2020 Board of Directors
Brittany GaalemaPresident
Originally from Indiana, Brittany has lived and worked around the US in higher education. Most recently from Florida where she first started dragon boating in 2014, Brittany moved to Seattle in 2016 to take a position at a local university, and to be closer to her family in Oregon - including a very fun young nephew. As soon as she got to the city, she discovered SFDBC, immediately enjoyed the community that she found within the team, and was hooked. The team thawed the famous "Seattle Freeze" that newcomers sometimes experience.
Starting her 2nd year as President of the Club, Brittany continues her involvement because of her desire to give back to the club who as given her so much - exercise, community involvement, fun events and races, and most importantly, sincere and meaningful friendships. And obviously because its fun. In her free time Brittany does actually enjoy long walks on the beach - or really anything that takes her to the water, but also enjoys traveling and exploring Seattle. |
Sheri BakerVice President
Having worked for the airlines for many years, travel is her passion. Sheri heard an acquaintance talk about an experience on a dragon boat in Portland and thought, wouldn’t it be great to have one in Kenmore? The City hosted a waterfront fair inside City Hall, which seemed a bit strange, but Fong was there pitching the sport. Within the next several months the City purchased a property to be used as a public park with a focus on hand-powered water sports. In 2014 SFDBC brought a 20-person boat to Kenmore. Sheri enjoys the comradery and community in the sport. She prefers the coaching and recreational side of the sport and is there to support those who enjoy the competitiveness.
This is her second year as Vice President as well as being the President for two years of the Kenmore Waterfront Activities Center. She has traveled to several venues working on acquiring credentials as a dragon boat official. |
Felix TanTreasurer
Felix has been paddling since he moved to Seattle two years ago from Virginia, where he was born and raised. He loves dragon boating because it's fun, healthy, social, and inexpensive (minus all the Starbucks coffees he ends up buying). He's a software developer and probably no longer qualifies to be a black belt in Shotokan Karate. Outside of dragon boating, he spends his time practicing bass guitar, videography, cooking, and whatever else he thinks looks cool on Instagram.
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Carol GygerCommunications Officer
Carol is originally from Seattle, but spent 45 years in various places, mostly Colorado. She moved back to Seattle in 2017 with her husband, Bruce, to be closer to family. Looking for a fun activity, she happened upon a story in the Bothell Reporter about dragon boating in Kenmore. She checked out the SFDBC website and said, "Wow, those people look my age. Maybe I could do that!" She had never been involved in team sports until dragon boating. She often says she started for the exercise and stayed for the community of people. In addition to dragon boating, Carol enjoys getting together with family and friends, nature walks, biking, and traveling on the cheap.
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Maureen KartheiserSecretary
Maureen is new to Seattle after having moved from the Midwest for work, and to be closer to two of her four grown kids and their families. She joined the Seattle Flying Dragons in August 2019 after receiving an invitation from a friend and was hooked! It's been a great way to get some exercise, enjoy nature, and meet an amazingly positive and fun group of paddlers of all ages. Maureen immediately started practicing with the Kenmore group 2-3 times per week, and once winter descended tried out the South Lake Union group. The views on the Sammamish River, Lake Washington, and Lake Union are unparalleled and the comraderie is just the ticket for getting acclimated to her new city.
As a public health professional, board service has been integral to her work for many years, having served as executive director for a number of non-profit ventures and community health initiatives in the Midwest, regionally, and nationally. Outside of dragon boating, Maureen loves to meet new friends, hike, entertain family, and is very happy hanging out with Ralph, her 3 year old grandson and the newest family member, Elliott. |
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2020 Committee Heads
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Marketing and Events
Fong Ng |
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Coaching
Valerie Thomas |
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Maintenance
Clydia Wallace Valbeigi |
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Safety Officer
Lynelle Thon Hall |
