Sharon Simas
Founder and President
Growing up as a competitive swimmer, lifeguard, and swim instructor, Sharon is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, and has experience in project management in the software industry, and with large systems integration efforts at Lockheed Missiles and Space and Digital Equipment Corporation. Sharon has been an active community volunteer, serving as PTSA President, co-chairing auctions and other fundraising efforts, and serving as a board member for several local swimming organizations. Her two children enjoy swimming and water polo, and between them, have swum in just about every pool in the Seattle metro area.
Nancy Quint
Secretary
Nancy is currently on the board of the Woodridge Swim Club and also serves as Trustee of the Washington State University Foundation. Formerly a VP with Washington Mutual, Nancy has a degree in Business Management from WSU and is co-owner of Aqua Quip. Her daughters swam with Midlakes clubs as well as Bellevue High School, and she believes swimming is a lifetime activity providing fun, exercise, and skills for all.
Paula Melby
Finance Chair
Paula has been a long-time volunteer and officer of many swimming organizations including serving as treasurer of the Bellevue Club Swim Club, president of the Norwood Community Swim Club, and on the boards of Midlakes Swim League and Midlakes Water Polo. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and a CPA—retired from Deloitte & Touche. Two of Paula's children swam for the Bellevue Club and her son currently plays water polo and swims for Bellevue High.
Andrew Cole, M.D.
Dr. Cole is President and Medical Director of Northwest Spine & Sports Physicians, P.C. in Bellevue, and Associate Clinical Professor in the UW Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Cole has been recognized as a leader in aquatic approaches to treat spine pain. He is Past President of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation's Musculoskeletal Society, and has served on numerous committees for multiple local, regional, state, national, and international organizations. He has been active in swimming for many years, and served as team physician for Stanford's swimming and diving team in the early 1990s.
Marco de Sa e Silva
Marco is a partner at the Seattle law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, where he has practiced with the Real Estate, Land Use, and Construction Practice Group since 1989. He serves on the boards of the Washington State Bar Association Real Property Probate and Trust Section and the International School PTSA, and he volunteers legal services to Norwood Swim Club, Habitat for Humanity, and other community organizations.
Marco graduated from Columbia University and the University of Washington, School of Law. He has three children who swim and play water polo.
Cameron Green
Cam swam internationally for Canada and was a collegiate All American, swimming for both Simon Fraser and Arizona State Universities. Today, Cam continues to train and compete as a Masters swimmer at Bellevue Club, where his two children compete in the age-group program. Cam is co-owner and President/Executive Creative Director of Hadley Green Creates, a design and advertising firm based in Seattle.
Ben Neuwirth
Ben has been swimming his whole life, and has fostered a deep love for the sport. He has swum competitively at all levels, ranging from summer league to national championships. Ben also coached Masters swimming and taught swim lessons to kids of all ages. Ben graduated from Columbia University, and is currently a Program Manager at Microsoft.
Jill Fry
Jill is currently a USA Triathlon coach and mother of four school-age children. She leads a team of local age group triathletes, ranging from ages 11 to 55. Jill is an elite age group triathlete and currently swims with the masters program at the Bellevue Aquatic Center. She has competed in the Ironman World Championships, and has been ranked as the Top Female Masters Overall triathlete by TriNW (covering a five-state area) for the past two years. Jill went to Rogers High School in Puyallup and was the 1982 state diving champion, receiving All American honors. Jill received a full scholarship to UNLV and during college was the 1- and 3-meter PCAA champion. Jill coached the Rogers High School diving team in 1986–88 and, during that time, served on the board that designed the Rogers High School pool. Jill was a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines from 1985–1998.
Laura Halter
Laura has a diverse background includes swimming for her high school team, teaching lessons, and working as a lifeguard. She earned a BA and Masters in Education before teaching and coaching at the Jr. and Sr. High levels in Minnesota. Laura is presently the Aquatics Director and head coach for the Edgebrook Club. She also coaches the Issaquah High School swim team, is an age group coach for the Issaquah Sockeyes, has served on Edgebrook’s Aquatics committee for 8 years, and competes in triathlons.
Erik Gordon
Erik Gordon is a salesman, project manager, and consultant for NorthWest Handling Systems, and an age group developmental swim coach for the Bellevue Club. A Bellevue High School alumnus and two-time individual state champion and former Washington State high school record holder, Erik graduated from Penn State University and swam there for four years. In his younger days, he swam for Rainier Valley Swim Club and the Bellevue Club.
Rob Martin
The son of a long-time swim coach in the Northwest, Rob was a competitive age group swimmer for 14 years. He still holds school and district records from his Olympia High School days. A graduate of the University of Washington, Rob swam and played water polo for the Huskies. Following graduation he worked for the Pacific-10 Conference and University of California, Berkeley in media relations roles. Currently, Rob is the Director of Field Marketing for Safeco Insurance in Seattle. Rob is an active Master’s swimmer and lives in Redmond with his wife and three daughters.
Michael McKinlay
Michael has been swimming his entire life. His mother started him in the pool in Texas at age three as therapy for polio. He has swum competitively at age-group, high school, college, and Masters levels, and has been lifeguarding and teaching and coaching swimming since high school. After moving to Washington in 1985, he joined the Bellevue YMCA. Michael has been a Masters Coach since 1998, and was recently named Master’s Coach of the Year for the Pacific Northwest Association. His non-aquatic life is spent as an IS analyst for Costco in Issaquah.
Greg Simmons
Greg is a professional engineer with 30+ years in heavy civil and marine construction. He is past president of Newport Hills Swim and Tennis Club and Newport's swim board. Both Greg and his wife, Sandy, have been enthusiastic swim meet volunteers in Midlakes summer league and high school swimming. They have two daughters, both of whom were 3A state-level swimmers and one of whom was also a diver. Both daughters are active in coaching, teaching and guarding. Greg has long had a passion to help build a new aquatics facility.
Loren Baker
Loren has 30+ years in power management and electric utility consulting. He co-founded Power Resource Managers (PRM) and was president/CEO until its recent sale. Loren's experience is diverse, having completed projects ranging from the licensing, design, construction and startup of hydroelectric projects to highly complex, multi-party power sales agreements. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a master’s in Electrical Power Engineering. Loren is also a professional engineer licensed in the state of Washington.
Colleen and Marc Pana
Colleen and Marc join our board as a team. Colleen is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds an MBA from Saint Martin's University. She is a partner in a sales and engineer representative firm and serves on the board of directors for the Bellevue Family YMCA. Colleen is also the chairperson for the planning and evaluation committee for the YMCA. Marc is with Archon Capital. He has a CFA and MBA from the University of Washington and is a '91 graduate of West Point. He has a strong background in financials and public speaking. The Panas have four children, three of whom swim on the BEST swim team and with the Edgebrook summer club.
Russell Bennett
Russell Bennett is a visionary and entrepreneurial leader. Currently a lead program manager at Microsoft, he has a strong background in software product management; marketing; product strategy; business development and product realization. He has worked for several software companies, as well as the British Army. He graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy in the UK and earned an MBA from Warwick Business School prior to becoming a US citizen. In his spare time, he is an avid swimmer and a parent volunteer on the WAVE swim team.
SPLASH is currently looking for qualified board members and volunteers to help drive this project forward. If you are as passionate about the need for an aquatic facility on the Eastside and have skills we are looking for, we need to talk.