Carla Thorson
Executive Director

Carla Thorson is an accomplished executive in the Bay Area and global nonprofit community, now steering Call of the Sea, focusing on sustainability and expanding the organization’s educational impact and reach.  With almost 20 years of experience in program design, strategic communications, and development at the World Affairs Council, the Global Philanthropy Forum, and the Commonwealth Club, she has a deep appreciation for the role nonprofits play in building community and advancing shared goals. She also brings experience in higher education as a professor of political science at St Mary’s College, UCLA and Cal State LA. She has taught US Sailing and American Sailing Association dinghy racing and coastal cruising for more than 15 years. Her leadership promotes marine conservation, environmental sustainability and the maritime traditions that are so important to the Bay area and the world.

When not onboard the Matthew Turner or Seaward sharing her passion for sailing and the ocean with young people, you will find her out with her husband on their Catalina 36, racing on San Francisco Bay, scuba diving or hiking with their dog, Bo’sun.

You can reach Carla at carla@callofthesea.org

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hunt
Director of Advancement

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hunt, our new Advancement Director, comes to us after five years with TechSoup, where she was most recently Senior Director, Research, Communications, and Community. She brings experience in marketing, communications, fundraising and corporate partnerships for nonprofits and foundations including Internews, One Global Economy, and the US Agency for International Development.

Lizzie is working on planning our 40th anniversary celebration, Gala40, and developing a robust advancement program for Call of the Sea, with the goal of achieving sustainability and creating a substantial endowment.

Michael Rogers
Director of Vessel Operations

Bio coming soon

Patrice Young
Administrative Manager

Patrice Young joined Call of the Sea in spring 2023 as the organization’s first Administrative Assistant.  Her background for that role includes twenty-plus years of working in higher education as a Program Assistant, as well as earlier office experience with Carmel galleries and arts organizations.  Along with her broad office expertise, Patrice has worked in other nonprofits, including founding, running, and performing as a cellist in a music-presenting organization in the Monterey Bay area.  In 2022, she completed a Certificate in Nonprofit Management at California State University East Bay, adding more formal knowledge to her experiential store.

Along with being a nonprofit, Call of the Sea has another strong draw for Patrice, having been around boats since her childhood.  She had also developed a love of wooden boats, starting the millenium with a new personal relationship and the subsequent acquisition of a 37’ foot wooden sloop, Trenayle, built in Norway as a North Sea fishing boat in 1958.  After arriving in the SF Bay (under her own power) Trenayle participated in the Master Mariners regatta with original owner Al Anderson.  Patrice and husband Ray lived aboard and sailed around the bay, eventually landing in Richmond.  A few years later, looking for a larger floating home, they traveled to Fisherman’s Terminal in Seattle where they bought Sea Wave, an 85’ wooden tug boat, built in 1923 in Vancouver, BC, that had been converted to a liveaboard.  She arrived in Richmond’s Santa Fe Channel in late September 2006.  With Ray’s passing that Halloween, Patrice’s association with boats became limited, as she turned her attention to reshaping her life.

Fast forward to 2023 and the appearance of the Administrative Assistant opening with Call of the Sea.  Patrice’s application was accepted and it wasn’t long before her job description began to grow, and came to include Volunteer Coordinator for the sailing volunteers, now a favorite aspect of her work.  Patrice enjoys the variety of her daily activities and values her role as an integral part of the Call of the Sea team.  

Samantha “Sam” Martinez
Education Manager

Sam has a deep passion for ocean conservation and giving a voice for all the organisms that call it home. This passion blossomed into a degree in Marine and Coastal Science with an emphasis on environmental processes and a minor in Education from UC Davis. Sam spent several years conducting research of invertebrates and fish during her undergraduate career.

However, Sam began to wonder about all the research and how it would truly be nothing without the support from the public which all stems from proper interpretation. Education and the ensuring of equity and inclusion of all students no matter the background has been a large emphasis of hers.  “All should be able to understand the complexities and what better way to understand our ocean than sailing?! I am thrilled to foster the love of marine science, sailing, and environmental stewardship among learners of all backgrounds in this new role.”

Sylvia in the Wood Shop

Sylvia Stewart Stompe
Director of Community and Business Development

Sylvia has been sailing since childhood, but took to sailing full time in her late 20’s with a position as cook and deckhand aboard an Ocean 71 ketch, for a year in the Caribbean and eastern Seaboard.  Since then her careers have ranged from chef, to jewelry designer and owner of a bridal salon, but her passion for sailing has remained constant. From 2014-2016 she took a two year sabbatical to cruise the eastern Pacific aboard the classic yawl she owns with her husband, visiting Mexico, French Polynesia, Hawaii and British Columbia. Upon her return to Marin County, she started working at Call of the Sea, assisting Alan Olson on the Matthew Turner project with the construction logistics, coordinating volunteers and special events.  She is now handling communications, marketing & sales for both vessels. Hiking with her Labrador in the woods of West Marin, as well as racing and cruising her sailboat in the San Francisco Bay, are her favorite pastimes.

If you are interested in volunteering with us, email info@callofthesea.org.

Alan Olson
Founder, Call of the Sea

Alan brings his vision to the organization with 60 years of maritime experience- in construction, engineering, restoration and sailing. At age 22, he built his first boat in Minneapolis, a 40’ catamaran, sailing her down the Mississippi River and on to the Caribbean. He next constructed Stone Witch, a 70’ brigantine. From 1977 until 1985, he sailed Stone Witch over 40,000 miles, operating educational sailing programs for youth and adults on SF Bay and Pacific Ocean expeditions. In the 1990’s Alan restored a 54’ wooden staysail schooner to use in Call of the Sea programs. In 1992, they set sail on a one year 15,000 mile Pacific Rim Voyage through Hawaii and Pacific Islands, entering Shanghai as the first American yacht to visit in fifty years. After three months cruising Japan they set out for Alaska returning along the coast to San Francisco. In addition, Alan spent five years in a leadership and design position at a Buddhist monastery building elaborate temples and sculpting sacred art.