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Board of Directors

Board of Directors

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Peter Palmer

Peter Palmer

Chairman of the Board/Treasurer, Certified Sailing Instructor

Retired with more than 30 years of experience in management positions with the Federal Government, past Commodore of Southern Idaho Sailing Association, with 10 years of sailing experience.  Peter is a certified Level 1 Small Boat Sailing Instructor with US Sailing. He has chartered and captained sailboats in Mexico, Croatia, and Greece, and recently crewed on a 27 day, 3,000 mile passage across the South Pacific Ocean.

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John Berk

John J. Burke

Certified Sailing Instructor

John is an attorney and former partner with the law firm Elam & Burke, P.A., in Boise, Idaho. John is a certified Level 1 Small Boat Sailing Instructor with US Sailing and has been sailing dinghies, keelboats, and catamarans since 1971. He is a past Commodore of the Mill Harbor Yacht Club in McCall, Idaho and regularly crews aboard SV Mary Rose, a 1926 Herreshoff schooner, in the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta.

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Steve Christiansen

Steve Christiansen

Lead Sailing Instructor

Retired architect and past Principal of Lombard Conrad Architects, with 40 years of sailing experience. Steve specializes in Laser sailboat racing and is a certified Level 1 Small Boat Sailing Instructor with US Sailing.

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Eric Davis

Eric Davis

Fundraising Chair

Owner and Manager of Retail West Properties, LLC of Boise, a commercial real estate development firm specializing in retail and mixed-use projects in the Intermountain West. Eric and his wife, Nancy, have been sailing for 13 years, keeping a cruising boat, SAGE, in Bellingham, Washington and a smaller sailboat on Lucky Peak, Spring Shores Marina during the summer.

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Kate Gehrs

Kate Gehrs

Youth Racing Advisor, Certified Sailing Instructor

Kate is a CPA and financial consultant. She fell in love with sailing as a youth on Galveston Bay in Texas. Kate was a US Youth National Team member in the Optimist dinghy, representing the USA in international regattas. Kate also sailed the national youth circuit in the Laser and 420 classes. As an adult, Kate continues to race Lasers and enjoys cruising on the Idaho lakes and her hometown waters of Galveston Bay. She is a certified Level 1 Small Boat Sailing Instructor with US Sailing.

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Tina Klamt

Tina Klamt

Board Member at Large

Retired with more than 30 years of experience in management positions with State Government. Tina has 36 years of sailing experience, has served several terms as Commodore and Treasurer of Southern Idaho Sailing Association, and took third place in the Silver Fleet 2012 Catalina 22 National Championship Regatta.

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JT More

JT More

Certified Sailing Instructor

Idaho Certified Commercial Appraiser, Business Owner, and State Licensed Guide (27 years). 2018 Race to Alaska finisher (first Idaho boat to compete). JT has served many terms on the board of the Southern Idaho Sailing Association and has 48 years of sailing experience. He loves racing beach catamarans and is a Level 1 Small Boat Sailing Instructor with US Sailing.

Advisory Members

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Marie Hattaway

Marie Hattaway

Youth Program Manager, Boise City Parks and Recreation

Marie is the Community Partnership and Youth Recreation Manager for Boise City Parks and Recreation. She oversees the recreational coordinators who manage youth programs for the City of Boise. She has 16 years of experience in the non-profit and political/public policy arena, as well as business management. Marie brings a wealth of experience and a passion for providing youth with opportunities that keep them safe, active, and learning beyond traditional school time.

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Clay Lee

Clay Lee

Recreation Coordinator, Boise City Parks and Recreation

Clay serves as the Performing Arts Recreation Coordinator for Boise Parks and Recreation, and has operational responsibility for SISO's youth sailing education program. Clay's experience running programs and services for Boise's families and youth brings him a deep appreciation for the benefits of recreation. He is excited about the opportunities SISO brings to the recreational portfolio that Boise City Parks and Recreation offers to the youth of Southern Idaho.

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Surat Nicol

Surat Nicol

Manager, Lucky Peak State Park

Surat is responsible for operations of the Park, as well as Spring Shores Marina, where our sailing instructional facilities are located.

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Kent Reetz

Kent Reetz

Certified Sailing Instructor

Kent grew up boating in South Florida. He ran a 1976 26' Silverton, "The Ionic", out of Key Largo, Deerfield, and Palm Beach for almost ten years. In addition to being part of our instructor cadre, Kent manages our motorized coaching/safety boat fleet.

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Vince Serio

Vince Serio

Certified Sailing Instructor

Vince is a family physician and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and serves on the faculty at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. He races a MacGregor 26D. He has recently restored and sails Hampton One-Design #342, an 18' wooden sailboat designed by his grandfather in the 1930s.

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Paul Hoy, Media Specialist

Paul Hoy

Certified Sailing Instructor, Media Specialist

Paul has his BS in Marketing and is currently the technology director for a local charter school. He has over 25 years of experience in photography, audio recording, filming, and editing. Paul has over 45 years of sailing experience, most of it on the San Francisco Bay.