school-graduation party and has not stopped since.
“I am very lucky to have parents who allowed me to go so far away for college,” says Megan. And far from home she did go. Her parents had a four-hour rule — their two daughters were allowed to choose a college within a four-hour radius of Frederick. They had good intentions, but the sisters both bent the rule. Megan’s older sister chose Elon University, a little more than a five-hour drive. And Megan? A nine-hour drive.
Megan knew that she loved the Carolinas. Her family had vacationed at Sunset Beach for the Fourth of July for as long as she could remember. And a cousin living in South Carolina had shown her what warm weather and palm trees can do for a soul. Megan quickly fell in love with the state and enrolled at Clemson University.
Megan’s school spirit developed quickly and her energy was soon channeled into Clemson LiVE, the student-run entertainment board. As the group’s Director of Tiger Traditions, Megan planned a variety of programs, from movies on the lawn to major concerts with world-famous artists. Her role was to provide safe entertainment for the students, while maximizing the fun factor. With an event-planning resume that included planning events with country sensation Sugarland and pop punk band Yellowcard before she even graduated college, most would say that Megan had achieved great career success at a very young age.
Upon graduation in 2007, Megan joined the majority of Clemson grads and moved to Charleston. She began working as a frontdesk associate for the Mills House, a historic hotel in downtown Charleston. After about a year at Mills House, Megan realized that she couldn’t muffle her event planning dreams any longer.
Megan decided to pack her bags and join her parents, who had moved to Calabash in 2005 when they realized that their daughters had become permanent residents of the South. In April 2008, Megan left Charleston behind and started looking for a job in her dream field of event planning in southern North Carolina. After just a few days of searching, Megan stumbled upon the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce, where she met and fell in love with the staff.
Megan has now been employed as the chamber’s Community Programs and Events Director for nearly a year and a half. “I love my job,” says Megan. She plans all of the chamber’s events, from the N.C. Oyster Festival and Brunswick Island Home and Garden Show to the Kentucky Derby Gala and the Annual Chamber Golf Tournament.
When she’s not planning major events or cheering on her alma mater, Megan is busy juggling her many other roles in the community. Megan acts as the spokesperson and films commercials for Naber Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Shallotte, as well as hosts a regular television program — Brunswick Now! on channel 3. The show highlights a variety of hot topics concerning the Brunswick County area, all covered by Megan.
Her upbeat personality has proven her successful in event planning as well as on camera.
Megan loves her work, but she also loves her “baby.” Roxy, a Boston Terrier–Pug mix, is downright spoiled, admits Megan. But Megan also loves her friends. She spends time with them regularly, at the beach or hanging out at each other’s houses. She also finds time to golf and stay active on a regular basis.
Megan met her friends, as well as her boyfriend, when she decided to organize a Young Professionals group. The networking and social group meets monthly, typically on the third Thursday from 6 to 9 pm, for different events at varying local establishments. All planned by, you guessed it, Megan.
