Board of Directors

• Scott Bogle
• Jennie Marshall
• Eben Lewis
• Patrick Parisi
• David Shay 
• Chris Berg
• Felicia Sperry
• Adam Gilsdorf
• Natalie Grimm
• Margo Angelopoulos
• Josh Weinstein

Board Member Biographies

Felicia Sperry – Financial Aid Chair, Freedom Rows, Coach

Felicia was first introduced to the sport at Bucknell University while she was playing rugby at Bucknell and she joined the program in it’s early years. At Bucknell, she rowed and coached as a grad student and later rowed a season of Masters at GBR.  In addition to her 5 or so years experience of rowing and coaching experience,as well as her ten plus years coaching youth soccer, Felicia brings vast experience with non-profits and fundraising to her service on the Board:  she ran the PTO’s at Mast Way Elementary School and ORMS; she started and developed the OR Hockey Boosters; and she served as parent coordinator for OR Otters swim team where she also officiated.  With over 30 years experience as a school psychologist, she brings a deep understanding and commitment to the social and emotional development of local youth, as well as a commitment to fostering growth mindset and a sense of community for GBR.  She is a collaborative, problem-solver and supports a systems perspective in club operations and decision-making. Of her interest in the sport and her decision to serve on the Board, Felicia says, “I fell in love with the sport of rowing when I was in college..I love it…only thing I ever got up at 4am for!! I loved the team component, the challenge of getting everyone to work together and move together and when it happened…you worked to keep it going!  I am so glad that I found out about GBR so I could share this sport with my kids and get a chance to row again as a masters.” 

Dave Shay – Equipment, Safety Committees

Dave Shay is a 40 year resident of the Seacoast currently living in Durham who was introduced to the sport through his daughter, a GBR junior rower since she took a Learn to Row camp in 2014.  A member of the equipment and safety committees, Dave can often be seen driving the boat trailer to races, standing over a rowing shell making repairs or driving a launch at practice.Of his decision to serve as a board member, Dave says, “I decided to run for a seat on the BOD because I thought I might be able to contribute somehow.  I’d been around the water and boats my whole life, just not the long, skinny kind, so it seemed like a good fit and a fun opportunity to learn about a sport I knew very little about.   I also saw the positive impact rowing and the GBR community had on my daughter and I’d hoped by serving on the BOD I’d be able to pay that forward.” He has been the Assistant Director for Marine Facilities and Operations at UNH since 2009, where he is responsible for the marine research laboratories and all on-water activity for the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, including the safe operation of a fleet of 14 boats, 12′ – 50′ in length. His other duties there include boat safety training for UNH students as well as some volunteer time with UNH Rowing, helping them with their launches. Dave’s tireless contributions to the smooth and safe operations of the club are invaluable.

Jennie Marshall – Vice President, Boathouse Committee, Coach

A former college coach (UPenn, Harvard, UNH), Jennie joined the GBR board 3 years ago as an empty nester, interested in giving back to the sport that has been such a positive influence for her and for her family. Jennie’s relationship with the sport started in Durham in 1977, when she met Jim Dreher, through her sister’s boyfriend, who found out she has been accepted to UPenn.  Jim connected Jennie with the rowing coach there, and after years of swimming, basketball, field hockey and high jumping, Jennie wandered down to Boathouse Row in Philly to try rowing.  That launched 40 years of rowing and coaching at the collegiate, national and international levels, racing and training on estuaries, rivers, lakes and man-made rowing courses all over the US, Europe, and in Korea.   Jennie’s day job is in the Salem Public Schools, where she is the Director of Literacy,  managing several federal projects and grants, supervising curriculum, assessment and professional development for teachers, serving as the homeless liaison and the co-program manager of Salem’s End68 Hours of Hunger, and supervising the K-12 ESOL, library and reading intervention staff and programs.  She has served on the Women’s Olympic Rowing Committee as the athlete representative, and as president of the inaugural National Collegiate Coaches Association, formed as a response to the decision to bring women’s rowing into the NCAA. Jennie brings her experience from these rowing boards as well as her project management experience to her service on the GBR board.  Her aim is running day-to-day operations effectively while also developing replicable and sustainable approaches to club operations for junior, masters, competitive and recreational club members. Cheering for her daughter’s crews, teaching her son to row, and returning to racing in a mixed double with her husband have been among her best rowing experiences, and nothing makes her happier than to see athletes, young and old, and their families discover the sport and it’s unique opportunities for physical and personal growth.

Adam Gilsdorf – Boathouse Committee, Parent Representative

Adam is passionate about the unique community that the Seacoast provides and fosters, grew up in Durham attending Oyster River and UNH. After UNH he ran his own business living in Dover until he left the area to get his graduate degree and teach for several years in Massachusetts.  Wanting to raise his children in the Seacoast,  he moved with his family back to Durham 13 years ago.  He was introduced to the sport through his college roommate who was a coxswain for UNH and then reintroduced through his son, who took a Learn to Row camp in 2014 and joined the GBR team three seasons ago.  Although not a rower himself, Adam’s decision to serve as a board member came from spending several rainy regattas at the grill under an umbrella making egg sandwiches and talking with Dave Shay.  Really, it was not just him, but Dave was a great example of the GBR community and family.  After another season and a few more egg sandwich discussions with Dave and other GBR families, Adam decided he wanted to contribute and try to help support and help make even better a program and organization that was doing so much for his son.  Adam brings to the GBR community not only a background in education but also a career in project and operations management as well as sales and business development. He has countless seasons coaching youth sports and organizing youth activities.  Adam is eager to join the BOD and put his drive and creative energy in to this great organization.  He would like to see how he can help get more youth and masters rowers interested and participating in the community programs that GBR offers. Additionally, he hopes he can work to improve the facility as well as the depth of GBR offerings available to the Greater Seacoast community.

Natalie Grimm – Secretary, Masters Athlete, Coach

Natalie Grimm started rowing with GBR as a masters rower in 2018 after graduating from the University of Maine. At the University of Maine Natalie was a founding member and co-president of the UMaine Crew team. The school in prior years had a small recreational rowing club. During her time at UMaine the team grew into one of the most active sports clubs on campus, attending six regattas a year, and winning sports club of the year in her senior year. Natalie was able to contribute as a rower, a coach, and club officer, helping oversee all aspects of the team. Over her tenure the team grew its fleet from one 4+ rowing shell to five 4+ rowing shells. After graduation in 2018 Natalie moved to the seacoast area. Over the last four years she has been rowing on the masters competitive team and logbook sculling. In the fall of 2021 Natalie put her coaching hat back on and work with the GBR junior team as an assistant coach. I really enjoyed seeing the love for the sport in all of the junior rowers and especially helping the novice rowers develop good skills as they were introduced to a new sport. For her day job, Natalie works as a marine canvas fabricator in the area and make custom boat canvas. In addition to rowing she enjoys skiing, hiking, crocheting, and chasing after her dog.          

Margo Angelopoulos – Masters Athlete
Bio to come

Josh Weinstein – Parent Representative

With more than twenty-five years of experience building brands, Josh is a firm believer in the power of the big idea. He has developed and nurtured projects earning award-winning creative. He is the President and Creative Director of the company guiding the creative strategies and concepts that help the agency’s clients succeed. Born and raised in upstate New York, Josh graduated from Union College where he studied both engineering and English. He worked for advertising agencies in New England as a copywriter and creative director. He worked on numerous regional and national accounts before founding Creative Co-op in 2001. Josh has worked with clients in a broad range of industries, including utilities, financial services, consumer products, healthcare, media, e-commerce, technology, manufacturing, non-profits, food and beverage, the arts and more. His experience includes work with American Water, Timberland, iRobot, Huttopia, Berkshire Bank, Pepco Holdings, Straumann Group, Straumann, Neodent, NUVO, Spalding, 48HourPrint.com, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Company C, Major League Baseball, Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union, Department of Commerce Federal Credit Union, OAS FCU, Transportation Federal Credit Union, HempFusion, ION Network, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, The Trinity School, Community Bridges, Barlean’s, Cambridge Trust, The National Association of Water Companies, The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, New England Conservatory, Merrimack County Savings Bank, New York State Tourism and much more. He started the agency based on the belief that the most successful strategic, conceptual and creative work is developed from a partnership perspective. When he’s not at the office or on the road meeting with clients, you’ll probably find him in the mountains, at the beach or on the water.