The boat school staff

Our staff is here to assist you with enrollment, course selection, school services, accommodations and any boat school questions you may have.

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• Bill Mahler
• executive director
• billm@nwboatschool.org
  
  
• Bill comes to the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding with over 20 years of nonprofit management experience. He spent the previous 14 years as Vice President of Children’s Home Society of Washington, a statewide organization serving children and families. While not a boatman (although he is willing to learn), having grown up in the Ballard area of Seattle, he has been around boats and the water all his life. When asked why he wanted the Director’s position, Bill said he felt he has one more career left in him and he wanted to do something new and exciting. Also, having a vacation home in the Port Ludlow area, he knew this is where he wanted to work and live.

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• Katie Whalen
• business manager
• katiew@nwboatschool.org
  
  
• Katie first came to the Pacific Northwest in 1991 with a friend who was attending the Boat School. She helped out as a volunteer at the school, and went on to serve as Business/Finance manager for two local non-profit organizations, and a traditional Timberframe design & build Firm. The skills she honed during the 15 years away from the school made her the ideal candidate for her new role, and she is delighted to be back full circle from where she started. Katie lives with her young son in a new house that she built herself through a cooperative neighborhood home building project, where she is happily designing her garden and numerous woodworking projects.

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• Debra Swanson
• student services administrator
• debra@nwboatschool.org
  
  
• Debra drove to Port Townsend from New England, with two cats, and her husband who would attend the NorthWest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. She has spent four years working at a non-profit maritime charter school for inner city students in Providence, Rhode Island. Debra also has a B.F.A in Photography and is a recipient of an Independent Research Grant from the RI Council for the Humanities. Debra looks forward to being a part of this unique and talented community here at NWSWB.

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• Linda Tolf
• administrative assistant
• linda@nwboatschool.org
  
  
• In February, 2005, "a call from the sea" and her husband’s urgings to head north brought Linda from Vancouver, WA to Port Hadlock. Aligning her love of water, woods and wooden boats with a desire for work, she answered an ad for a position with the school. Linda assists with the financial and administrative responsibilities in the office.

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• Kate Rambo
• administrative assistant
• kate@nwboatschool.org
  
  
• A native of the beaches and bays of Puget Sound, Kate has been a live-aboard boater for more than 15 years, seven of them spent in Port Townsend. In 2002 she and her husband cruised their motor sailer up the Inside Passage of British Columbia and into SE Alaska. Then, after a few years in Olympia and then Point Roberts they returned to their “home port” of Port Townsend in October 2005. Kate joined our staff in January 2006 and uses her extensive administrative and program management experience to support the School’s financial and administrative personnel.

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• Kendra Seaman
• special projects administrator
• kendra@nwboatschool.org
  
  
• Kendra grew up in the Puget Sound area boating, sailing and kayaking, and with her last name was a natural fit at the boat school. She started working with the school in 2004 as the Student Services Administrator, but after having her daughter in 2007, decided to cut back on hours to spend more time with her. Kendra now works primarily from home on various projects for the school.

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