GBR Board

Board of Directors

  • Jennie Marshall
  • RB Laurence
  • Renate Raeder
  • Jennifer Fried
  • David Shay 
  • Fred Loucks
  • Felicia Sperry
  • Adam Gilsdorf
  • Natalie Grimm
  • Margo Angelopoulos
  • Josh Weinstein

Board Member Biographies

R.B. Laurence – Safety Committee

In the first year of his first 3-year term as a GBR board member, as VP, RB has taken on a lead role in updating and overseeing the implementation of GBR’s safety policies and procedures, as well as taking a lead role on the Head of the Fish organizing committee.  RB has been a resident of Greenland for over 20 years and was introduced to the sport of rowing over 30 years ago, when his sister rowed at the University of Pennsylvania.  RB was himself a competitive collegiate sailor at the US Coast Guard Academy, and has navigated and/or sailed in ports around the world. He has formal education and training in the nautical sciences, including navigation and ship handling and as a US Coast Guard Officer, where he  served over 5 years at sea, ultimately serving as chief engineer of a large oceangoing cutter.  In his professional life, as a consulting engineer, his experience involves the design of somewhat dangerous mechanical systems and through time spent on construction sites, he has developed extensive experience with risk assessment and evaluation, serving on a national fire code committee, with a speciality in evaluating the fire and safety risks associated with unique facilities not covered by codes.  RB’s daughter, a junior rower,  brought him to GBR, which led him to board membership because, as he explained, “I believe in the club’s mission and the positive power of the sport. The club has been good to my daughter and I am interested in facilitating similar positive experiences for other youth rowers.”  The nautical and safety expertise RB brings to his service to the BOD  is invaluable to the work of the GBR Board and the operations of the club.

 

Felicia Sperry – Financial Aid Chair, Freedom Rows, Coach

Felicia was first introduced to the sport at Bucknell University while she was playing rugby at Bucknell and she joined the program in it’s early years. At Bucknell, she rowed and coached as a grad student and later rowed a season of Masters at GBR.  In addition to her 5 or so years experience of rowing and coaching experience,as well as her ten plus years coaching youth soccer, Felicia brings vast experience with non-profits and fundraising to her service on the Board:  she ran the PTO’s at Mast Way Elementary School and ORMS; she started and developed the OR Hockey Boosters; and she served as parent coordinator for OR Otters swim team where she also officiated.  With over 30 years experience as a school psychologist, she brings a deep understanding and commitment to the social and emotional development of local youth, as well as a commitment to fostering growth mindset and a sense of community for GBR.  She is a collaborative, problem-solver and supports a systems perspective in club operations and decision-making. Of her interest in the sport and her decision to serve on the Board, Felicia says, “I fell in love with the sport of rowing when I was in college..I love it…only thing I ever got up at 4am for!! I loved the team component, the challenge of getting everyone to work together and move together and when it happened…you worked to keep it going!  I am so glad that I found out about GBR so I could share this sport with my kids and get a chance to row again as a masters.” 

Dave Shay – Equipment, Safety Committees

Dave Shay is a 40 year resident of the Seacoast currently living in Durham who was introduced to the sport through his daughter, a GBR junior rower since she took a Learn to Row camp in 2014.  A member of the equipment and safety committees, Dave can often be seen driving the boat trailer to races, standing over a rowing shell making repairs or driving a launch at practice.Of his decision to serve as a board member, Dave says, “I decided to run for a seat on the BOD because I thought I might be able to contribute somehow.  I’d been around the water and boats my whole life, just not the long, skinny kind, so it seemed like a good fit and a fun opportunity to learn about a sport I knew very little about.   I also saw the positive impact rowing and the GBR community had on my daughter and I’d hoped by serving on the BOD I’d be able to pay that forward.” He has been the Assistant Director for Marine Facilities and Operations at UNH since 2009, where he is responsible for the marine research laboratories and all on-water activity for the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, including the safe operation of a fleet of 14 boats, 12′ – 50′ in length. His other duties there include boat safety training for UNH students as well as some volunteer time with UNH Rowing, helping them with their launches. Dave’s tireless contributions to the smooth and safe operations of the club are invaluable.

Jennifer Fried – Vice President, Fundraising Committee, Parent Representative 

Jennifer Fried is devoted to her family, her real estate clients, and the Seacoast community.  She brings 18 years’ experience thriving as a classical musician to her work in real estate where she leads with creative confidence and integrity.

A proud Seacoast resident since 2005, Jennifer is currently a realtor with Great Island Realty. She has previously served on the boards of the Seacoast Area Mother of Multiples (SAMOM) organization and the Portsmouth Symphony. In addition, she is a passionate advocate for consumer education and empowerment through the research of Seacoast-specific real estate issues and was the creator and host of the Seacoast Home Crush Podcast.

Jennifer is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Eastman School of Music. She has triplet sons in high school and can be found cheering them on both on the water and on the baseball field. She shares her passion for making music and for her family with her husband, Claude.

Renate Raeder – Master’s Representative, Coach

Renate, a resident of Durham since 2003, first learned to row as a child in Germany, and re-discovered the sport with GBR in 2006. She joined the board in 2013

She’s an active member of the masters group, sweeping and sculling, and always ready to take a new masters rower out on the river or jump in a boat when an extra person is needed. She has volunteered at National Learn to Row Day year after year when the club opens its doors and provides a chance to anyone to come try rowing.  When she’s not rowing or volunteering, she can be found in a launch coaching novices, or teaching new rowers at  the  GBR Learn-to-Row programs.  Renate joined the board to ensure masters representation in the club deliberations and planning, and has been instrumental in balancing and integrating the needs of the junior programs with the needs of the masters.  Her perspective is avidly inclusive;  she advocates for juniors, masters, competitive and recreational rowing members of the club alike.

Fred Loucks-  Treasurer, Equipment Committee, Coach

Fred started rowing over 44 years ago,in his hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario, also home to the Canadian Henley.  He’s been a coxswain, a lightweight rower, a 3-time member of the Canadian National Rowing Teas and was recruited to row at the University of Pennsylvania where he was the captain of his team.  He has been rowing, coaching and supporting the development of the sport for most of his life.  Prior to joining GBR 8 years ago, Fred was been a member of Vesper and Malta Rowing Clubs.  He’s coached high school rowing and ski teams and college rowing teams, most recently at UNH and has served 3 years as a GBR Board Member. When not on the water, Fred  might be seen replacing the wooden trailer bed, building and installing oar racks, opening his Salmonfalls Woodworks shop for repairing and repainting boats or oars, or just building a whimsical car bumper bench to leave at the boathouse for parents or athletes to enjoy.  Fred serves on the board, and donates his shop space, time, skills and materials because he wants to ensure that youth rowers get a quality experience, and have every opportunity to row, to develop as athletes to the best of their ability and desire, and to help build a community of healthy, happy youth and adult rowers in the Seacoast.

Jennie Marshall – President, Boathouse Committee, Coach

A former college coach (UPenn, Harvard, UNH), Jennie joined the GBR board 3 years ago as an empty nester, interested in giving back to the sport that has been such a positive influence for her and for her family. Jennie’s relationship with the sport started in Durham in 1977, when she met Jim Dreher, through her sister’s boyfriend, who found out she has been accepted to UPenn.  Jim connected Jennie with the rowing coach there, and after years of swimming, basketball, field hockey and high jumping, Jennie wandered down to Boathouse Row in Philly to try rowing.  That launched 40 years of rowing and coaching at the collegiate, national and international levels, racing and training on estuaries, rivers, lakes and man-made rowing courses all over the US, Europe, and in Korea.   Jennie’s day job is in the Salem Public Schools, where she is the Director of Literacy,  managing several federal projects and grants, supervising curriculum, assessment and professional development for teachers, serving as the homeless liaison and the co-program manager of Salem’s End68 Hours of Hunger, and supervising the K-12 ESOL, library and reading intervention staff and programs.  She has served on the Women’s Olympic Rowing Committee as the athlete representative, and as president of the inaugural National Collegiate Coaches Association, formed as a response to the decision to bring women’s rowing into the NCAA. Jennie brings her experience from these rowing boards as well as her project management experience to her service on the GBR board.  Her aim is running day-to-day operations effectively while also developing replicable and sustainable approaches to club operations for junior, masters, competitive and recreational club members. Cheering for her daughter’s crews, teaching her son to row, and returning to racing in a mixed double with her husband have been among her best rowing experiences, and nothing makes her happier than to see athletes, young and old, and their families discover the sport and it’s unique opportunities for physical and personal growth.

Adam Gilsdorf – Boathouse Committee, Parent Representative

Adam is passionate about the unique community that the Seacoast provides and fosters, grew up in Durham attending Oyster River and UNH. After UNH he ran his own business living in Dover until he left the area to get his graduate degree and teach for several years in Massachusetts.  Wanting to raise his children in the Seacoast,  he moved with his family back to Durham 13 years ago.  He was introduced to the sport through his college roommate who was a coxswain for UNH and then reintroduced through his son, who took a Learn to Row camp in 2014 and joined the GBR team three seasons ago.  Although not a rower himself, Adam’s decision to serve as a board member came from spending several rainy regattas at the grill under an umbrella making egg sandwiches and talking with Dave Shay.  Really, it was not just him, but Dave was a great example of the GBR community and family.  After another season and a few more egg sandwich discussions with Dave and other GBR families, Adam decided he wanted to contribute and try to help support and help make even better a program and organization that was doing so much for his son.  Adam brings to the GBR community not only a background in education but also a career in project and operations management as well as sales and business development. He has countless seasons coaching youth sports and organizing youth activities.  Adam is eager to join the BOD and put his drive and creative energy in to this great organization.  He would like to see how he can help get more youth and masters rowers interested and participating in the community programs that GBR offers. Additionally, he hopes he can work to improve the facility as well as the depth of GBR offerings available to the Greater Seacoast community.

Natalie Grimm – Secretary, Masters Athlete, Coach

Natalie Grimm started rowing with GBR as a masters rower in 2018 after graduating from the University of Maine. At the University of Maine Natalie was a founding member and co-president of the UMaine Crew team. The school in prior years had a small recreational rowing club. During her time at UMaine the team grew into one of the most active sports clubs on campus, attending six regattas a year, and winning sports club of the year in her senior year. Natalie was able to contribute as a rower, a coach, and club officer, helping oversee all aspects of the team. Over her tenure the team grew its fleet from one 4+ rowing shell to five 4+ rowing shells. After graduation in 2018 Natalie moved to the seacoast area. Over the last four years she has been rowing on the masters competitive team and logbook sculling. In the fall of 2021 Natalie put her coaching hat back on and work with the GBR junior team as an assistant coach. I really enjoyed seeing the love for the sport in all of the junior rowers and especially helping the novice rowers develop good skills as they were introduced to a new sport. For her day job, Natalie works as a marine canvas fabricator in the area and make custom boat canvas. In addition to rowing she enjoys skiing, hiking, crocheting, and chasing after her dog.          

Margo Angelopoulos – Masters Athlete
Bio to come

Josh Weinstein – Parent Representative

With more than twenty-five years of experience building brands, Josh is a firm believer in the power of the big idea. He has developed and nurtured projects earning award-winning creative. He is the President and Creative Director of the company guiding the creative strategies and concepts that help the agency’s clients succeed. Born and raised in upstate New York, Josh graduated from Union College where he studied both engineering and English. He worked for advertising agencies in New England as a copywriter and creative director. He worked on numerous regional and national accounts before founding Creative Co-op in 2001. Josh has worked with clients in a broad range of industries, including utilities, financial services, consumer products, healthcare, media, e-commerce, technology, manufacturing, non-profits, food and beverage, the arts and more. His experience includes work with American Water, Timberland, iRobot, Huttopia, Berkshire Bank, Pepco Holdings, Straumann Group, Straumann, Neodent, NUVO, Spalding, 48HourPrint.com, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Company C, Major League Baseball, Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union, Department of Commerce Federal Credit Union, OAS FCU, Transportation Federal Credit Union, HempFusion, ION Network, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, The Trinity School, Community Bridges, Barlean’s, Cambridge Trust, The National Association of Water Companies, The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, New England Conservatory, Merrimack County Savings Bank, New York State Tourism and much more. He started the agency based on the belief that the most successful strategic, conceptual and creative work is developed from a partnership perspective. When he’s not at the office or on the road meeting with clients, you’ll probably find him in the mountains, at the beach or on the water.