I started sea kayaking around 1984 and Anacortes was the usual starting point for trips to the San Juans so when it came time to think about places to live after retirement Anacortes was an easy choice. We moved here Thanksgiving week in 2010 and couldn’t be happier with the decision.

I first got involved with boating racing a Hobie 14 in south Florida where I worked after finishing college. My wife Susanna had grandparents in Yakima so we came for visit in 1974 and I fell in love with the mountains. So after returning to Florida I applied for a job at Boeing and worked there for 35 years. My only notable mountaineering event was being at about 13,000 feet on Mt. Rainier when Mt. St. Helens blew. We have two daughters and three grandchildren. We like to cruise on our Nordic Tug and I sail two beautiful wooden boats, one of which was built here in Anacortes. My first involvement with the Anacortes Waterfront Alliance (then the Anacortes Small Boat Center) was in 2011 when John Pope got me a space on their dinghy dock. I came to appreciate the work AWA was doing for boaters in providing convenient access to the water and opening Seafarer’s Park to more boating activities. As the organization has grown AWA has become THE organization for boat and paddle board rentals, sailing lessons and managing youth sailing programs. As more people learn about the opportunities AWA provides I think we will become a destination for people in Skagit and surrounding counties to get out on the water. A little longer term, I hope to see a maritime building dedicated to boat maintenance and education.