Our Teen Adventure Camp Staff

"The Sail Caribbean staff is the best, hands down. Very responsible and safety oriented, enthusiastic, fun, charismatic, energetic, obviously enjoy teaching and being with teenagers. I think they are some of the coolest people I have gotten to spend time with."
-Hannah Korus, age 18, Elkins Park, PA

Our staff of skilled instructors, leaders and role models is the driving force behind Sail Caribbean's success. Many are teachers during the school term who join us for the summer, year after year. Our sailing staff is second to none. Among them you'll find "blue-water" professionals, sailing Olympians, and America's Cup crewmates. Our scuba staff is comprised of full-time, year-round professional PADI dive instructors who boast teaching experience from all corners of the globe. Whether on land or at sea, they all share for a passion for their work and a desire to instill that passion in the teens they mentor.

Mike Liese, Northport, NY
Thirtieth Year - Founder/Director
Mike Liese is a sailor – he grew up on the waters of Long Island Sound. He's also a father, grandfather, educator, and most of all a mentor. After obtaining his Masters in Education from Penn State University, Mike spent the next 17 years in education, first as a high school teacher and later as director of the Alternative School Program at Harborfields H.S. in New York. In 1979, he made a life-changing decision to combine his passion for teaching with his love of sailing – Sail Caribbean. Thirty years later, Mike remains committed to his original vision of empowering young people to reach heights they might never have thought possible.

Delly Harrigan, West End, Tortola, BVI
Thirtieth Year - Cultural Director
A local of Tortola, Delly is one of the most beloved personalities on staff. He shares his wisdom and stories about Caribbean culture as well as a mastery of boats and sailing born of decades of experience. As a former chief boat mechanic, Delly knows every last nut and bolt on the boats we sail and loves to teach our students how they work. Whatever it is you learn from Delly, the one thing you'll remember most is his big island smile.

Sail Caribbean Divers - Directors

Melisande Rowe, East End, Tortola
Thirteenth Year - Sail Caribbean Divers Dive Director
This Texan chose scuba fins over cowboy boots as Sail Caribbean's dive director and master instructor. Melisande put her know-how into practice to develop Sail Caribbean's teen scuba camps. Melisande now concentrates her efforts on Sail Caribbean Divers, our year-round dive center in the British Virgin Islands.

Mike Rowe, East End, Tortola
Ninth Year - PADI Course Director
Mike makes the toughest tasks seem easy and his enthusiasm for the job is infectious. As a PADI-certified Course Director, Mike is "an instructor of instructors", having certified over 800 dive professionals. With almost 25 years in the dive industry, his expertise makes him a valuable resource for Sail Caribbean. His keen focus on customer service, combined with his unique sense of humor and charisma, keep our adult and teenage divers engaged and driven while they have fun.

Sail Caribbean Sailing Staff - Directors

Steven Loscalzo – Philadelphia, PA
Fourth Year- Sailing Director
A life long summer camp enthusiast, Steve joins Sail Caribbean from YMCA Camp Tockwogh where he spent 8 years as a camper and staff member. Steve’s sailing roots can be traced back to Hobie-16s on the South Jersey shore. Beginning with Sail Caribbean in 2007, Steve helped develop the Alpha Program, serving as a captain and program director before stepping up to a year round position as the Sailing Director. On his days off, Steve can be found kite-boarding in the North Sound or scuba diving one of the many wreck dives in the BVI. This coming fall, Steve will be attending medical school in the Philadelphia area.

Maria Powell - Richmond, VA
Seventh Year- Assistant Sailing Director
Maria developed her passion for sailing on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay where she spent many years cruising and racing with her family. After two years as a student with Sail Caribbean, Maria joined the team in 2006 and has been a major contributor to the enhancement of Sail Caribbean’s Charlie Programs. As a rising sailing instructor with ASA, in addition to her role as assistant Sailing Director, Maria will act as the resident Basic Keel Boat Instructor and coach for the annual President’s Cup Regatta.

Mary Ichniowski – Silver Spring, MD
Third Year: Foxtrot Program Director and Marine Biology Director
Mary’s infectious smile and passion for teaching marine biology make her a clear standout among our sailing staff. Though a native of Maryland, Mary has spent the past several years out west teaching marine biology and environmental studies on Catalina Island, California. Mary has played an integral role in enhancing our Marine Biology programs and developing the curriculum for Sierra, Sail Caribbean’s newest program. This fall, Mary will begin her new position as program director aboard the SSV Tole Mour.

Cliodhna Breathnach – Dublin, Ireland
Fourth Year: Bravo and Charlie Program Director
An avid traveler, Cli’s adventures have included canoeing down the Amazon, riding dune buggies in Peru, traversing the ski slopes of Banff Canada, and almost everything in between. A passionate outdoor education enthusiast, Cli takes great pride in developing strong bonds with her students and watching them grow during the course of the programs. Cli is currently pursuing a Masters in Chiropractics at the University of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Greg Koman – Sherborn, MA
Sixth Year: Delta Program Director
Greg’s extensive teaching experience and passion for sailing make him a valued down island program direct. After a few years as a successful high school teacher in the Boston suburbs, Greg joined the University of Vermont Sailing Team as their assistant coach in the fall of 2007. During the past three years the program qualified for their first National Championships and Atlantic Coast Championships - producing the school's first All-American sailors. For his part, Greg was recognized as a 2009 U.S. Sailing Coach of the Year. When he is not sailing, Greg enjoys being adventurous and spending time outdoors.

Erica Bartos - New Hartford, CT
Second Year: Tango Program Director
A year round school teacher, Erica's passion for education and learning is truely remarkable.  A graduate of Worcester Polytchnic Institue with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Erica's keen mind enhances our Tango program to new levels.

Laurie Gilbert – West Palm Beach, FL
Second Year: Sierra Program Director
Former director of our land based Bahamas program, Laurie will be joining the rest of our team in the BVI to lead our new Sierra Program. A Florida native, Laurie attended the University of Florida where she studied zoology and is now teaching high school science.

HEADING OUR NEW YORK OFFICE:

Janice Jay, Northport, NY
Sixteenth Year - Operations Director
You may recognize Janice as the knowledgeable voice at the other end of the phone. She's the year-round manager of our New York office. During the summer Janice splits her time between the U.S. and the islands, coordinating the Tortola, Leeward Island, and New York offices to ensure everyone has what they need for smooth sailing.

Charlie Montgomery, Northport, NY
Twelfth Year - Finance Director
Charlie is part of our "old school" staff who returned after 12 years in the corporate world. Charlie started sailing when he was eight and first joined Sail Caribbean in 1984 as a captain.  He later served as a Program Director for several years, and nowadays, he melds his business background with inside knowledge of Sail Caribbean to keep our operations on an even keel.

OUR DEDICATED NY OFFICE CREW:
Nikki Donovan, Vicky Hochhauser, Connie Insignares and Carol Schwier