|
|
Directors
Al Gehant
Al was a four year oarsman and senior year captain at Loyola Academy in Wilimette, IL. He served as captain at Northeastern University where he was a member of finalist varsity eights in the Eastern Sprints and IRA. His crew earned a 4th place medal in the 1998 Head of Charles Championship Eights, and he was 7th in the Collegiate Lightweight finals at the 1999 CRASH-B's. Most recently he has rowed in medaling crews for both GGRC and the 2009 and 2010 Head of Charles Gold Medal Mens Alumni Eights from Northeastern.
As a coach and rowing director, Al began in the summer of 1999 at Northeastern University Summer Rowing and coached there two more summers. He coached CRLS Crew for two years and GGRC programs including Somerville High School for six years. Presently he serves as the President of the Board of the Directors and is a co-founder of GGRC:
Al has a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Northeastern University and a Masters in Education Administration from UMass Boston. He has worked for the Cambridge Rindge Latin School for ten years where he is currently the Dean of Curriculum for the Science Department and the 9th Grade Campus. He is married and lives in Somerville.
.
Gracio Garcia
Gracio graduated from Northeastern University with Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, and departmental honors in Finance. Gracio distinguished himself in the athletic field while rowing for Northeastern University under the direction of Coach Buzz Congram. He was elected captain for the season 2000 and honored with the Hebert W. Gallaguer Award, presented to the outstanding Northeastern senior male athlete citizen and scholar who has displayed leadership and courage on the athletic field.
Gracio was the Co-director of the Northeastern University Summer Rowing program where he coached students of all ages and background, and built the Northeastern Summer Rowing program to one of the most successful programs on the river, increasing enrollment to over 350 students.
Today Gracio is a Financial Representative of the Bulfinch Group where he educates private individuals and small businesses on how to make smart money decisions.
Hillary Abbey
Hillary Abbey enjoys any sport that involves being on the water. An avid sailor who can often be found catching the wind on Boston Harbor, she learned to row at GGRC in 2005 after years of watching the rowers on the Charles. She practices in the mornings with its beautiful sunrises and entertaining wildlife, is one of the club's most active volunteers, and, in addition to being a member of the GGRC Board of Directors, is co-chair of the Membership Committee, intent of bringing the benefits of the sport to others, including local youth. Hillary has completed in numerous races throughout the years with GGRC, including the 2010 Head of the Charles Regatta.
Hillary is currently employed as a Senior Technical Project Manager at EMC Corporation where she received the 2010 Community Builder award and has a BS from Cornell University. She lives in Cambridge, MA.
Fred Levy
Many, many years ago Fred rowed a wherry, a training scull, for a few times when he was in college. Years later, at the age of 55, he wanted some sports activity to do with his wife, who had recently started rowing at GGRC, but early morning practices were not compatible with his schedule. When the club began evening rowing on the Mystic, he eagerly signed up. Since then, he’s come to appreciate the great skill required to row well and the great joy of continual improvement. Evenings on the river offer serene settings for active workouts, the rowing colleagues have become good friends, and the exercise can’t be beat.
When not rowing, Fred is an administrator in a girls’ school and consultant to independent schools.
Melissa McWhinney
Melissa entered the world of rowing when she entered middle age. Entranced by the grace of the sport, but never having been an athlete, her novice experience brought her the joy of a team, the beauty of early-morning water, and the excitement of an accidental swim in the Mystic River. Her older daughter rowed for four years with the Somerville High School team. Melissa hopes to get back in a boat soon, but in the meantime is happy to support the great work of the Gentle Giant Rowing Club by being on the Board team, where she gets wet less often.
Judith Perlstein
Judith began rowing the summer she turned 50 having never done a team sport but always admiring the graceful shells on the river. Inspired by her daughters who rowed at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, in summer of 2000 she attended Northeastern University’s Learn to Row program. Allan Gehant and Gracio Garcia, GGRC co-founders, were the coaches. When Al and Gracio formed GGRC in Somerville, Judith began rowing with other masters women, racing in Masters National, in the Head of the Charles and in other local and regional sprint and head races.
By day, Judith is an administrator and adjunct faculty member at Boston University School of Social Work. She and her husband, who also rows with GGRC, live in Cambridge.
Gretchen L. Wehrle-Scott
Out of curiosity, in 2004, at the age of 40+, Gretchen responded to a small notice in the Somerville Journal that read "Learn to Row on the Mystic" which led her to the Gentle Giant Rowing Club. She did learn to row, became an enthusiast for the sport, made lots of new friends and chose to become an increasingly active member of the organization. Focused on improving and developing faster, more skillful rowing, Gretchen uses races as goals to achieve. Her race experience to date includes 2010 Head of the Charles, 2008/10 Textile Regatta, 2009/10New Hampshire Champs and other local races. She is on the Board of Directors of GGRC, co-chair of GGRC's Membership Committee and a volunteer at the Learn to Row program.
Gretchen has a Master's degree in International Trade and Monetary Policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a BA in International Economics from Albertus Magnus College. She has a 16 year tenure with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in the Supervision, Regulation and Credit department and 9 years of service as an executive in the financial services private sector. Gretchen and her husband, artist Hilary Scott, have two teenage children and live in Somerville, MA.
Rich Whelan
Rich was first exposed to rowing as a Freshman at the University of Lowell when he saw a boat set up outside the Student Activities Center. Curious about the sport, he joined the rowing team and in his first year of rowing, was a member of the Men's Novice 8 that achieved a first place finish at the Numerica's Cup Regatta in New Hampshire. (Now the New Hampshire Championships Regatta) Although he enjoyed the sport, that would be his final season of collegiate rowing as Rich dedicated his time to his studies in Communications.
While on vacation in Portugal during the Fall of 2005, Rich was walking along the Douro River in Porto and heard the familiar sounds of rowing. This was the catalyst that drove him back to rowing and an online search led him to the website for Gentle Giant Rowing. Growing up in Everett and as a current resident of Somerville, the location on the Mystic and Malden Rivers was perfect and it excited him to see that the club was so close to home and joined the club. When he lined up to carry the boat to the river and put "hands on" for the first time in 12 years, he was instantly hooked back into the sport.
Rich has competed in several regattas with Gentle Giant Rowing including the Head of the Charles. His enthusiasm for the sport and the club allowed him to become a coach for the Malden High School Rowing Team as well as the Gentle Giant Juniors. Rich is currently employed by CBS Radio as a producer for WBMX, Mix 104.1 and WODS, 103.3 and has played ice hockey with NESHL for the last 18 years. He resides in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville with his fiancee, Celia Valada.
Karen Whitbeck
Karen learned to row with a community program in Philadelphia in 2001. A year later, she relocated to the Boston area and discovered GGRC through its website. She enjoys competing in both Spring and Fall races and serves as co-chair of the Race Committee. She also serves as team photographer for most events.
Karen has an 18 year career with McDonald’s USA where she is the Finance Director for the Boston Region, covering approximately 600 restaurants in 7 states. She is a CPA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and French from Illinois State University and an MBA from DePaul University. She lives in Quincy.
Laura Yardumian
Laura is a Gentle Giant Rowing Club Youth crew parent whose son took up crew after she pointed out that it was a sport he could do sitting down. Laura’s first experience with racing occurred one moonlit evening rowing a boat full of teenage female campers across Casco Bay (Maine) to the boys camp for a raid. Silence and speed were essential to not getting caught; she was successful at both and has been hooked on the sport ever since
When not providing a moveable feast for the crew team with the other crew parents on weekends, Laura is the communications and alumni coordinator for an independent school in the greater Boston area.
|
|
|
Directors
|
