Byron Bilicki, Chairman of the Board [elected Feb. 18, 2012] - Bio Coming Soon

Kevin S. Sixbey, President / Collegiate Head Coach (Founder) [re-elected Feb. 13, 2010] - Kevin is a certified USRowing coach, with experience coaching both novice and experienced collegiate and adult rowers. In addition he was privileged, while a rower at Baldwin-Wallace College, near Cleveland OH, to assist in coaching visually impaired rowers. He rowed for three years on Baldwin-Wallce Crew, a club he formed as a sophomore at the college. He quickly worked his way from the novice boat, to the varsity boat, and ultimately assisted with coaching in Cleveland. While rowing for BW he represented the college on the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Rowing Foundation (formerly Western Reserve Rowing Foundation). He has enjoyed his rowing experiences and hopes that rowing on Chautauqua Lake will become a popular and extremely enjoyable activity for the area.

ksixbey@rowchautauqua.org

Mary Hills, Vice President [elected Jan. 22, 2011] - Mary is a new member of the CLRA. She started rowing in August 2010 and quickly became passionate about the sport. Mary moved back to Chautauqua County after several years away, living in Florida and other parts of New York State. Mary earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from SUNY Fredonia and her Master's in School Counseling from the University of Buffalo. In 2009, she landed her dream job as the Assistant Director of International Education at SUNY Fredonia. She travels nationally and internationally on a regular basis for work, but when at home, she loves to run, hike, spend time outside with her dogs, and row. Mary hopes to grow the membership of the CLRA and to increase the visibility of the club in the local and regional community.

Colleen Wright, Treasurer [elected Feb. 18, 2012] - Bio Coming Soon

Diana Meckley, Secretary [re-elected Jan. 22, 2011] - Diana Meckley, new to the CLRA Board of Directors in 2008, has called the Chautauqua region home since moving to Jamestown with her husband, Lew, in 1977. Diana had no previous experience with rowing, but became interested in the sport when visiting Cambridge, MA, and watching local college teams practice on the Charles River. In 2006, Diana signed up with CLRA for a series of six lessons offered to members of the Chautauqua Leadership Network and has been an active rower ever since. Employed by The Resource Center since 1979, Diana has an interest in sharing the sport of rowing with individuals with disabilities.  Diana is a past president and current member of the Jamestown Rotary Club and Chautauqua Leadership Network and also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jamestown YWCA.

Stephen E. Odrzywolski, High School Head Coach (Founder) [re-elected Feb. 18, 2012] - Steve is returning home to Chautauqua County after four years away at the University at Buffalo where he earned his degree in Exercise Physiology. While at UB, Steve rowed for the Varsity Men's Crew team and also served the team as vice president. He hopes to bring some of his knowledge of rowing back to the area. He is a certified US Rowing coach and is looking forward to teaching the next generation of great rowers. He hopes to help re-kindle the exciting sport of rowing and is proud to be a part of this great organization!

steveodjo@rowchautauqua.org

Mickey Sorenson, [elected Feb. 18, 2012] - Bio Coming Soon

Warren Whitford, [elected Feb. 13, 2010] - Warren Whitford is a life-long area resident, having graduated from Panama Central School, Jamestown Business College, and majored in mathematics at JCC.  He retired on June 30, 2007 after working in information technology for 47 years. Warren also has over 30 years of experience sailing C scows and driving motorboats on Chautauqua Lake.  He raced C scows for several years with the Chautauqua Yacht club at Chautauqua Institution.  A skilled musician, Warren plays sax with the Jamestown Municipal Band and a couple of big bands.  He also flies sailplanes. He became a member of CLRA in August 2009 after taking a Learn-to-Row class.  One time on the water in an 8 and he was hooked.

Honorary Directors:

Joseph Gerace, Past Chairman of the Board (Founder) - Educated at Lakewood High School in Lakewood, NY, Denison University, and Albany Law School, Joe Gerace practiced law in Justice Robert H. Jackson's home town of Jamestown, New York, for 23 years. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was assigned to the USS Haven and participated in the atomic bomb tests at Bikini after the end of the war. He served as Town Supervisor of the Town of Busti, New York, and was elected as Chautauqua County’s first County Executive. He was appointed Commissioner of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and directed and organized the Office of Rural Affairs and Office of Mandate Review. He was elected as New York State Supreme Court Justice, retiring in 2003. Following retirement, he was appointed as a Judicial Hearing Officer, a post he currently holds. Joe is a strong supporter for the development of high school and adaptive rowing programs. He is enthusiastically looking forward to the day when our area high school students will compete on Chautauqua Lake against high schoolers from other parts of the country.

Leon Stein, Past Chairman of the Board (Founder) - Lee was first introduced to rowing about twenty years ago. He is fortunate to be able row a recreational single shell on Chautauqua Lake spring, summer and fall and on the Banana River Melbourne, FL in the winter. Rowing is his favorite form of exercise being a full body workout in an environment that beats the gym. As a member of the CLRA board he hopes to reintroduce rowing as a sport and recreational activity to people of all ages in Chautauqua County.

Gretchen Elwel - Gretchen started rowing more than ten years ago with SUNY Geneseo as a freshman, and continued rowing with them all four years of school. She was also Vice President of the Geneseo Crew her junior year. While attending graduate school at Binghamton University, she coached the Binghamton University Women's Novice Crew for two years. During the summer of 2006, she joined the CLRA as the Head Coach. And, after a long row and getting caught in the rain, she likes pina coladas.

Eric A. Larson (Founder) - Eric graduated from Jamestown High School and rowed for four years at Princeton University, one year on the freshman heavyweight crew and three years on the varsity heavyweight crew. He competed at the Eastern Sprints four times, and the IRA National Championship Regatta three times.

William Wright Jr. - Bio is unavailable.