“We really, honestly, moved out here on a bit of a whim for a career move. But it’s turned into so much more than that.” – Michael Maffeo, Oak Ridge, NC
That decision—equal parts risk and curiosity—launched a cross-country leap from the Pacific Northwest to the Carolina Core for Michael Maffeo and his young family. What they found on the other side was not just a new job, but a new way of life, filled with community, growth and unexpected joy.
Michael Maffeo is the Senior Engineering Manager at Honda Aircraft Company, where he leads aircraft-level integration. Originally from just south of Seattle, Washington, Michael had never stepped foot in North Carolina before accepting an interview with Honda during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his wife, who had built a life and successful careers in Seattle, were not necessarily looking to relocate. But the opportunity was intriguing, and their adventurous spirit carried them eastward. In 2021, they landed in the Carolina Core—Oak Ridge, to be exact—with two young daughters and a willingness to embrace something entirely new.
It didn’t take long for the area to surprise them. Drawn in by the region’s natural beauty, lower cost of living, and more spacious homes, Michael saw North Carolina as offering many of the same lifestyle perks as Seattle—access to both the mountains and the beach—just in a more manageable, family-friendly package. Their previous home was just three miles from downtown Seattle, where city life was vibrant but dense. In Oak Ridge, their children could ride bikes in the neighborhood, and the family could enjoy a different kind of richness from the space and community in the Core.
Career-wise, the move was just as transformative. Michael had spent more than a decade at Boeing, rising through the ranks in engineering and management. But what Honda Aircraft offered was breadth—an opportunity to take on responsibilities that, at Boeing, might have taken 15 more years to achieve. At Honda, he stepped into a role with visibility, impact and leadership across the full aircraft engineering process. Not long after arriving, he was promoted to oversee the engineering execution for the company’s Echelon program, giving him even greater ownership in a field that requires long-term thinking and investment.
This blend of professional elevation and personal fulfillment is what makes Michael’s story so compelling. He left a globally recognized aviation hub only to find deeper career purpose in a place he hadn’t known existed. “Honda is in a very poised position to capitalize on that investment,” he said of the company’s long-view commitment to aviation innovation. And for him, that means being part of something strategic and growing.
What grounded their transition most, however, was community. Moving in the middle of a pandemic with no family nearby could have been isolating—but it wasn’t. It turns out having young children was the key to their success. School events, sports teams and casual outings quickly turned into lasting friendships. A chance encounter at Summerfield Farms with a kindergarten classmate led to their first local friendship, and things snowballed from there. “We’ve met some tremendous friends out here,” Michael reflected, describing how his daughters’ activities became the foundation for an expanding social circle.
They’ve also embraced the outdoors in North Carolina. From regular hikes at Hanging Rock and lake walks with the dogs to leaf-looking weekends in Asheville, Michael and his family found the same kind of natural wonder they once enjoyed in Washington—minus the constant rain and traffic. “In Seattle, we wanted to go to the mountains, but it was a two-hour drive with traffic,” he said. “Here, that is not the case.”
It’s not just about proximity. It’s about access—to experiences, to cities like Winston-Salem and Greensboro, and to other states entirely. The first time his family unknowingly crossed into Virginia on a local hike, they were stunned at how close and connected everything felt. That sense of accessibility stands in contrast to the long-haul commutes and daily gridlock they left behind.
One of the most meaningful changes for Michael has been something deceptively simple: the school drop-off routine. In Seattle, work started early and traffic was punishing. Being the dad who took the kids to school wasn’t in the cards. But in the Carolina Core, it became part of his daily rhythm. “It’s just me and them in the car for 15 minutes. Sometimes it goes really well. Sometimes it doesn’t. But I wouldn’t trade it.” That, he says, is the kind of life shift that’s hard to measure, but easy to feel.
For those considering a move, Michael’s advice is clear: “Look at where you want your life to be in five to ten years.” For his family, that meant trading a tech-saturated metropolis for a region that offered more balance, more space, and more connection. Oak Ridge gave them the country-city blend they hadn’t known they needed—and a front-row seat to a region that’s only getting started.
“We were ready to have a neighborhood. We wanted our kids to be raised in a community where they could ride their bikes.” And in the Carolina Core, that vision became reality.