Hallie Cheyne – Director of Rowing
Hallie Cheyne began rowing as a freshman at Middlebury College in 2008, after a long career as a field hockey player. She competed at the New England Rowing Championships, ECAC Invitational and the Dad Vail Regatta in the eight, four and pair during her four years with the Panthers, and is an active member of the Middlebury Rowing Alumni Association. Cheyne also rowed abroad in England, at the University of East Anglia and for a summer at Oxford University. Upon graduating, Cheyne decided that her time coaching was the best part of her substitute teaching gig, and devoted herself to a lifelong career as a coach. Prior to joining Great Bay Rowing, Cheyne worked with juniors, collegiate, and masters athletes at Greater Lawrence Rowing, Tufts University, Essex Rowing Club, Methuen Crew, Hingham Maritime Center and Style Driven Rowing Club. Cheyne’s crews have landed on the podium at notable regattas like USRowing Northeast Youth Regionals, MPSRA State Championships, Independence Day Regatta, Saratoga Invitational and the Head of the Fish. When she isn’t coaching, Cheyne can either be found reading, lifting, running in road races or finding the fluffiest dog at the regatta to pet. Hallie Cheyne earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Theatre from Middlebury College in 2012 and a Master of Arts in English from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English in 2016. She and her husband live in Dover.
Alison Smith
Alison first started rowing in 2012 at the University of New Hampshire where she rowed for four years. While at UNH, she served as captain of the women’s team for two years. During her senior year, she rowed in the Collegiate 4+ that placed 1st in the 51st Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. Alison graduated with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with minors in Education and Spanish from UNH. She then graduated from Appalachian State University with a Master of Arts in College Student Development with an emphasis in Outdoor Programs and Administration.
Renate Raeder
Renate, a resident of Durham for almost 15 years, first learned to row as a child in Germany, and re-discovered the sport with GBR in 2006.
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.
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 is also a GBR Board member. She 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 and facilitating our partnership with Berwick Academy rowing program.
Fred Loucks
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 4 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
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.
Felicia Sperry
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.”