As our journey to get to know the founding members of Black Oak continues, we’re excited to introduce you to two new kids in the Club. When Laura and Matt walked through the door with their realtor Turner Hastings and we started chatting I could tell these guys would fit in! Fit in with the location, experiences and lifestyle Black Oak had to offer. With both working at home and needing ‘spaces’ it seemed like the Southport would be perfect and it was! Everybody wins. Now we just have to make sure Laura can get her sign color… 😊
These guys will be a great addition to the Black Oak Founders Club and we’re very happy they picked us to build their Schell home at the beach.
Tell us a bit about yourselves and your current situation?
Matt and I live in Bethesda, MD. I am a founder of an outplacement and career transition firm called The Career Strategy Group (19 years old) and the President of the Women Business Owners of Montgomery County. Matt is a long-time Partner at PwC and leader of their Advisory AI business. Our kids are both in college and, as empty nesters, we wanted a place in which to settle, part time, with a slower pace of life and new places to explore.
How did you hear/know about Lewes and the beach?
We moved to Maryland from Loudoun County in 2008, when our kids were just 2 and 4, and took our first trip to Rehoboth the following summer. We were hooked. That trip began a lifelong love for the Delaware beaches. Until the kids got too busy, we went every year like clockwork. Those memories make up a big part of our lives.
Why did you pick Black Oak as your new home community?
We were looking for a new growing community with a mix of primary homes and secondary homes! Plus, getting in early allowed us to pick our lot!
Why did you pick The Southport as your floor plan at Black Oak?
I just loved The Southport photo from the moment I saw it on the website, so we took a drive out to Brentwood to see the model. From the neutral colors with pops of blue, to the daybed on the landing halfway up the stairs, I knew I’d have a hard time topping it! We just fell in love.
What do you look forward to the most once you live in your new home in Black Oak?
I can’t wait to bring our little fur baby (Sadie) to the beach and watch her run around the house for the first time! And, when our kids get older, I hope they will bring their friends, significant others, and kids, to the beach to make their own memories!
“I hope that moving my office on occasion to the Black Oak Community Center will give me the social outlet I often need! We look forward to meeting our new neighbors!” – LAURA
Favorite drink / favorite food?
I love a good mimosa bar! Add any fruit to OJ and wine and I’m a happy gal. Matt is a BBQ snob, so you can always get him talking if you mention a good brisket recipe!
Where are your favorite places to go out and eat at the beach?
We love Agave, but we haven’t explored too many places in Lewes yet, as we normally situate ourselves in Rehoboth when we visit. Can’t wait to try them all. But, no beach trip is complete without a vanilla chocolate twist with sprinkles at Kohr’s Bros!
Any other places/locations that you love at the beach?
I’ll never forget when, on one trip, we went geocaching and found a prize under the gazebo in downtown Lewes! It will always hold a special place in our hearts!
How do you feel you will use, or your family will use the amenities in the community?
Both Matt and I work from home, so I know that I’ll occasionally bring my computer to the pool and clubhouse and work from there! It will be a lovely change of pace. While working from home has its advantages, it can be very isolating and lonely. I hope that moving my office on occasion to the Black Oak Community Center will give me the social outlet I often need! We look forward to meeting our new neighbors!
What will your first purchase be once you live at the beach and why?
All the cool kid beach stuff! Coolers, beach towels, wetsuits, and more! Gotta get ready for summer, 2026!
Surrounded by preserved wetlands and forests, Black Oak offers resort-style amenities, top-rated schools, and quick access to Beebe Hospital. Skip the traffic, soak in the scenery, and enjoy the best of coastal living right at home.
Discover a rare chance to live East of Route 1—just a bike ride from downtown Lewes, beaches, Cape Henlopen State Park, and more. Schedule a visit with Adam!
ADAM PETTENGELL
(302) 228-2719
adam@schellbrothers.com
You have hit your destination of 1007 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE 19958! First of all, the exterior look of Big Oyster Brewery with the red barn and stone style is pretty fab. You’ll go in and find all kinds of amazing beers from sours to IPAs, stouts and more. My favorites are Deloris, Mischief Stout, Big Oyster Stout, Red Lips, Isabelle and that’s just the start. I like a lot of them. You can order up some oysters – they have a great variety – as well as lots of other fresh seafood. I really like the calamari at happy hour. Anyway, the whole place is pretty cool BUT you know what is the best? The bathrooms. I know the outdoor area is pretty neat, the views into the brewery from the bar are always intriguing, the boat turned into pendant lights over the bar is cool, BUT the bathrooms are it! Trust me. Proper barn bathrooms and you’ll hear farm music. Yep, a dog barking in the distance and other farm noises. I just find that pretty cool. My old mum always said you judge a business by its bathrooms. Fins Restaurant Group and I’m sure Rebecca Fluharty, the local genius and designer who played a big part in it when she designed the building, killed it on the bathrooms. Anyway, always makes me smile.
