Ben Delaney
Interim Executive Director
Ben Delaney is a successful executive dedicated to enhancing the impact and sustainability of nonprofit and mission-driven organizations. He has been an interim Executive Director at several Bay Area nonprofits, such as Tech Exchange and the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse in Oakland. Ben had previously served as executive director of the nonprofit SCRAP and CEO at companies in the tech industry.
He is the author of Ben Delaney’s Nonprofit Marketing Handbook (2 editions) and Virtual Reality 1.0: the 90’s. He has published hundreds of articles, and won numerous awards in writing, marketing, video production, and design.
And, as a maritime bonus, Ben crewed on the replica ship Golden Hinde which sailed on SF Bay in the 1980s. You can reach Ben at Ben@callofthesea.org
Alan Olson
Founder, Call of the Sea and Project Director, Matthew Turner
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.
Michael Rogers
Director of Vessel Operations
Bio coming soon
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.
Patrice Young
Administrative Assistant
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.