About Maria

 Maria grew up in the Tidewater area of Virginia, which fostered an early love of the ocean. She earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont, and spent 30+ years in the energy business, climbing the ranks of major corporations GE and UL, before retiring in 2018. She and her husband, John Woods, married in Corolla, NC in 1995. In 1998 they returned to the Outer Banks for their 3-year anniversary but were evacuated due to Hurricane Bonnie. Friends vacationing with them had just built a home on Holden Beach and so Maria and John traveled down the coast of North Carolina to help them clean up after the storm and fell in love all over again, this time with the town of Holden Beach. Inspired by a nearby vacant lot, they met with a local realtor, purchased the lot, and built Tranquil Tides, which was completed in May 1999. John and Maria have been permanent, full-time residents of Holden Beach since 2018.