About
YSV Board of Directors
David Stalfort
President
David Stalfort is a retired maritime and management consultant, formally with ABS Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Bureau of Shipping. He joined ABS Group following a 30-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard where he retired in 2010 at the rank of Captain. Dave’s Coast Guard career focused on maritime safety in ports throughout the United States. In his last Coast Guard assignment, he served as Director of the National Maritime Center, where he led a team of 350 people to approve and issue Merchant Mariner Credentials to over 210,000 mariners. He also served as a trainer and course developer at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia. Dave holds a USCG License as Master, Steam, Motor and Auxiliary Sailing Vessels. He learned to sail with his father at age 11, where they both participated in a Learn to Sail program at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Dave has continued his involvement with sailing and racing around the country and currently sails out of Hampton Yacht Club, racing on a J-24 and day sailing on his Catalina 310 with his wife Trena. He has volunteered with the U.S. Power Squadron where he served as an Executive Officer of a local squadron and taught boating safety courses in the community. He also volunteered as a Team Manager of a community youth soccer team.
Jason Samuels
Jason Samuels currently serves as the Program Manager of the Hampton Healthy Families School Age Programs, and is a member of the Hampton City School Board. For the past 23 years, Jason has served the City of Hampton as both a Social Worker and as a Program Manager with the City’s Department of Human Services. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Norfolk State University, a Leadership Certificate from the Academy for Nonprofit Excellence at Tidewater Community College, and a Muma College of Business Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida.
Jason is married to Keisha M. Samuels and they have two children.
Jason’s community organizations/affiliations include: serving the City of Hampton with the Department of Human Services as a Social Worker in many capacities to include Foster Care, Child Protective Services, and Adult Services; serving on various local, regional, state, and national councils and boards to include the City of Hampton Purchasing & Procurement Oversight Committee (Past Member), Thomas Nelson Community College Human & Health Advisory Council, PTA member of Hunter B. Andrews Pre K-8, Downtown Hampton Kiwanis Club, Crowne Pointe Home Owner Association (President), Hampton Triad, Hampton Senior Citizen Advisory Council, Peninsula Agency on Aging Advisory Council (Past Chairman), Peninsula Agency on Aging Board of Directors (Past Member), Aberdeen Historic Civic Association, Hampton Branch of the NAACP and a member of Ivy Baptist Church.
Alan Bomar
former Board President
Alan Bomar is a 1984 Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering Graduate. While at Georgia Tech, he was captain of the Sailing Team, as well as a member of the Yellow Jackets Swim Team. After graduation, he moved to Hampton Roads to work for Newport News Shipbuilding and claims to have logged over 1000 miles on sailboats his first year in the area. He is currently a Superintendent with Huntington Ingalls – Newport News Shipbuilding working on the Aircraft Carrier Overhaul programs. He is past Chair of the Hampton Roads Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and remains active supporting the education and development of local society members. Alan currently owns several J/24s that he uses to instruct sailors of all levels, and regularly takes high school students and others out for Wednesday night races during the spring and summer. He is J/24 Fleet 71 Fleet Captain. At YSV, Alan has led the Infrastructure committee and most recently promoted the addition of Typhoons to the YSV Fleet. The Typhoons lead to wider adult sailing opportunities and a membership program spreading YSV’s reach into the community.
Rose Hobart
Board Liaison: Community and Strategic Partnerships.
Active in program and fundraising development, Rose was awarded the prestigious Volunteer of the Year award from US Sailing in early 2023 for her efforts in building Community Partnerships and Programming for YSV.
Rose brings a background of business management and leadership from the for-profit business arena. Her positions of increasing responsibility and growth include Corporate Vice President of Sales and Marketing in a Dallas-based Fortune 500 Company. Her experience in strategic planning, marketing and sales and business leadership provide skill sets that translate to the not-for-profit organizations that she serves. She has served on the Board of Directors of Empty Bowls Virginia Peninsula, a 501(c)(3) organization leading development initiatives, as well as serving on the Steering Committee of Impact 100 Greater Peninsula, and is an inaugural Board Member of the Mary W. Jackson Neighborhood Center, Inc, a Community-based Not for Profit Board.
Rose and her husband spend time enjoying their grandchildren and occasionally sailing on their Soveral 30 sailboat. Rose holds a BSBA from Old Dominion University and an Executive Certificate in Strategic Planning from Wharton School of Business.
Caitlin Messina
Treasurer
Carolyn Campbell
Secretary
Carolyn Campbell was born and raised in the Fox Hill area of Hampton, Virginia. Carolyn has a degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech, and worked over 20 years in the computer field as a defense contractor developing software and managing command and control programs for the military. She is now running her own company renovating homes and managing the company properties.
Carolyn and her husband John recently celebrated 35 years of marriage. They have two sons, Dylan and Miles, who both sailed in the Hampton Yacht Club summer sailing program and then for their high school teams. Carolyn and John were active in supporting the high school sailing programs, as well as Youth Sailing Virginia. Over the years, Carolyn and her family have been active in boating with their motor boat, canoes, and kayaks.
Claire Bellecci
Prior to joining Mellen Street Creative, Claire worked in the non-profit sector in the San Francisco Bay Area, partnering with organizations such as the San Francisco Foundation, The Marin Community Foundation, Helicon Collaborative, The East Bay Community Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity), and the Northern California Community Loan Fund.
Claire holds a B.S. from the University of California, Davis. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for Virginia Peninsula Community College Visual Arts Department, the Public Affairs and Marketing Advisory Board for Sister Cities Newport News, and the Arts and Design Advisory Board for the Academy of Media in the Academies of Hampton.
Claire grew up sailing at the Warwick Yacht and Country Club, participating in club racing. She became connected to Youth Sailing Virginia in 2019 when she enrolled her twins, Ava and Angelo, in a beginner sailing course. Angelo went on to start the first high school racing club team in Newport News Schools in decades, developed a passion for sailing, became a certified sailing instructor, graduated high school, and is now attending Old Dominion University in their engineering program with a focus on maritime engineering.
Gary Bodie
In March 2021, Gary Bodie was awarded the 2021 US Sailing Nathaniel G. Herreshoff Trophy at a ceremony at the St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. This is US Sailing’s most prestigious award, and is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing in this country in any associated activity.
Gary Bodie has coached intercollegiate sailing since 1978, working at Old Dominion University, the US Naval Academy, and Hampton University (the first minority sailing program in the US). His teams have won an unprecedented fifteen College National Championships, including four Dinghy Championships. Individual sailors coached by Bodie have earned 30 first team All-American honors, 26 All-American crew, 11 All-American women, plus 11 Honorable Mentions.
The most important individual award, College Sailor of the Year (equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in college football), has been awarded four times to sailors in Bodie’s programs.
Prior to the 1996 Olympics, Bodie worked as a private coach with Olympic aspirants in Laser’s, Europe’s, 470’s, and Finns. In 1998, Gary was named Head Olympic Coach and High Performance Director for the U.S. Sailing Team, and he worked specifically with Laser and Soling sailors leading up to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Under Gary’s leadership, the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team won four medals in Sydney: Gold in the Star class, Silver in the Men’s and Women’s 470, and Bronze in the 49er class. In 2004, sailors won Gold in the Men’s 470 class and Silver in the Tornado. For the 2008 games, Gary again served as the High Performance Director, coaching that same Tornado duo in their fourth Olympics while most of the 2008 sailors were attending their first Olympic games.
Bodie has also served as U.S. Team Leader/Coach for the ISAF Youth World Championships and the ISAF Team Race World Championship. Gary served several years as chairman of the US SAILING Team Racing Committee, and has been a member of the Youth and the Inshore committees. He has been a member of the Youth and Inshore committees. He has been a long time member of the Board of Directors for High School Sailing.
Bodie raced many one design classes, but the 505 was his favorite for almost 20 years. Victories included Bermuda Race Week, CORK, East Coasts, and Midwinter Championships. Bodie has also finished top ten in the 505 World Championship. Three-on-three team racing is his other sailing passion, and he competes whenever his schedule permits.
Gary graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. He is married to the former Mary Pitchford of Norfolk, Virginia, and they have three daughters, Kelly, Katie, and Caroline.
William Brown
William “Bill” Brown is a partner with Keller Williams Realty on the Virginia Peninsula. He is an avid boater with over 50 years of experience on the water, and owns Eleanor Susan, a 36’ Deadrise. Bill is heavily invested in the Hampton Roads community with extensive volunteer leadership experience including past President of the Newport News Clean Community Council, past President of the Peninsula Remodelers Council, past President of the Peninsula Housing and Buildings Association. He served as a board member of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce where he received the President’s award. Bill was the past president of the Melfa Rotary Club, and currently a member of the Hampton Rotary Club and Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
Christina Kerby
Christina has 23 years of experience in education with 15 years in the classroom. She continues to work with teachers utilizing strategic plans ensuring teachers feel comfortable and supported with new or revised curricula.
Mrs. Kerby graduated from Longwood University and holds a current state teaching license in Biology with an endorsement in Earth Science and Gifted Education. Her pastimes are enjoying time with her family and exploring the various regions of Virginia.
Currently, Mrs. Kerby serves as an Academy Coach at Hampton High School in Hampton City Schools where part of her role is to engage business and community partners with education and look for ways to build sustainable curriculum that teaches through the lens of the various academies at her school.
During the summer of 2022, she and a co-instructor worked with Youth Sailing Virginia to create and implement the Water Safety and Survival class. Hampton City School students identified transportation, cost and the inability to swim as barriers to learning to sail. This class was designed to overcome barriers by providing a structured experience that included instruction in sailing, swimming and STEM education. This unique YSV class can be marketed to any organization (underrepresented populations) to increase opportunities for students to experience the joy of sailing.
Allen Kilgore
Allen Kilgore is Deputy Director for Facility and Laboratory Operations, Research Directorate NASA Langley Research Center. Allen is a native of Hampton who graduated from Kecoughtan High School. He graduated from Old Dominion University with engineering degrees and sailed on the sailing team under Gary Bodie. Allen has coached at the US Naval Academy and competed in the international 505 and Flying Dutchman classes, and was a member of the 1988 US Sailing Olympic team. He currently volunteers as Sailing Coach for Hampton, Kecoughtan and Phoebus High School sailing teams, and is the Safety Officer for the Virginia Interscholastic Sailing Association.
Gerard Markham
Gerard (Jerry) Markham is a retired Division President for MetalTec International. He has over 35 years of experience in business management. Prior to entering corporate life, Jerry had a successful 5 year tenure in the Army and he resigned his commission as an Infantry Captain. Jerry has a BS, Engineering from US Military Academy, West Point and an MBA from Webster University.
Jerry’s experience in not-for-profit organizations include VP, Board of Trustees, Boys Home, VA where he developed and implemented a 5 year Strategic Plan. Also, Board of Directors, Ray of Light Farm, CT where he wrote a children’s book about the farm animals that continues to generate income.
Jerry’s sailing experience began in 1983 where he crewed for weekend races in Scituate, MA. He continued serving as crew, for weekend Hampton races, several years following. He is a graduate of the “Colgate Off Shore Sailing School” and has owned several boats.
Jerry and his wife, Janice, reside at Ft. Monroe and have two daughters and six grandchildren. Dr. Jennifer Oliver, their older daughter, is the Director of Community & Government Relations for the Hampton City School System.
Jonathan Romero
Jonathan Romero is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at Old Dominion University. Jonathan is “fairly” new to sailing and boating, having bought and sailed his first boat, an Ensenada 20 in 2004. During this time, Jonathan has been able to found the Hampton Roads Sunfish Challenge & Dinghy Distance Race, become certified as a US Sailing Race Official, and served as the Principal Race Official for the Hampton University Varsity Sailing Team. In addition to small boat activities, Jonathan is an active keelboat racer, winning his class at the 2017 Southern Bay Race Week, as well as being awarded the Hampton Yacht Club Sportsmanship Award in 2018. Jonathan cruises his Cal 33-2 Tempo up the Chesapeake Bay, around the DelMarVa peninsula, and has single-handed his boat from Hampton, Virginia to Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Staying active in service to his community, Jonathan is currently a board member of Thomas Nelson Community College, and WHRO Public Media. Jonathan is happy to serve on the board with Youth Sail Virginia, increasing access to sailing for the local community youth.
Robert Shuford, Jr.
Robert “Rob” Shuford, Jr., Senior Executive Vice President with TowneBank and former Chairman, President, & CEO of Old Point National Bank, is a native of Hampton who attended Duke University and graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He subsequently served 4 years in the United States Navy as an Officer, earning a Navy Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon. Rob’s degree led to related employment in San Diego, California and Indianapolis, Indiana, but eventually he and his family returned to the Virginia Peninsula where Rob embarked on a career in banking. Rob serves on the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the CIVIC Leadership Institute Board of Directors, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Regional Board of Directors, the CNU Educational Foundation Board of Directors, the Greater Peninsula NOW Board of Directors, and is a member of the Capital Campaign Committee for the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas. Rob is a former Chair of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and Past President of the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas. In addition, he previously served on the Finance Committee of the Fort Monroe Authority and the Hampton History Museum Association as its Treasurer. Rob is actively involved in the Virginia Bankers Association, including serving as past chair of the Board of Trustees of the School of Bank Management, a member of the VBA’s Board of Directors, and a member of the VBA’s Government Relations Committee.
Alan Witt
Bio coming soon.