Staff
Casey Blum, LICSW, MS
Co-founder, Executive Director
MS Outdoor Education, Licensed Independent Social Worker, USCG 100-ton master’s license, wilderness first-responder
Ian Ridgeway
Co-founder, Executive Director, Captain
BA Environmental Studies, USCG 500-ton oceans master’s license
Angela Oldham Barca
Voyage Guide
Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Emma Aspinall
Admissions Coordinator
USCG 100-ton master’s license, Registered EMT, PADI Open-Water SCUBA Instructor
Liam McKee
Chief Mate
Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Gabe Andrus
Bosun
Outdoor Emergency Care, Wilderness Technical Rescue
Kyra Whalen
Voyage Guide
BS Education, Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Ben Shearer
Voyage Guide
Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Annie Robertson
Chef
Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Sam Howell & Thomas Degrémont
Naval Architects
Finn Robinson
Voyage Guide
Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Sean Fagan
Voyage Guide
BS Outdoor Education, Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard, CPR/AED, First Aid
Board of Directors
Harry Dickerson, Ph.D. — Chairman
Associate dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and professor at University of Georgia; Ph.D. medical microbiology; M.S., medical microbiology; B.V.Sc. Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science. Harry has a long relationship with sailing ships going back to his summers as crew on Shenandoah in 1968-9.
“Sailing as crew on a working sailing vessel can be transformative. Ocean Academy ensures that this opportunity will continue far into the future for all young adventurers.”
Brian Bristol, Ph.D. — Director, Advancement Committee Chair
Managing Director at New York Private Finance. Life Trustee at Hamilton College. Served as a trustee at the Groton School, the St. Bernard’s School, and the Pingry School. Earned his B.A. at Yale University, his M.A. and Ph.D. at Princeton University, and an M.B.A. at Columbia Graduate School of Business. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing Gemma, his vintage 1921 Herreshoff 12 ½.
“All three of my children spent weeks aboard Shenandoah, which they describe as life-changing experiences.”
John Keene — Treasurer
Owner & president, Keene Excavation; BA, human ecology. John has 4 kids growing up in the Martha's Vineyard school system and has sailed on Alabama with Chilmark School on several voyages.
“The reason I think that Ocean Academy is so important and success with Ocean Academy is imminent is because Captain Ian is incredible and his passion is infectious and same with Captain Casey and Captain Bob.”
Tracey Overbeck Stead — Clerk
Award-winning Interior Designer; B. S. in Interior Design from the University of Texas School of Architecture. Tracey has 3 kids growing up in the Martha’s Vineyard school system and owns a Gannon & Benjamin built sailboat in Vineyard Haven harbor.
Sally Walsh — Vice Chair, Advancement Committee, Governance Committee
Retired English Chair of The Delbarton School (Morristown, NJ), former consultant at Dunbar Education Consultants and former board member of The Taft School (Watertown, Ct), Philip’s Education Partners (Newark, NJ) and currently serving as Regent for The Delbarton School (Morristown, NJ.)
“As a strong believer in experiential learning, I know what happens on the Shenandoah empowers these kids for a lifetime. I am committed to helping make sure more can sail aboard the ship for years to come.”
Peter F. Carr, II — Director, Governance Committee
Attorney, Eckert Seamans, member-in-charge, Ekert Seamans Boston office; J.D., cum laude, Suffolk University Law School, 1994; B.A., magna cum laude, Bates College, 1991; Phi Beta Kappa; Selected for inclusion as The Best Lawyers in America 2023 for Commercial Litigation; Selected for inclusion in Boston Magazine and Massachusetts Super Lawyers – Rising Stars; Attained an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell
Derek Fairchild Coppoletti — Director, Governance Committee, Finance Commitee
Derek is an entrepreneur, operating executive, and investor who has driven strategic transformations, business growth, and restructurings. He has had executive roles in product development, corporate development, strategy, operations, and finance at companies engaged in substantial growth and transition. Derek has public and private company background in information technology and regulated biotechnology / clean technology industries.
Board of Advisors
Captain Robert Douglas
Founder, The Black Dog Tavern Co.; Owner & President, The Black Dog Tall Ships; Master & Designer, Shenandoah; Master & Owner Alabama; Captain, U.S. Air Force; owner of a rare collection of over 50 wooden boats; holder of 100-ton U.S.C.G. master's license.
“Giving young people this opportunity to learn and grow at sea has a profound positive impact on our island community.”
Dan Garvey, Ph.D. — Risk Committee Chair
President Emeritus, Prescott College; Former faculty & Researcher, experiential education, University of New Hampshire (UNH); Former President and Executive Director, Association for Experiential Education; Vice President, American Youth Foundation; Former Dean of Entering Students, UNH; Former AmeriCorps Executive Committee member; UNH Outstanding Teaching Award recipient; Julian Smith Award recipient; Author of over 25 books and articles about experiential education; Former Trustee, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS); Former Director, Project Adventure; Trustee, The Institute for Shipboard Education
“I am eager to support Ocean Academy because I know the value of experiential education. On a ship, learners are taught real lessons with direct, immediate consequences. There is no better investment to help reinvigorate education.”
Michael Gass, Ph.D.
Ph.D., experiential education; LMFT; Director, outdoor behavioral healthcare research center; Author, Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming and Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice; Association of Experiential Education (AEE) Outstanding Experiential Teacher of the Year Award & Distinguished Researcher Award recipient; UNH School of Health and Human Services's Distinguished Career Research Award and Excellence in International Engagement Award recipient.
“This program changes students' lives and their way of learning.”
Captain Dan Moreland
Having completed 7 circumnavigations, 6 of which were on his sailing ship Picton Castle, Captain Moreland has most likely logged more miles under sail than anyone alive today. He is an expert on traditional sailing ships and deep water sailing, and has been recognized by both Tall Ships America and Sail Training International with the "Sail Trainer of the Year" award. Dan holds the rarest U.S.C.G. license issued which qualifies him to captain any vessel on any ocean.
Stever Aubrey — Advancement Committee
Former cofounder & c.e.o., Dovetail Health; former president & c.o.o, Pri-Med; Former executive v.p. & g.m., Holiday Hill Advertising; Chairman, board of directors, Martha's Vineyard Museum; Former board member, The Partnership; Former board member, Trinity Boston Foundation.
“We have the ship designed, we have a boatyard that is ready to build it, we have craftsmen here on the island that are going to build the rig. It's not insurmountable. It's something that's very doable. In fact, it's necessary.”
Matthew Stackpole
Major Gifts Officer & “Ship’s Historian,”Charles W. Morgan Restoration & 38th Voyage; President, Sail MV; Executive Director, Martha’s Vineyard Museum; Consultant, Ernestina-Morrissey Restoration; American History Teacher, The Dana Hall School; Held 100 Ton U.S.C.G. master’s license; Owner and Captain, Concordia schooner MYA; First Mate, Shenandoah 1967–70.
“[Sailing vessels] educate about far more than sailing. Collaboration, discipline, leadership, personal responsibility, accountability, what it means to be a “shipmate”, the grandeur, tranquility, terror, and fragility of the environment in which we live, and our role and responsibilities to and impact on it. It’s a life-changing voyage.”
Anita R. Tucker, Ph.D. — Risk Committee
Ph.D. social work; Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, UNH; Co-coordinator, UNH's dual masters degree in social work and kinesiology: Outdoor Education, which prepares graduate students for careers in adventure and wilderness therapy.
Associate Director, Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) Center for Research where she is responsible for the promotion of research, accreditation and risk management in OBH and adventure therapy programs. Dr. Tucker's research focuses on the process and outcomes of OBH (also referred to as wilderness therapy) and community based applications of adventure therapy.
Cynthia Woolbright
President, The Woolbright Group; Former Advancement Officer, The University of Rochester, The University of Vermont, Smith College, and Hollins University; M.A., public administration, Long Island University.
”I’ve known Ian for 15 plus years. He has integrity, is dependable, is forthright, he listens…and much more.”
John M. Fuller, AIA, LEED AP
Former Executive Director Schooner Adventure, Inc. a 501©(3) nonprofit maritime historic preservation and educational organization; Former Board Chair Summer Search Boston, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing mentoring, experiential learning and networking to inner city students leading to high school graduation, college and the workplace; Former Director of Corporate, Commercial & Civic Discipline at Perkins + Will Boston; Former Director of Perkins + Will’s national Social Responsibility Initiative; Former Professor Endicott College School of Visual and Performing Arts
“Being on or near water since early childhood, I have a profound respect for the power of the seas. Young students, regardless of background, stand to learn life’s lessons while onboard a vessel at sea, whether it involve how things work, weather and the environment, mentoring or learning to be part of a team”.
