It is my pleasure to announce the selection of Alyssa Thomas as our Squadron’s next manager.  On May 29th, she received a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors, and earlier by the Selection Committee who interviewed seven top candidates out of about 100 who applied.

As the Vice Commodore of the Jacomo Sailing Club, Alyssa successfully expanded the number of volunteers and transformed the club into a thriving sailing center to improve lives with safety education, adaptive sailing, shared sailboats for non-boat owners and racing programs.  She holds US Sailing certificates for sailing instructor, coastal passage making and navigation as well as basic cruising and keelboats.   She is certified for CPR, AED and First Aid.

Alyssa overhauled her sailing club’s website and ramped up its social marketing, greatly expanding membership and matching novice students with sailing mentors.  She encouraged women to learn to sail, coordinated regattas as well as outreach for social events.  She managed the club’s assets which include both keelboats and dinghies.

Alyssa took up sailing five years ago in Florida at the Offshore Sailing School and now races a Sweet Sixteen and a J22.  She was awarded the top female skipper at the J22 Midwinters in New Orleans.

She comes from a successful career in engineering and construction where she applied her problem solving and team building skills receiving an award as the Engineer of the Year in 2015 for innovation and highest quality.  Since 2010, she has managed 30 engineers, designers and construction in building major power and industrial plants.  She looks forward to applying these professional skills to the Squadron.

She is familiar with Sarasota where her mother-in-law lives and has visited frequently.  We look forward to her taking up her new duties in a soon as she moves here and settles in. We hope that members will welcome her with open arms and get to know her. We are planning a meet and greet event in a few weeks.

Ted Weihe, Commodore