Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Sara is originally from Dublin, Ireland and moved to the US in 2012.  She started dragon boat paddling in 2021 during the covid pandemic, and has been actively paddling, both recreationally and competitively, since then!  Sara also paddles outrigger canoes.  Sara works in animal welfare and is currently Director of Operations for an animal shelter.  Sara has served on multiple nonprofit boards in the past, including animal welfare, microfinance in developing economies and Kenmore Waterfront Activities Center. She holds an MBA and completed the Board Chair's Academy training and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership.  If she gets any time outside paddling and committee's she can sometimes be found training for animal search and rescue with WASART.

VICE PRESIDENT

​Katie is originally from California and competed in various sports before she started paddling in 2006.  She joined SFD in 2016 after moving to Seattle, where she currently works as a biostatistician doing cancer research.  She started coaching the competitive paddlers in 2018 and enjoys inventing new drills and workouts.  She's easy to spot at practices and you'll recognize her as the shortest, loudest, bossiest person there!  She firmly believes that the best practices are ones that are both fun and make you feel like you're dying, all at the same time.  She paddled for ACA Team USA in 2018 and likes attending international races that take her to warmer locales.  When she's not on the water, you can find her sleeping, complaining about the rain, or struggling to reach things on high shelves.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Despite living in the desert for many years, Keilana has always loved swimming and being on the water. Keilana began paddling in 2022 after relocating from the Southwest to the Pacific Northwest. Outside of paddling Keilana enjoys hot tub boats and Karaoke - sometimes at the same time!

TREASURER

IChein is originally from Taiwan. Besides watching the Dragon Boat races on TV, her first encounter with Dragon boating was in the summer of 2023 when a girlfriend invited her to join one of the free practices at South Lake Union. She was hesitant as a non-swimmer, and never thought of herself as an athlete.  But the club’s website stated “we can make a paddler out of anyone” so she thought she would give it a try.  She has competed in local races in 2024 and gained confidence in being a competitive team member.

Outside of paddling, IChein works as a Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in her own practice.  She enjoys reading, going on excursions with friends, fitness training and volunteering with her church community.

SECRETARY

John Weiss is a retired Naval Aviator, airline pilot, and flight test engineer.  John served in the US Navy for 20 years, flying the A-4 Skyhawk and A-6 Intruder.  After the Navy, John briefly worked at Boeing as a Software Test Engineer and spent the remainder of his career at Atlas Air as a 747 Captain.

John has been sailing since 1970, in dinghies through 50’ keelboats. He has owned numerous boats from a 13’ wooden cat yawl to a 28’ Pearson Triton.  He has been a kayaker and rower since 1997; and now owns a 17’ sea kayak that he built in 2000, and a 15’ Adirondack Guideboat.

From 2014-2019, John was a member of the National On-Water Standards Program, which developed training course standards for Sail, Power, and Human-propelled boats.  These were adopted as ANSI standards in 2017. John was then certified as a lead course reviewer for the National Association of State Boating law Administrators (NASBLA), which verified boating courses for compliance with the new ANSI standards.

John is now a Director of the Traditional Small Craft Association, and volunteers as a Docent at the Museum of Flight. He joined the Seattle Flying Dragons in early 2020, just in time for the COVID quarantine. He is a qualified tiller, and usually paddles from the Kenmore site.

MARKETING AND EVENTS

COACHING

MAINTENANCE

SAFETY OFFICER