Flag Officers
The Board is made up of five Flag Officer positions (Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, Secretary, and Treasurer) and up to five additional Directors. Contact the Commodore if you are interested in serving on the Board and giving back to the OWSA Community.
Laura Gadley, Commodore
Laura learned to sail on a daysailer called Whistler on Lake Pymatuning in NE Ohio and initially sailed with her family while living on a 42' steel hulled junk rigged schooner. Laura has sailed for 6 weeks in French Polynesia, several trips to the San Juan Islands, sailed from LaConner through Deception Pass and sailed from Port Hardy, BC northwest around Vancouver Island to Victoria, BC.
Laura joined OWSA in 2014, participated in Wednesday Night Sails, volunteered as a guppy for several education classes, is a First Mate, and has had the opportunity to take many of the OWSA classes. Laura has experience maintaining and painting boats, she is pretty handy and believes no task is too small or too hard.
Laura has spent a lot of time on canoes, sailing with tarps, sailing on all sizes of boats and feels very comfortable around water. She is a strong swimmer and has her SCUBA certificates. Laura is a HR Manager in her professional life, has a strong work ethic and enjoys building solid working relationships with others.
Email: commodore@owsa.net
Allison Chown, Vice Commadore
Allison Chown learned to sail at Girl Scout Camp in the late 90s on a Sunfish in Texas. In college she joined the Sailing Club, and raced with her team all over Texas. After having OWSA on her radar for quite a while, she joined OWSA the summer of 2018 once she had more free time available. Allison served as the communications chair for OWSA in 2019. Outside of sailing, Allison has been a volunteer and an executive leader in the Junior League of Portland. She has also served on the board of Alberta Main Street. Her experience includes management, event execution, marketing, education, and she is currently an Esthetician at The Portland Girl.
Shancy Holland, Rear Commodore
Shancy started sailing in the 90's on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota when an opportunity to race on a Ranger 23 came her way. She was hooked. She joined OWSA in 2009 and has served in a variety of volunteer roles supporting technology and operations for OWSA. Shancy had the opportunity to race on a Martin 24 on the Columbia River with an amazing skipper and crew in 2019 and has cruised in the San Juan Islands, the BVI and Lake Michigan. She loves being on the water and gets out as often as possible on her Catalina 22. She has embraced boat ownership and maintenance and believes that any day sailing is an adventure!
Becky Morland, Secretary
Bio coming.
Sue Day, Treasurer
Sue recently moved to Portland from Vashon Island, Washington. She's currently working as the Director of Finance and Administration at APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon). Sue grew up in the suburbs of Boston, MA and sailing on Cape Cod, went to colleges in Vermont, Arizona, and Massachusetts, and finally settled in the Pacific Northwest nearly 20 years ago. She has a background in nonprofit management and small business ownership and has not done nearly enough sailing recently!
Thank you to the amazing Commodores that have provided vision and leadership to OWSA over the years:
2022 Laura Gadley
2021 Jennifer Wiseman
2020 Shancy Holland
2019 Delona Lang
2018 Tressa Yellig
2017 MC Rydzewski
2016 April Deines
2015 Dondi Kathman
2014 Ashley Patterson
2013 Ellen Van Rossum
2012 Susan Gierga
2011 Kitty Church
2010 Wendy Hatchadourian
2009 Julia Tucker
2008 Edie Felix
2007 Cathie Dluehosh
2006 Susan Estes
2004 Sue Johnson
2003 Donna Mac
2002 Mary Stupi Brocks
2001 Mary Woiccak
2000 Linda Wanitschek
1999 Alice Patten
1998 Cheryl McNaughton
1997 Gail Taylor
1996 Susan Burns
1995 Sherry Robinson
