ABOUT SRA

Board of Directors

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Tony Andrews, President
Tony has 26 years of experience in the computer industry, graduating in 1981 from Purdue University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He has worked at IBM, Burroughs, Tandem Computers and, most recently, for eleven years at Microsoft where he held a number of positions in product development and management before retiring in 2007. Tony began rowing as a novice with SRA in 1996, and has been rowing competitively with SRA ever since. He has served several terms on the Board, served previously as President for one year and in 2007 was elected board president again. He has a Level 1 coaching certification from US Rowing and volunteers as a sculling coach as well as coaching in the Adaptive Rowing program. Tony is also active as a junior parent with his son rowing in his third season at SRA.

Gretchen Fredrick, Vice President
Gretchen began rowing in 1987 at the University of Puget Sound, where she received her B.A. in business administration in 1991. She subsequently received her M.A. in Exercise and Sports Studies at Smith College in 1995. She brings a long history of rowing administration, coaching and service to the Board. Gretchen served as SRA’s Executive Director from 1999-2003, having previously served at the Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center in 1996-1998. She was the assistant manager for Administration and Training for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Gretchen has coached rowing at the University of Washington, Smith College, SRA and other local rowing clubs and has a Level 2 Coaching Certification from US Rowing. Gretchen joined the SRA Board after her retirement as Executive Director and is presently Vice-President of the Board. During 2003, 2004 and 2005, she co-chaired the SRA Annual Auction.

Patti Miele, Treasurer
Patti has been rowing with SRA since the first year of the club out of Idlewood Park. While Patti both sweeps and sculls, her heart is in the big boats (unless she's enticed into a quad – she can be fickle!) and she still can’t quite figure out what to do without a cox telling her. You can see her at the boat house Tuesday & Thursday evenings, and both weekend mornings. In addition to being on the SRA board the last three years, Patti has long-time associations with non-profits. After working for the Village Theatre for 12 years as Finance & HR director, she moved over to the software consulting group of Clark Nuber PS where she is able to work with lots of non-profit organizations.

Shelly Warden, Secretary
Shelly brings over 30 years of volunteer experience to the Board, including serving as Neighborhood Chairman of the California Girl Scout Council as well as Regional Supervisor for the Northern California/Hawaii Region United States Pony Club. A transplant from California and educated at Cosumnes River Community College, Shelly brought her wealth of experience to SRA in 2003 following which she has been a rower/member of SRA. She has served as chairperson and member of the Safety Committee and as char of the SRA 10th Anniversary Committee. She is presently SRA Board Secretary as well as a member of the SRA Auction Committee. Prior to her retirement, she was employed in the El Dorado High School educational counseling office and also with the Eastside Journal.

Theresa Knakal, Staff Liaison
Theresa has been a member of the Board since 1998. For the past 8 years, she has served as Head Sculling Coach and has been the Staff Liaison for the past 3 years. Theresa graduated with a BA in Information Systems from Kansas State University in 1986 and is presently employed as a Senior Engineering Manager at Qpass, Inc.; she has previously been employed by BSquare, Metawave, Metapath, EDS, MacDonald-Douglas, and Southwest and Bell Telephone Co. She is a also a certified Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute. Theresa has been coaching since 1987; she coached college novice women at Washington University in St. Louis as well as founded the sculling program at the St. Louis Rowing Club in 1988. A midwest transplant to the Eastside in 1996, Theresa originally volunteered to develop the SRA sculling program and has served as Co-President of the Board, Chair of the Sculling Committee, Co-Chair of Regatta Planning, and Member of Boathouse Planning Committee and Advanced Sculling Committee. She also volunteers her time with youth sports organizations in Mill Creek and previously served as a Big Sister in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program.

Steve Isaac
Steve is currently serving his second term on the Board. A graduate of the University of Buffalo with a degree in Computer Sciences in 1979, Steve has 27 years of experience as a software developer and is currently retired. He has previously worked at Microsoft, GO Corp, Sun Microsystems, Burroughs and NCR. He has been a club member/rower at SRA since 1999 and has previously served as Chair of the Sculling Committee; he presently chairs the New Boathouse Committee. Steve brings over 6 years of community volunteer service to SRA; he also volunteers for Eastside Domestic Violence Program, where he was on their board for 3 years and headed their strategic planning and technology efforts.

Paul Bawel
JPaul joined the board in 2005 filling an open seat, and SRA membership approved his completing the three-year term by vote at its annual meeting in January. Paul has a BSEE from Memphis State University (1984) and a JD from Nova Southeastern University (1995). He is married and has two sons in high school. His youngest son and wife both row with SRA in the juniors program and the masters program respectively. Paul is in-house intellectual property senior counsel for Microsoft Corporation, previously employed by Motorola and General Instrument Corporation as an attorney, and by Applied Measurement Systems as a senior R&D engineer. Paul’s past volunteer experience is with the Boy Scouts of America, youth sports organization, and the board of his church.

Rick Bergdahl
Rick joined the Board in 2006 for his first term. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering from GMI Kettering University (1975), and an MBA from the University of Michigan, (1977). He is married and has two children now in college. He is presently Product Marketing & Pricing Manager for PACCAR Parts Division and previously was employed with American Express, Bank of America and General Motors. Rick’s association with SRA began in 2002 as a junior parent, regatta volunteer, chaperone and spectator; he started rowing in the fall of 2004. Rick’s previous volunteer experience is with the Boy Scouts of America and various youth sports organizations.

Susan Gorman
Susan is a Seattle native and moved to the Eastside in 1991. She received her BA from Evergreen State College in 1976, and subsequently her MEd from Pacific Oaks College in 1978. Susan is serving her first term on the Board and has been member of the New Boathouse Planning Committee. Susan founded New Discovery School in 1985, where she serves as the President of its Board. She has been a member of several boards, including the Ames Lake Community Association and Tomlinson, Inc. as well as a classroom volunteer and participant in numerous community activities in the Cascade Neighborhood in Seattle. Susan began rowing with the first class offered by SRA in 1996 and has been involved in the Adaptive Rowing Program.

Bryan Oakes
Bryan is serving his first term on the Board; he has been a club member/rower since 2004. Bryan received his BA in Biology from Linfield College in 1972 and his MA in Mechanical Engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1980. He is president/owner of Armorclad Floors. Bryan has over 20 years of volunteer service, most recently being in charge of the Future Scientists and Engineers Program at Inglewood Junior High School as well as serving on the board of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). Bryan is a junior parent and also serves on the SRA New Boathouse Committee.

Sally Struzyna
Sally is serving her first term on the Board, having been elected in 2007. She’s married, has two teenage children and is a Seattle native. Sally attended the University of Washington to pursue a career in dentistry – first as a dental hygienist, then as a dentist and most recently as a periodontist (dental surgeon). She ran her own surgical practice in downtown Seattle for 16 years and retired from dentistry in 1999. In 2005, Sally and her husband purchased an all women’s health club in north Renton where she served as president and head of marketing and advertising for two years. She has volunteered at her children's school, her church and in various non-profit organizations, and actively helps out her aging mother. She is chairperson of the Publicity Committee and active as a junior parent, with her daughter and son rowing in their third season at SRA. Inspired by her kids, she began rowing as a novice in 2006. Sally thoroughly enjoys the recreational and competitive aspects of rowing, and thinks it’s the best exercise around!