Source: Wooden Boat Foundation • http://www.woodenboat.org

Meet the Foundation crew

WBF staff don't just work at the foundation. We live the mission by spending a portion of every day promoting wooden boat culture, skills and heritage in our community. Committed to our past and future, each of us serves a dual role at the Northwest Maritime Center where funds we raise are used for expanding education programs for youth and adults.

Stan Cummings

Stan Cummings
Executive Director
Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation
stan@nwmaritime.org / (360) 385-3628, ext 105

Stan brings more than 30 years of maritime education experience to the helm. As CEO of The Ocean Institute in Dana Pointe, California, he developed sustainable maritime programs for all ages, including hands-on exhibits, K-12 curriculum, teacher education programs, two tall ships, a research vessel and partnerships with regional marine partners. Those programs still serve 80,000 school children and teachers annually. Originally from New England, with a Tallship Captain or two in his bloodline, Stan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford in Science Curriculum & Teacher Education. He and his wife moved to Port Townsend in January 2007 with an apple press, an Old Town Canoe, a great library and a locker full of memories from the Tallship Pilgrim.

Kaci Cronkhite

Kaci Cronkhite
Wooden Boat Festival Director
Senior Advisor
360) 385-3628, ext 106
festival@woodenboat.org

Kaci, a self diagnosed Woman of the Wind, sailed more than 60,000 bluewater miles before dropping anchor in Port Townsend. Born an Oklahoma cowgirl, she didn't see the ocean until she was 21 and didn't sail until a she was 31 - on a weekend visit to Port Townsend. That experience sparked a research project, then a job with Nancy Erley and Tethys, teaching women to sail around the world. They finished the circumnavigation in 2001. Kaci then took the helm of the Festival.  In addition to her role with Festival, she served as Interim Executive Director of the WBF in 2004, on the Integration Team for the NWMC and WBF merger in 2005 and as Managing Director of NWMC & WBF from February 2006-September 2009. She holds a 100-ton Master's license; writes, presents and promotes women in boating (International Women Sailing Network); has a BS in Management, an MA in Social Sciences and an Ab.D in Gender and Cultural Studies. In 2007, she and her partner found Pax, their 1936 Danish Spidsgatter.

Victoria Poling

Victoria Poling
Wooden Boat Chandlery, Interim Manager
chandlery@woodenboat.org
shop.woodenboat.org / (360) 385-3628, ext 101

Victoria returned to Port Townsend (her home town) in August 2008 after sailing schooners and square-riggers on both US coasts as a deckhand/educator, engineer and 1st mate. Introduced to sailing through a WBF learn to sail class in El Toros more than a decade ago, she now holds a 100 ton Master's license. She has built skin and frame kayaks (baidarkas) and for the last four summers has taught kayak building on Nuchek Island in Alaska's Prince William Sound. Prior to joining the Chandlery staff, she served as Captain Educator in the Puget Sound Explorer program.  In the Chandlery, she will manage the webstore and Point of Sale system, and is an important member of the crew expanding the store into the new NWMC facilities in late 2009. From her experience on tallships and in remote locations, she is familiar with the challenges of purchasing boat supplies and parts, finding the right part in the right port at the right time.

DeeAnn Nelson

DeeAnn Nelson
Internal Operations Manager
deeann@nwmaritime.org / (360) 385-3628, ext 108

DeeAnn juggles Wooden Boat Festival support, Maritime Library and NWMC Program registrations in addition to her work with our IT and office systems. A native South Dakotan, DeeAnn moved west seeking trees and mountains and has worked on the Olympic Peninsula since 1996. She took her first sailing and rowing lessons summer 2007, and successfully compled the courses with humor and panache. Rumor has it that she is a distant relative of Lord Nelson, so hail her appropriately with your questions!

Janeen Armstrong

Janeen Armstrong
Membership Coordinator
Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation
janeen@nwmaritime.org / (360) 379-2629

Janeen moved to Port Townsend from Seattle where she used to gaze longingly at the sailboats on Lake Union from her downtown office window. Her varied work life has included teaching English in Mexico, managing an urban gourmet take-out food shop and writing an online parenting column for single moms. Most recently she performed a wide variety of administrative and support tasks for a national managed health care company in Seattle. As part of the development and membership team for the NWMC/WBF Janeen is responsible for, among other things, database upkeep and acknowledgements for members and donors. Last summer she took the first step in fulfilling her lifelong dream of learning to sail by taking the NWMC beginner’s class.

Rob Sanderson

Rob Sanderson
Waterfront Programs Manager
Northwest Maritime Center
rob@nwmaritime.org / (360) 385-3628, ext 103

Rob has been teaching and developing maritime programs at WBF & NWMC since 2004. He is a US Sailing and ASA Certified Instructor, holds a 100-ton USCG Masters License and is First Aid and CPR trained. Rob started, then taught sailing in Maryland's Chesapeake waters before joining on as 1st mate and engineer on three Tall ships - from Maine to the Caribbean. Next, he drove chase boats for Oracle, an America’s Cup team in New Zealand. He is passionate about sailing and creating a love for sailing for students of all ages. He and his trusty chocolate Lab, Miles, are responsible for Learn to Sail youth and adult programs, Thunderbird charters, Messing About in Boats Sea Camps, creative maritime curriculum and Sail Training programs on Schooner Martha and other regional tallships.

 Sue Cook

Volunteer Coordinatorsuecookredshirt_forweb.jpg

Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation

sue@nwmaritime.org / (360) 385-3628, ext 102

Sue was born and raised in SF Bay Area.  Coming from a Celtic family with a long tradition of amateur thespians, certifiable hams, and fabulous cooks, Sue has always been noted for her improvisational humor and her love of the culinary arts.  These tendencies showed themselves in her early career as one of the founders and co-producers of "The Moveable Feast" the first ever Gourmet Food & Wine Show.  Leaving that arena in the 1980's, she relocated to the Napa Valley with her three children and life partner, Ann.  Sue attended Sonoma State University, graduating magna cum laude.  While attending the University, she found and was co-director of Hestia House, a fully supported Independent and Open Adoption program and residential program for relinquishing birthmothers. She later worked in the Napa School system in the guidance counseling office.  Since moving to Port Townsend in 1998, she worked as the Ticket and Sales Mgr. and assisted with the volunteer program at Centrum.  Her true love of people, be they old or new-comer, is evident in the many caring friendships she developed with volunteers and ticket buyers alike. It doesn't hurt that she feeds her volunteers very well, indeed!