Jenn Bower
President and Marketing Manager
she/her
Jenn learned to row during the summer of 2020 with Rochester Community Inclusive Rowing in Rochester NY, while living there during the summer due to COVID. After returning to NC she joined BRC during the fall of 2020 and has never looked back. Rowing has become her new addiction and she loves competing with the BRC Masters team. During the day, Jenn is the Director of State and Federal Testing for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School district, and lives in Mount Holly with her bulldog Wilhelmina.
Debbie Brown
Vice President
she/her
Debbie began rowing in 1981 with Navy Women’s Crew at the United States Naval Academy. She also has rowed with the Yarmouth Rowing Club in Yarmouth, Maine. Debbie lives in Cramerton. After moving to the Charlotte area in September of 2020, she quickly found BRC and joined in the fun of rowing (both sweep and sculling) with a great group of people. When not rowing, cycling, running, or playing golf, Debbie works as in-house counsel for a national engineering company, and is also registered in Maine as a professional engineer. Her education and experience give her the background needed to help with the planning and implementation of developing and building BRC’s new site, which will provide BRC with a dock and, eventually, a boat house.
David Yagnesak
Senior Vice President
he/him
Dave began sculling in the sometimes-frigid tidal waters of the Long Island Sound. There he developed the basic skills and a deep love for rowing. After a move to Charlotte, he sought out BRC and joined the Masters Program where he trains and competes. His role with BRC is to develop and execute our Strategic Plan and help the club continuously improve by listening to our members, soliciting ideas and working with the rest of the Board to implement.
Sarah Macey
Secretary
she/her
Sarah’s lifelong passion for water found a new outlet during the pandemic when she bought a rowing erg to balance remote work. Discovering BRC’s Learn to Row program in June 2022, she quickly got hooked on rowing. The Catawba’s tranquil waters and camaraderie of fellow rowers captivated her. By day, she leads the creation of informal learning spaces, residing in Mint Hill with her daughters.
Valarie Alcorn
Treasurer
she/her
Valarie, her husband Chris, and son Gavin moved to Fort Mill, SC in 2010 from Scottsdale, AZ. She was introduced to rowing when her son started to take private lessons in 2020. Gavin enjoyed the sport so much that he joined the team in August 2021. Valarie has enjoyed getting to learn all about rowing and has met lots of wonderful people through BRC.
Byron “Doc” Walthall
Charlotte Youth Rowing Liaison
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First learned to row in 1998. Head Coach at Charlotte Youth Rowing since 2002. Coach at Black Bear Sculling Camp for about 4-5 summers. USRowing liason for North and South Carolina for 3 years. Chairman of Carolina Rowing Foundation. Retired physician (Family Medicine 25 years). Special interests: sculling, rowing technology, individualizing coaching within a group, developing the whole person in young athletes physiological aspects of rowing and sports performance. Four-time Ironman Triathlon finisher and/or competitive master rower since 2002.
Kristin McDonald
Youth Parent Liaison
she/her
Kristin was first introduced to rowing after joining the SMU club team while in college. Her teenage daughter decided to give rowing a try in 2021 and quickly developed a passion for the sport. After a few seasons of cheering from land, Kristin returned to rowing and joined the BRC Masters team in spring 2023. During the day, Kristin visits colleges in NC and SC as a textbook representative for W.W. Norton and Company. She lives in Charlotte with her husband, twins, and her Boston terrier.