About: Our Team
Meet our team.
The Community Sailing Center team is enthusiastic, energetic, and diverse. We have a small group of year-round staff that is supplemented by seasonal employees each summer and supported by dedicated volunteers, board members, and trustees throughout the year.
Management Team
Owen Milne
Executive Director
Owen began working as Executive Director in 2017. Prior to the CSC, Owen worked at Red Thread and VT Businesses for Social Responsibility. In addition to this work, Owen has served on over a dozen nonprofit boards and public commissions both statewide and in the local community. As Executive Director, Owen oversees strategic planning, the board, development, and general organizational function.
Colin Davis
Operations Director
Colin, a native of Rochester NY, has been part of the team since 2004. With his rich background of sailing instruction and management, he has held a variety of positions including instructor and program director. After helping to create many of the successful systems within the organization, Colin now devotes his time to maintaining our vast fleet and intricate dock system. He is often seen out and about in the boat yard keeping all the nuts and bolts of the CSC in line.
John Nagle
Program Director
John was raised in NY on the shores of the Hudson River. With 20 years of experience in office and restaurant management, John was the Office Manager at the CSC from 2018-2022 before becoming Program Director. Prior to that, he spent ten years as the Operations Manager of a major food service establishment in NYC. John is the co-Artistic Director of Vermont Shakespeare Festival. He has been a professional actor, director, and adjunct faculty at UVM and St. Michael’s College.
Emily Ridgeway
Development & Communications Manager
Emily grew up a Hoosier from Indiana who realized her love for the water early on. She has been working in the nonprofit industry for over 4 years and came to the Community Sailing Center after working in disaster response and volunteering in communities around the country. She is passionate about empowering people and providing opportunities for communities to thrive. Emily can be found drinking iced coffee in all seasons.
Lynne Rapoport
Grants & Gifts Manager
Lynne grew up boating on Shasta Lake in Northern California and was drawn to Vermont’s beauty and community spirit in the late 1990s. With over 15 years of experience in grant management and program coordination, she is dedicated to fostering CSC’s mission of providing access to educational and recreational opportunities for all. Outside of work, Lynne enjoys hiking, biking, backpacking, gardening, and spending time on the water whenever possible.
David Birch Hewitt
Program Manager
Eva Sullivan
education Manager
Eva grew up sailing on Lake Erie, which sparked her lifelong love for the water. She spent eight years teaching high‑school chemistry, physics, and environmental science, and during her summer breaks led a youth learn‑to‑sail program. Eva believes sailing teaches kids teamwork, builds confidence, and deepens their connection to the natural environment. A competitive racer, Eva has sailed in major regattas nationwide. When she’s not on the water, Eva enjoys cooking, exploring the outdoors with her dog, reading, and dancing.
Alyssa Bohack
office Manager
Alyssa hails from the Philadelphia area but has called Vermont home for nearly 20 years. With a strong background in customer service, she brings extensive and varied administrative experience to the CSC team and is eager to dive into all things Sailing! Drawing on her upbeat outlook and contagious enthusiasm, Alyssa channels her energy into the things she’s most passionate about. When she’s off the clock, you can usually find her with a good book, a deck of cards, or her cats – her favorite “people”!
Seasonal Staff
Instructors & Camp Staff
A few staff members grew up in the Community Sailing Center’s learn-to-sail program. Several race competitively in the local high school and national collegiate sailing circuits. Others are seasoned racers and cruisers who have sailed in different places around the country and even all over the world. Many are students, teachers, and professionals looking to spend their spring, summer and fall outside, on the Lake, doing what they love. While each person brings their own experiences and reasons for joining the CSC team, what unites them is a shared passion for Lake Champlain and sailing, as well as a commitment to expanding the horizons of the students of all ages that they work with.
Will Nye
From Hinesburg, VT, Will takes on the role of Youth Camp Manager at the CSC with a passion for sharing the sport of sailing. A seasoned adventurer, Will has sailed in every month and skied in all but three. Dreaming of future adventures, Will’s ultimate sailing goal is to navigate the globe via the Great Loop.
