Directors
Shancy Holland, Education Director
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!
Email: education@owsa.net
Bio coming soon!
Email: social@owsa.net
Meredith grew up in Michigan where she spent her summers living at her familys cottage on a small lake just outside of Traverse City. The family had two sailboats, a motorboat, a canoe, and a rowboat… needless to say, boating and being on the water brings her joy. As a child and young adult Meredith spent most of her time perfecting her slalom waterskiing ability but also enjoyed crewing with her dad and sister on their Olympic-class International 470.
Meredith moved to Oregon in 1997 and finally joined OWSA in 2018 after giving up her MasterCraft ski boat and then deciding golf is boring. Relearning to sail and progressing into skippering has been very special and invigorating! Starting with WNS, Meredith took a few Education classes, joined the BOAST program in 2021 and then volunteered as BOAST Chair in 2022. She enjoys both racing and cruising and is interested in learning more about boat maintenance.
Meredith is a marketing research consultant and runs a small business in NE Portland. She also volunteers with Dress for Success and is active politically. Meredith also enjoys travel, is SCUBA certified, enjoys paddling and kayaking, and is an avid downhill snow skier.
Email: programs@owsa.net
Sarah learned to sail at the age of 10 on a San Juan 21 in Klamath Falls, OR and moved to Portland in February 2022. Her previous sailing experiences include Wednesday night races, regattas, and volunteering for the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda. She joined OWSA in June 2022 to make connections with other women passionate about sailing and hopes to further her education and earn sailing certifications. When not dreaming of sailing, Sarah is found playing board games with her husband, walking her dogs, or telling a joke too punny to repeat. In her professional life, Sarah is an HR Business Partner at a global logistics company and operates her own HR consulting firm. She has experience in small business and nonprofit management, human resources, accounting, and strategic planning.
Email: operations@owsa.net
Carol Baker, Fundraising & Marketing Director
Carol has been with OWSA for more than 10 years. Currently, she sails her Pacific Seacraft Flicka out of Olympia. She has single-handed north as far as the Sunshine Coast, B.C., and cruised off the California Coast, in Mexico, Florida, the Cape Verde Islands, and chartered in Croatia.
Email: marketing@owsa.net
