Volunteer Chairs
Delona Lang, Membership/Social Chair
I enjoy the sailing life! From a Typhoon at sea on Guam as a kid, to Sunfish and Hobie Cats as a teen, then larger boats as an adult, I have had a taste of The Dream. I am now finally learning the points of sail and the "proper" names for all those parts of the boat through OWSA. I invite you to come join us. No other organization offers the welcome, affordability and opportunity that OWSA does. If you have The Dream, follow it here!
Delona joined the OWSA volunteer team as the Membership Chair for the 2018 / 2019 membership years.
Contact:vicecommodore@owsa.net
Carisa Bohus, Wednesday Night Sail Chair
Carisa Bohus, (Kah reese sah Bow hooosh!) who does statistics in agriculture, joined OWSA in 2010 and has been learning how to really feel the wind ever since. I appreciate the many interesting areas OWSA brings to the membership, like volunteering at the Boat Show, and Sail for the Cause, as well as taking OWSA classes and attending sailing community talks. I love the monthly meetings and have learned so much from all my sailing sisters. Being in the BOAT program has been a great way to get more time on the water.
Some of the benefits of Wednesday Night Sails are meeting other OWSA members, the skippers in the area, the river, and all the different boats we have the pleasure sailing on. I'm looking forward to a fantastic 2017 sailing season. Please don't hesitate to give me feedback on the WNS program. I want to meet you and hear about your adventures.
Katie Braun, Fireside Chair
Katie Braun was born and raised in Dallas, Texas where she learned to sail with her parents on a Flying Scot (19-foot centerboard sloop). She relocated to the Portland area after earning business and history degrees at Southern Methodist University then becoming a flight instructor, corporate commercial jet pilot and realtor.
Before joining OSWA- she crewed in the Caribbean around British Virgin Islands, St.Martin, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Aruba to Panama and from there down to Columbia, plus San Fransisco to Portland. Although she
might circumnavigate the world one day, she currently enjoys logging time for her future commercial boating license by cruising east and west on the Columbia River right next to the Portland International Airport on most Wed. night OSWA sails and weekends with friends. She loves being fireside orientation chair to encourage sailors - both young and old - to get more involved participating and volunteering in all aspects of the Oregon Woman's Sailing Club.
Beyond Katie's passion for sailing & selling houses since 2003 - she enjoys dating, traveling, reading, gardening, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, remodeling houses, repairing boats,cars and airplanes, plus water and snow skiing.
Jen Wiseman, Class Registrar
Jen joined the OWSA volunteer team as the Class Registrar to manage the registration process for upcoming classes in 2018 / 2019.
Contact: classregistrar@owsa.net
Julie Demaree, B.O.A.S.T Program
Julie has spent a lot of time on both power and sailing boats on rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Most of her sailing experience was gained on 32 foot Gulf sloop cruising from Portland north to British Columbia and south to the Sea of Cortez in 2001 through 2012. She enjoys the responsiveness and simplicity of small boats and has done some racing on 20 footers. Being the chair for the BOAST program and a skipper for Wednesday Night Sail gives Julie the opportunity to do what she enjoys most — seeing womens' confidence grow as their sailing skills develop.
Melissa Cearlock, Webmaster
Melissa is native to the Vancouver/Portland area, sailing since the age of 6. Traveling offshore, exploring the Puget Sound, and many other places even taught kids to sail at West Moorland Pond while standing in water up to her waist, and in the tropics while stationed in Guam during her time in the Navy. Melissa got her first boat in 2007, a 26ft Paceship and spent many weekends on the Chesapeake Bay, MD. Returning to the Pacific NW without her boat in late 2013 Melissa discovered OWSA at the Portland Boat Show in Jan of 2014 and joined that Feb. She has taken classes, volunteered at OWSA events and is looking forward to many more.
Melissa served as our 2015-2017 Treasurer, Email Coordinator and Webmaster.
Erica Liepelt, Fleet Manager
I grew up on Puget Sound beach combing, biking and sailing with my brother.
Joining OWSA has allowed me to consider myself a sailor, possibly someday a racer! I work as a hand therapist, am greeted home by tween girls, a husband and various pets.. I'm excited to volunteer with OWSA and begin returning the favors!
Contact: fleetmanager@owsa.net
Tiffany Levesque, Chandlery Chair
Tiffany comes to OWSA with a background in scuba diving, surfing, and a lifelong dream of becoming a sailor. After picking up a floating keychain at the 2014 Portland Boat Show, she signed up for Set Sail for a Cause, joined OWSA, and has not looked back!
While not spending time on or under the water, Tiffany enjoys photography, watercolor, and trekking around the globe. She is fluent in Spanish and ready to help you sail to warmer climes!
She would like to add, "OWSA has given me a new passion for the Pacific Northwest. I would love to see that passion ignite our young women with a thirst to explore, be self-sufficient, and self-confident in all life's pursuits! "
Feel free to let her know if you have any recommendations for our merchandise department!
Katie Drew, Education Chair
Katherine started sailing when she was 24 years old and got her first sailboat; a 18' Hunter. She completed her first sailing class at Willamette Sailing Club. Katherine joined OWSA in 2012.
She participates regularly in the Wednesday Night Sails. Katherine recently completed the First Mate Program. She enjoys crewing on different boats at Portland Yacht Club, Set Sail for a Cause, Mauna Elliott & SYSCO races. She just started volunteering with the SYSCO race events.
Julia Tucker, Communications Chair
My first real memory of sailing was as a small child of 4, dangling over the downside of our friends' Cal25, my hands in the water as we sailed the San Joaquin river. My dad had tied my life jacket to the winch and was holding on to my shorts, he says I was laughing at the water and when we tacked, came up with a huge grin on my face.
When I was 8, my brother and I helped Dad paint and finish our 16-foot racing sloop (a Windmill). That summer he began teaching us to sail, and the following year we began racing with him on Sundays.
When I was 15,I helped launch a "sailboats only" Sea Scout ship a tour sailing club. And when my family moved up to a Columbia Challenger (24 footer) we gave our Wind mill to the Sea Scouts to further their mission in teaching others the art and science of seamanship.
After a way-too-long hiatus, I found my way to OWSA in 2005 and have enjoyed participating in our programs. I find the more I sail, the more I learn, and the more fun I have.
Contact: communications@owsa.net
Liv Ormond, First Mate Chair
Liv has been sailing since 2002 and previously served as the Treasurer, volunteered for various events and was the Fireside Coordinator for three years. Liv loves OWSA and offers her boat Mischief on Wednesday Night Sails. She joined OWSA in 2009 and can't get enough of supporting women in learning to sail.
Shancy Holland, Technology Chair
Shancy started sailing in the 90's on Lake Minnetonka in the Twin Cities. She loves being on the water, has had fun racing and enjoys getting to know passionate sailors. She joined OWSA in 2009 and served as database administrator for 3 years then technology chair for the past two years. Shancy is constantly improving her sailing skills, and has learned a lot about boat ownership since purchasing a Catalina 22 a few years ago. A two week sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands in 2015 inspired her to continue learning about navigation and provisioning for future sailing trips.
