GAIL LOWNEY ALOFSIN

PRESIDENT, AUTHENITC MEASURABLE PERFORMANCE

Gail Lowney Alofsin, President of Authentic Measurable Performance (AMP!), is a professional speaker, sales and marketing executive, writer, and university professor. Alofsin is a graduate of Tufts University where she focused on International Relations studying in Tailloires, France, and London, England. She has a Certificate in Leadership from Bryant University and a Certificate in Tourism from the Huntington Institute. Gail serves on the boards of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Newport Public Library, and St. Michael's Country Day School. As volunteer Vice-President of Marketing for her family's nonprofit organization, the Haitian Health Foundation, Gail has been fundraising for and volunteering in Haiti since 1983. Gail resides in Newport and travels whenever possible with her pilot husband, John, and lefthanded pitcher, Samuel.

MARK AMARAL

CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, LIGHTHOUSE CONSULTING GROUP

Mark Amaral is the Co-Founder and President of Lighthouse Consulting Group, Inc. Lighthouse is an association management company and, as its principal, Mark is responsible for overseeing his clients' day-to-day operations and the delivery of their offerings, including membership services, global training and certification, conferences and events, and legislative activities. Prior to forming Lighthouse, Mark worked for a university-based center that innovated the global application of resource management in coastal communities where he coordinated field programs in East Africa. These experiences have helped Mark become a skilled facilitator who has helped small and large groups clarify their issues and work toward tractable solutions. Facilitation topics have ranged from flounder fishing in Rhode Island to water allocation in Kazakhstan. A lifelong sailor, he currently calls Warren, RI his homeport.

NANCY ANSHELES

OWNER, CATALYST & CO.

Returning to the Sailing Industry Conference for the second time, Nancy provides creative learning solutions to help her clients achieve business results, develop solid relationships, and reduce stress. She has been an authentic and enthusiastic trainer for more than 20 years. She sparks development for thousands of New England, national, and international audiences. Nancy has delivered dynamic workshops, facilitated effective meetings, and actively listened and coached executives and other professionals. Her clients have included Maine Built Boats, Imtra, LL Bean, Maine Science and Technology Foundation, TD Bank, Maine Medical Center. University of Kentucky, numerous nonprofits, and state and federal agencies. Nancy holds a Master in Corporate Education from Boston University and a B.S. in Communication from James Madison University. She is a qualified Myers Brigg Type Indicator instructor. Nancy lives on the coast of Maine where she loves watching many of you sail by!

CARL BLACKWELL

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, DISCOVER BOATING AND THE NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

Carl Blackwell joined the National Marine Manufacturers Association as Chief Marketing Officer in 2003 and oversees all marketing and communication efforts for boat shows, trade, and the Discover Boating campaign. Prior to joining NMMA, Blackwell spent eight years as Executive Director of Marketing for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, best known for their "Beef. It's What's for Dinner." campaign. He has worked in various marketing and public relations capacities for General Mills, Little Caesars, Dean Foods, Bentley Barnes, and Lynn Advertising. An avid boater on Lake Michigan, Carl docks his boat at Diversey Harbor in Chicago.

DEAN M. BRENNER

PRESIDENT, THE LATIMER GROUP, AND CHAIR OF THE US OLYMPIC SAILING PROGRAM

Dean Brenner is a recognized expert in team and leadership communication in the 21st century. He has coached and led professional and athletic teams, including Olympic sailing teams, his entire adult life, from the Fortune 500 corporate boardroom to the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Dean brings a unique background to his keynote speeches. His corporate client list includes some of the most well‐known and respected companies in the world, with clients on five continents. He is the author of Move the World: Persuade Your Audience, Change Minds and Achieve Your Goals with a second book, Sharing the Sandbox: Building and Leading World‐Class Teams in the 21st Century, to be published in June 2012. Dean presents complex topics simply, and he speaks with his audience rather than at them. He draws on all aspects of his life and speaks from the perspective of an executive coach, an athlete, a leader of teams, a member of teams, a mentor to Olympic athletes, and as a husband and father. Dean's company, The Latimer Group, is a coaching firm focused on creating powerful verbal communication by helping clients articulate their messages and, in turn, lead more effectively, sell more successfully, and raise more capital by developing persuasive communication skills. Dean is currently serving his second four‐year term as the Chair of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Program. He has led a complete transformation of the culture and business of US Olympic Sailing, with a 400% growth in athlete support since 2004. He also served as Team Leader for the US Olympic Sailing Team at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Dean earned an MBA in Finance from The Olin School of Business at Babson College, an MA in Shakespearian Literature from The University of Warwick, England, and a BA in English Literature and Government from Georgetown University. Prior to Georgetown, Dean attended The Kent School.

JOHN BURNHAM

BOATS.COM, BOATTRADER.COM, AND YACHTWORLD.COM

John Burnham is the Editorial Director of Boats.com, as well as BoatTrader.com and YachtWorld.com. He is the former editor of Cruising World and Sailing World magazines, and recently served as a Sail America board member. When not working on marine websites or publications, John can usually be found sailing; in 2012 he is competing aboard the iconic S&S yawl, Dorade—an effort that can be followed via Boats.com, YouTube, and John's Twitter account, @johnsburnham.

BRICE ENGLERT

DOMINION DEALER SOLUTIONS

Brice Englert leads the Interactive Media and Marketing Services teams for Dominion Dealer Solutions. Brice is passionate about all things digital and has been noted as a subject matter expert in consumer engagement, reputation management, and email marketing.  Prior to Brice's operational tenure, he was integral in Dominion Enterprise's mergers and acquisitions activity, including the purchases of 4 of the 10 existing DDS businesses. Brice holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. Prior to graduate school, Brice proudly served as a Captain in the USAF and led a program developing software tools to support joint war-gaming.

JACK GIERHART

US SAILING

Jack Gierhart is the Executive Director of US Sailing. He has over 25 years of sales, marketing, and general management experience in the technology and marine industries. In his 7+ years with US Sailing, in addition to his current position, Jack has lead the Marketing, Membership, and IT departments. Jack was the founder of MessageSherpa, an online communications company, and the Executive Vice-President of Nautor's Swan USA. He also served as a Global Sales and Business Development Manager at IBM. An avid sailor, Jack sails both competitively and recreationally. In addition to sailing much of the East and West coasts of the US, he has participated in numerous Bermuda races and enjoys racing various one design classes. Jack graduated from Tulane University in 1987 and from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business with an MBA in 1993. He lives with his wife, two daughters and son in Marion, Massachusetts.

DAVID JENSEN

CMM

David Fox Jensen, CMM is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Lighthouse Media Solutions and Lighthouse Publications. Lighthouse Media Solutions is a new media marketing company that specializes in recreational boating and active lifestyle marketing. Lighthouse Publications owns and produces several high-end glossy New England based lifestyle magazines. David is an experienced marine professional with a background in the management, development, marketing and financial planning of recreational facilities. David has a degree from Northeastern University and a CMM certification from the Association of Marina Industries. David is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business as well as in developing new media marketing strategies for clients. David lives in Boston, MA is an avid fly fisherman and has spent the better part of his life on the water.

ROSS KILBORN

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, YACHTING AUSTRALIA

Ross Kilborn joined Yachting Australia in July 2011 as Sports Development Director, responsible for all aspects of the sport up to the state high-performance level. His objective, and performance measure, is simple—more people sailing safely at member clubs. Prior to this appointment Ross was CEO of Yachting Victoria where he gained a deep understanding of the diversity and needs of member clubs and a strong appreciation of the sports business market. Ross' career has included a variety of general management roles across a diverse range of industries. He is a qualified CPA, and has been a fellow of a number of professional organizations, including the Australia Marketing Institute. He was a finalist for the Yachting Australia Sports Professional of the Year Award in 2010, and a finalist in the Victorian CEO Awards for Significant Innovation in 2008. Ross is a qualified Club Race Officer and Instructor (in both dinghy and keelboat ) and has been involved in regatta management and club training as a volunteer.

TOM KNIGHTEN

T.A. KNIGHTEN LLC

Tom Knighten worked his way through school by selling sports cars at a highline dealership in the Washington, D.C., area and, at the age of 23, he became the youngest sales manager in the. After becoming the youngest sales manager in the Porsche + Audi dealer in the Washington, DC, network, Tom took on increasingly more responsible management roles in the auto industry, including a 13-plus year career in marketing and operations with BMW of North America where he created and implemented the BMW Certified Pre-Owned program and as Vice-President and Director of Resale Operations for the United Auto Group. A little over 10 years ago, after obtaining his Captain's license, Tom took on the role of Director of Development for the Chapman School of Seamanship. It was there that he began to see the parallels between the high-end auto industry and the marine industry, developing the concept and approach for using hands-on training and education as a marketing tool. Among many projects undertaken as a marine industry consultant, Tom created the Recreational Powerboating Association, a sister organization of ASA. Specializing in hands-on, underway training, RPBA's mission is to expand the availability and quality of on-water training for powerboaters. Tom also created the Discover Boating Hands-on Learning Center concept as a consultant to NMMA.

JP SKOV

NORTHSTAR YACHT SALES

Jean-Pierre Skov was born and raised in St. Croix, USVI, before moving to the Northeast of the US in the mid-1970s. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, he moved back to St. Croix permanently, once again sailing as a charter captain and also competitively for the VI Olympic team. In 1991, Jean-Pierre went to work for Hess Oil in the marine department as a deckhand on a tug and later the same year became Captain of a 105′ ship handling/ocean-towing tug. In 1995, he became Waterfront Manager for Marina Bay in North Quincy, MA. Once the new management system was in place his next project was to develop a new boat dealership and brokerage. At this point, Jean-Pierre migrated to being a full-time yacht broker. He prides himself on developing his client relationships into friendships. His clients know that he is always only a phone call away to answer any questions, whether it is about their next yacht or the next piece of gear for the current boat. Jean-Pierre can be found doing what he does best, putting his clients in the right yacht.

JOHN SPENCE

At the age of just 26, John Spence was named CEO of an international Rockefeller foundation, overseeing projects in 20 countries and reporting directly to the Chair of the Board, Winthrop P. Rockefeller III. Two years later, John was nominated as one of the top CEOs under the age of 40 in Florida, and Inc. magazine's "Zinc Online" recognized him as one of America's up-and-coming young business leaders. In 2011, John was named one of the Top 100 Business Thought Leaders in America and became Director of Best Practice Innovation at the Best Practice Institute. For the past 17 years, John has presented workshops, speeches, and executive coaching to more than 300 organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, IBM, GE, Abbott, Merrill Lynch, AT&T, Verizon, Qualcomm, State Farm, and dozens of private companies, government offices, and not-for-profits. John is also the author of Excellence by Design – the six key characteristics of outstanding leaders and Awesomely Simple – essential business strategies for turning ideas into action and has been a guest lecturer at over 90 colleges and universities across the United States, including Harvard, Rutgers, Brown, Stanford, and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

JIM WEBB

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THE AVALA MARKETING GROUP

Jim Webb is an agency leader charged with building strong brands by combining consumer insights with actionable marketing strategies, innovative ideas, and technology applications. He specializes in developing consumer-centric brand strategies focused on holistic marketing concepts that inspire game-changing consumer behaviors. Jim has extensive experience in strategy development, branding, consumer insights, channel alignment, database development, CRM, digital marketing, social media, advertising, and PR for a diverse base of clients in the luxury goods and high-end durables industries.

Jim has 26 years of agency experience, with 20 in the marine industry, and his clients have included Brunswick Corp., Boston Whaler, Sea Ray Boats, Attwood, Polaris, Vespa/Piaggio, Domino's Pizza, Kmart, Stroh Brewery, and Westin Hotels. Jim has a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and Marketing from Central Michigan University.