HRRA Biographies
Though HRRA is a relative newcomer to the local rowing scene, forming in 1998, we have been very fortunate to attract coaches and board members who have an immense knowledge of rowing as well as a historical connection to the sport in this region. Twelve of our Board members and advisors rowed, coxed or coached for local high schools and colleges throughout the 1960's, 70's, 80's and 90's and a variety of others have gained a long resume of experiences at other rowing programs throughout the country. Our coaches also boast a varied and extensive rowing background and an immense amount of coaching experience, both locally and beyond. With this unequaled and extensive amount of experience, the HRRA Board Members and coaches hold in their hands the past, the present and the future of community rowing in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Bill Austin - HRRA Board Member
Bill began his varied career as a teacher and rowing coach at Poughkeepsie High School in the late 1960's and went on to teach and coach crew at Marist College until 1978. During this time Bill also acted as a coach for the Junior Olympics and was a member of the Olympic Rowing Committee from 1977 to 1980. Locally he has improved the fitness of innumerable Mid-Hudson Valley residents as the founding partner of two Allsports (Poughkeepsie and Fishkill) and becoming the owner of five fitness and health clubs in the region. Bill is actively involved with other local organizations, including the Mid-Hudson Civic Center Board, the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum, Lion's Club and Eagle Scouts
Frank Baldascino - HRRA Secretary
Frank was a member of the Marist College Crew Team, as a Coxswain, from1971 through 1974. In 2000 to the present Frank has rejoined the ranks of the rowing community as a rower for the HRRA Men's Masters team. Frank has served as Treasurer for the Hyde Park Rowing Association since 1998. The association serves as the parent financial support arm for the FD Roosevelt High School Crew Team. Frank was elected Secretary for HRRA in 2000. Frank is a Senior Security Program Manager for the IBM Global Services division having the United States as his geographic responsibility
Sue Benfield - HRRA Board Member and Coach
After becoming one of the first women to join the Marist College Women's Varsity Crew Team in 1976, Sue continued rowing in England for the University of York until 1982. In 1989 she began her coaching career for FDR High School as the Women's Varsity Coach. Sue became an Arlington High School coach in 1994 and is presently the Head Coach for that program. As a scholastic coach she is a Section I representative for the NYS Scholastic Rowing Association and currently holds the position of Secretary in that organization.
Sue is a founding member of HRRA and has coached for HRRA since 1999. Sue is a Zone Sergeant for the NYS Police assigned to the Executive Staff of the Director of Law Enforcement for the NYS Park Police: Internal Affairs and has five years of Marine law enforcement experience
Milo Bunyi - HRRA Board Member
Milo became an HRRA Board member in 2001 and brings a wealth of business and community development experience to our table. After thirty years of business management, Milo became the Executive Director of the Dutchess County YMCA in 2001.
Bob Butts - HRRA Board Member
Bob rowed for Poughkeepsie High School from 1962 to 1964 and went on to row at Dartmouth College until 1965. He received his law degree and a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University. After returning to the Hudson Valley in the late 1970's Bob has been actively involved in numerous town boards (Stanford and Clinton) as well as with many local organizations such as the Cuneen-Hacket Cultural Center, Stahford Free Library and the Vassar-Warner Home.
Ed Clark - HRRA Coach and HRRA Board Member
Ed joined the HRRA coaching team in the summer of 2005 when he began coaching the Masters Women's team. Ed rowed at FDR during his High School years and coached the first crew team formed at Vassar College before moving to Marist, where he coached th women's program for almost a decade. Ed is also an experienced sculler and you can find him rowing every morning on the Hudson.
Erik Haight - Lourdes Head Women's Coach, HRRA Board Member and Coach
Erik followed a family history of rowing (both his father and Uncle rowed at Poughkeepsie in the 60's) when he began rowing and coxing in 1989 as a Poughkeeepsie High School student. While a student at Marist College he began assisting Rick Lambert, Marist Freshman Girls coach, and from there he became Lourdes head coach in 1999. He has coached the competitive HRRA boys and girls since 1998. A founding member of HRRA, Erik currently holds a seat on the HRRA Board. Erik graduated from the Marist Psychology program and is a Junior Underwriter at Compensation Risk Managers in Poughkeepsie. In 2004 the Poughkeesie Journal named Erik as the Rowing Coach of the Year in the Mid-Hudson Valley after coaching the Our Lady Of Lourds Varsity womens progarm to a winning season.
Harry Harrington - FDR Head Coach and HRRA Novice Adult Coach
Tom Hirst - HRRA Board Member and Sculler
In the 1970's Tom rowed at Rutgers University and he returned to the sport almost thirty years later as a member of the HRRA Adult Men's team. In addition to being an HRRA oarsman, Tom has been actively involved with our boathouse effort, assisting the development committee with the difficult task of construction management. Tom is the Facilities Director at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
Andy Mauer - HRRA President, Lourdes Head Men's Coach and HRRA Junior Boys Coach
Originally from the Buffalo, NY area, Andy began rowing in high school while attending St Joseph's Collegiate Institute. After a hiatus, Andy resumed rowing with the West Side Rowing Club's Mens Masters team and began coaching for his high school alum. After relocating to the Poughkeepsie area, he naturally gravitated to the local rowing scene and began coaching for Spackenkill high school's fledgling program. Andy is a founding member of HRRA, has served as its president since 2000 and continues to coach for local rowing programs managed by HRRA. In his professional life, Andy is a software engineer at the IBM Corporation.
Tracy Wright Mauer - HRRA Board Member
Tracy started rowing competitively as a member of the West Side Rowing Club's Women's Masters team in Buffalo, New York. After rowing and coaching in Buffalo for three years she moved to the Poughkeepsie area where she became involved with the local rowing community. Tracy is a founding board member of HRRA in the spring of 1998 and has acted as the program director since the summer of 1999. Currently she rows on HRRA's adult team and holds an HRRA board position. Professionally Tracy is an archaeologist and book conservator.
Mike Scoba - HRRA Treasurer
Mike came to rowing through our adult Learn-to-Row Program in 2001 and has been our treasurer almost as long. Thanks to Mike we are able to balance our program budget and juggle the complicated task of fundraiing and building the Community Boathouse.
John "Eggie" Simmons - HRRA Coach and Boatman
John has rowed and coached on the Hudson for over 50 years and has coached HRRA programs since 2001. He has trained the Junior boys, Masters men and in 2005 he coached the Masters Women, along with Ed CLark, to a bronze medal at the USRowing Masters Nationals. John is also experienced at boat repair and has saved us a number of trips to New Haven!
Jim Smith - HRRA Board Member
Jim rowed for Poughkeepsie High School for four years, including in the varsity eight that competed at the High School Nationals held in Poughkeepsie in 1964. During this time Jim rowed every summer as the sole single sculler for Mid-Hudson Rowing Association, advancing to the level of senior sculler. Jim's son also became a rower in high school, causing Jim to become involved with the sport as a member the parents rowing association of Hilton College, a private high school in South Africa. Jim became an HRRA Board Member in 2002 and served as Vice President from 2002 to 2007. Jim also sits on the boards of the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association, Poughkeepsie Tennis Club and sits on committees with the Boy Scout troop 80 in Hyde park, the Dutchess County Historical Society, and local rod and gun club. Presently retired, Jim was the Chairman of the Board and Past President of the Floccotan(Pty)Ltd. in Pietermaritzburg, Republic of South Africa.
Paul Stasaitis - Arlington Head Coach, HRRA Board Member and Coach
Paul has been actively involved in the Arlington Rowing Association since 1995 when his son began rowing for Arlington High school. He has acted as an officer for the ARA board since 1996 and has coached the ARA novice/freshman teams in the fall since 1999. Paul became involved with HRRA in 1998 and was elected Vice-President in 1999. In addition to sitting on a number of committees, Paul has been the HRRA Adult Learn-To-Row coach since 2000. Paul holds the rank of Captain in the Westchester County Police Department and is currently the Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Division.
ADVISORY MEMBERS (and former Board Members)
Joel Hanig ~ Joel became involved with rowing when his son, Matt, joined the Spackenkill Crew Team. He has continued his involvement as the Spackenkill Representative to the HRRA board. Joel received his Juris Doctor from Fordham University and is currently a partner in the Poughkeepsie law firm of Hankin, Hanig, Stall, Caplicki, Redl and Curtin. In addition to his interest in rowing on the Hudson, Joel is a member and Rear Commodore at the Chelsea Yacht Club.
Mike McDermott ~ Mike rowed at Poughkeepsie High School from 1968 to 1970 and finished 3 rd at the World Youth Rowing trials in Naples, Italy in 1969. He rowed for the University of Pennsylvania from 1970 through 1974 and won the IRA's in their Freshman Eight in 1971. As the Head rowing coach at Poughkeepsie High School from 1981 to 1984, his teams won two National Schoolboy Championships, finished second at the National Youth Rowing Trails and won numerous Empire State Games Championships. Currently Mike is the Chief Financial Officer for Rhinebeck Savings Bank in Poughkeepsie.
Tom Sanford ~ Tom has taught Sculling through HRRA since 2004. A coxswain at FDR in the eighties, Tom came to Marist as the Director of Rowing in 2001 where he went on to take over the freshmen eights along with the varsity boats in his second season. Sanford helped coach the men to their third consecutive MAAC Championship, where they won every category they entered.
Tom helped fulfill his father's, the late Scott Sanford, dream when he took the 2002 Marist Men's Varsity 8 to the Royal Henley Regatta in England. The Red Foxes won the Reading Cup the week prior to the Henley Regatta, defeating Yale and Colgate. Marist entered the Temple Challenge Cup and knocked off three European crews, before bowing out in the semifinals to eventual champion Harvard.
Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991 and earned his Juris Doctor in May 1998 from Syracuse University College of Law.
Judy Clark ~ Judy was first introduced to rowing when she was given an old Alden ocean single for her 30th birthday and became active when her daughter, Shoshana, joined the Niskayuna High School Crew in 1994. Upon moving to Poughkeepsie in 1996, Judy and Shoshana started the Spackenkill Rowing Club. Judy is a former President of Spackenkill Rowing Club, a board member of Hudson River Rowing Association and Coordinator of the HRRA Community Boathouse initiative. Professionally, she is an economist with a passion for community development and anything that benefits kids and community.