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Our burgee we fly in honor of our fallen heroes and to pay tribute to our Gold Star Families. The Gold Star represents service members who gave their last full measure of service for our country and for the liberties and freedoms we so richly enjoy.
Gold Star Sailing began in 2012. The vision was to create a week-long summer camp just for high school age Gold Star teenagers with a focus on team building, character development, leadership, and healing through a hands-on sailing adventure. At GSS campers meet other Gold Star teenagers and share adventures together. During camp, strong bonds are made, friendships forged, and healing happens naturally.
Campers are introduced to the amazing world of sailing. Campers stay on shore, receive instruction on the water, and enjoy land based adventures every day. Campers participate in a variety of unique activities where they are pushed out of their comfort zone. Many campers have told us that what makes Gold Star Sailing unique, is that we let them be kids and have fun. We are not a grief camp. The campers are encouraged to try new challenges to instill self-confidence and build resiliency in order to prepare them for college and life.
Colonel (Retired) Patrick Powers served over 25 years in U.S. Army Special Operations as a Green Beret. He served tours in Korea, Bosnia, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was introduced to sailing as a child and was hooked. He began racing in 2001. In 2012 he designed Gold Star Sailing to be a special program uniquely designed for Gold Star teenagers with a focus on leadership, teamwork, and adventure. He discovered that great healing happened through this Gold Star Sailing camps. Patrick is a career “Green Beret,” Master SCUBA Diver, close quarters combat expert, and the recipient of four Bronze Star Medals. Additionally, he is the father of two sailing children.
Todd Yannuzzi is a retired Managing Director and Wealth Advisor at Morgan Stanley in New York where he ran the Fifth Avenue Group. Todd spent over 30 years at his Firm and has been recognized for excellence in his filed by Barron's, Forbes and the Financial Times. Todd believes strongly in giving back to his community and particularly organizations who serve a critical and unique purpose like Gold Star Sailing. He is an active mentor at Morgan Stanley, a long-standing volunteer ambulance driver, a Lake Warden in Tuxedo Park and has served on school and hospital boards. Todd has also supported and raised money for The USO, The Christopher Reeve Foundations and the Village School of Waldwick, N.J. Todd is a lifelong lover of all things water related (above and below the surface) since earning his USCG junior operators license at age 15 and his SCUBA accreditation shortly after. He and his wife have four children ages 16-25.
Vice Admiral P. Gardner Howe III retired from the U.S. Navy in 2019 after a 35-year career in the Naval Special Warfare and joint Special Operations communities. A passionate sailor, he is now focused on bringing the educational, personal and leader development opportunities found in sailing and sail training to people of all ages. He and his wife Erin reside in Newport, Rhode Island.
Krista Simpson Anderson is the proud wife of an active duty Green Beret, mother of two young boys, and Gold Star Spouse of SSG Michael H. Simpson. Krista is driven to bring healthy healing to her children as well as other Gold Star and surviving families. Krista is the founder of The Unquiet Professional, the Surviving Family Liaison for the Green Beret Foundation, as well as an Advisor on the U.S. Army Survivor Advisory Working Group. Krista was named the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year and the 2019 Green Beret Foundation "Keeper of the Brave" for the work she continues to do in our communities. "It is my greatest mission to advocate for and nurture teh journeys for our nation's Gold Star and Surviving children. The Gold Star Sailing program encourages LIFE, leadership and fellowship with other children who understand their journey and and facilitators who respect their family's sacrifice."
John has over 30 years of Federal Government service. A U.S. Navy veteran and National Security expert, John currently holds a Senior Executive Service position within the U.S. Intelligence Community. In his 25+ years as an attorney, John has advised and guided the operations of government entities, large and small corporations, private organizations, and nonprofits. John brings his vast Counsel experience to the GSS Board along with a personal passion for the GSS mission.
Patrick Powers serves as the Director of Gold Star Sailing. He founded the Gold Star Sail Camp in 2012. Colonel (Retired) Patrick Powers served over 25 years in Special Operations. He served tours in Korea, Bosnia, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was introduced to sailing as a child and was hooked. He began racing in 2001. In 2012 he designed Gold Star Sailing to be a special program uniquely designed for Gold Star teenagers with a focus on leadership, teamwork, and adventure. He discovered that great healing happened through this Gold Star Sailing camps. Patrick is a career “Green Beret,” Master SCUBA Diver, close quarters combat expert, and the recipient of four Bronze Star Medals. Today, Patrick works for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and lives with his wife in Annapolis, MD. Additionally, he is the father of two sailing children.
Wes Marshall has been an avid sailor for thirty years. He has over 8,000 miles of ocean and blue water racing and cruising experience. He has raced large and small boats in the eastern US for many years with a focus on one-design keelboats. Wes has youth counseling experience with after school enrichment programs, the Boy Scouts of America, coaching lacrosse, the All-American Soap Box Derby, and the Gold Star Teen Sailing Adventure. He holds numerous outdoor certifications including USCG certified Captain, and Wilderness First Aid. Professionally, Wes worked as a trial lawyer until 2012 when he was appointed to the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Patricia A. O'Donnell is a life-long competitive sailor, starting as a child in Larchmont, NY. She has raced dinghies, one-design keelboats and racer/cruisers in team, "around the buoy" and long-distance races nationally and internationally. While she still competes when she can, she's now more active in regatta management, including race committee, primarily in her home waters around Newport. She is a World Sailing International Judge. She was a US SAILING certified National Umpire for many years.
Patricia is a member of Larchmont (NY) Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club, Ida Lewis YC (Newport, RI) and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Off the water, Patricia is a Supervisor Analyst with Morgan Stanley & Co.'s Asia Pacific Equity Research Department.
Her involvement in Gold Star Sailing honors her late father, LCDR James J. O'Donnell (USN), and acknowledges the healing and opportunities sailing has provided to her and her Gold Star mother and sisters over the decades.
Capt. Gary is a Master Scuba Instructor, a 100-ton Master Captain certified with the US Coast Guard, a sailor and a private pilot. Gary has been instrumental with helping our wounded troops recover from injuries starting in 2007 with the first SUDS (Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba) a program for service members wounded, ill, and injured with permanent physical disability requiring adaptation. He went on to help start an organization that helped kids of fallen special operations troops named Gold Star Teen Adventures in 2008 where he served on the board (2008-2016). This program helps kids learn leadership skills, team building skills, character and in turn promoting healing. In 2012 he and Colonel Powers held the first Gold Star Sailing Camp along with Rhode Island National Guard thru Gold Star Teen Adventures. Capt. Gary remains active as a scuba instructor, a mentor, and councilor with Gold Star Teen Adventures and Gold Star Sailing Camp. Gary spent 25 years in high-tech as a software support manager and electrical engineer. He along with his wife for the past 14 years own and operate the dive shop Conch Republic Divers in the Florida Keys where they live.
BG Ret. Keene was and continues to be an instrumental and key Gold Star Sailing ke leader. BG Ret. Keene most recently served as the Assistant to the Vice Commander, United States Special Operations Command, before retiring in January 2014. Responsible for representing the command to the Joint Staff, Service Staffs, Office of the Secretary of Defense and other governmental agencies in the National Capitol Region. BG (ret), Keene enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1971 and was commissioned in the Army National Guard commissioned in 1985. He commanded units at every grade level and deployed several times from 2004 – 2014 for Special Operations missions in the Horn of Africa, U.S. Special Operations Command, Special Operations Command South and Colombia. He actively supports several charities including Give to the World, The Gold Star Sailing and the North Smithfield High School Class of 1971 Scholarship Fund.
Dave, serves as CEO of S.A.L.T.Y. (Seamanship And Leadership Training for Youths), a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization and since 2014, as a co-sponsor, helped grow the sea based adventure to Gold Star Sailing to include living onboard ships and sailing on the sea providing an amazing healing and fun environment for campers as they learn about the sea and discover themselves. Dave brings 35 plus years of business development experience as he built Preventure, Inc. one of the leading wellness companies in the U.S. His 40 plus years working as leader in youth organizations including YMCA, Boy Scouts of America and Sea Scouts inspired him to form SALTY. He’s a licensed USCG Captain, former Commodore of West Bay Yacht Club, Committee Chairman of Sea Scout Ship 1909, Sea Scout Commodore for BSA Narragansett Council and a board member of Steamship Historical Society of America. He received his Eagle Scout in 1972 and has been managing sailing charter groups for more than 20 years to destinations throughout the Caribbean, South America and the South Pacific Society Islands of French Polynesia.
Lonnie is the Operations Director for the Gold Star Sailing. Colonel (Retired) Lonnie Barham served in our country’s military for 42 years. He served as a young enlisted man in the U.S. Navy aboard a nuclear submarine during the Vietnam War, as a junior officer in the National Guard during peacetime, and as a senior officer on active duty with the U.S. Army during the Persian Gulf War and the Global War on Terrorism. His significant assignments include Company and Battalion command, Division Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander – Fort Dix, NJ, and as the Army’s Chief of Emergency Services where he was responsible for oversight of all police, fire, emergency medical, and antiterrorism operations on all U.S. Army installations in the U.S. and around the world. Throughout his military career, Colonel Barham taught, mentored and led young soldiers in their late teens, not unlike the teens who participate in the Gold Star Sailing. Colonel Barham is married with two children and three grandchildren.
Patty serves as a member of the senior GSS leadership team as well as the onboard chef for the Gold Star Sailing. She has over 29 years of service in the United States military, and is a certified chef and elementary school teacher. While serving in the Army, Patty had the opportunity to work with students in Honduras, Guatemala, and was also a Girl Scout Leader for many years. She entered the military as a Private and retired as a Colonel in 2012. Following retirement, she attended culinary school, taught fourth grade, and became a volunteer in the American Red Cross. Upon graduation from the Chapman School of Seamanship Professional Mariner Training, in June 2017, Patty is pursuing her USCG Captain’s License.
Jill is a Marketing Officer for Internet and Mobile communications at Amica Mutual Insurance Company. She is valued member of the GSS leadership team. She is an accomplished, results-driven insurance technology leader with demonstrated success in the design and delivery of systems for use by internal staff, and external facing web and mobile applications for customers. She has expertise in driving organizational change and technology innovation along with her track record of implementations that improve performance, decrease operational expenses and promote corporate growth. She has a proven ability to lead and motivate teams, with a focus on maximizing productivity.
Norm is a retired US Army Green beret who began his 30-year military career serving in Vietnam with the US Marines. Norm is a Wounded Warrior (twice) himself. Norm is a Past Commodore of the Newport Yacht Club in Rhode Island, a key sponsor of the Gold Star Sailing on multiple levels. He is a member of the Royal Western Yacht Club of England and the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Norm has race several times in the Bermuda One/Two. He is on the organizing committee for both the single and double handed transatlantic sailboat race (Ostar and Two Star). When Norm isn’t sailing he is a volunteer varsity football coach with a local high school here in RI. He is also a retired Civil Engineer.
Victoria is a full-time Psychology Major at the University of West Florida who aspires to become a therapist for children. As an avid sailor and curious wanderer of the world, she is always up for an adventure where she can meet new people, push her limits, and learn more about the universe we are all a part of.
Whether it be rain or shine, she always finds herself outside writing in a beat up journal she jokingly calls her “Life Documentation Book”. After experiencing the death of her father, Victoria turned to reading and writing as a form of comfort and in many ways has realized that she has a passion for reading and no desire to ever stop the words that flow from her heart, to her mind, to her fingertips, and onto paper for other eyes to read.
Victoria participated in the first sailing camp in the beautiful state of Rhode Island three years ago and now, in the summer of 2017, she will return as a Junior Counselor. It was an incredible experience for her to be a part of this camp that allowed her to push herself out of her comfort zone, discover the beauty of the little moments, create lifelong friendships, and become a leader, a friend, and a soul sister. The experiences, challenges, and memories this sailing camp has given Victoria will stay with her indefinitely.
Morgan Lomax is from a little, small town in Nebraska. In her free time she likes to spend time with her friends, work with her dogs, and loves to travel.
She’s been a Gold Star teen for 4 years now having lost her Dad when she was just a sophomore. She started attending GSS in her junior year of high school and say’s “I’ve loved every minute. It is the most important event I look forward to every summer. Because of this Sailing Adventure, I’ve gotten to do once in a life time things and makes friends that will last a lifetime.”
When asked about her first experience at the helm of a sailing vessel she said “I was scared and nervous at first, but it was an awesome experience!” “And she drove like a pro,” said Capt. Dave Pickering, “we couldn’t keep her off the wheel!” She was outstanding as a Counselor In Training (CIT) in 2016 season, returning in 2017 as a Junior Counselor.
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