Board of Directors
JR Dethorn
Treasurer
JR was born in Fort Bragg, NC, but has lived in a variety of places growing up. He has moved 27 times so far. With that, he has been sailing all over the states, from Newport, RI to Chicago to Seattle and now Utah. He moved to Utah in 2012 and lives in Cottonwood Heights with his family. You can catch JR racing his laser in our Tuesday night laser racing series.
Geoff Hurwitch
Founder
Boats & Facilities, Racing
Geoff is from Sherborn, MA and grew up sailing out of Falmouth on Cape Cod. He sailed with the University of Vermont Sailing Team on Lake Champlain. Geoff was in the marine industry with Vanguard Sailboats and Waterline Systems. He went on to own his own boat building company, WitchCraft Boats. He sailed professionally for a brief period out of Newport, RI. Geoff moved to Park City in 2006 and lives with his wife and two little boys. He started Park City Sailing in the Spring of 2008.
Bill Rusconi
Junior Program
Bill was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. Aside from some sunfish exposure as a child, Bill didn't start sailing until he moved to New Orleans when his friends took him out on a Columbia 27 on Lake Ponchartrain. He learned to race in the northeast on a Frers 33, then Mumm 36, then Farr 40, and finally a Club Swan 42 out of Larchmont, NY, Stamford, CT and Jamestown, RI. He still goes back to do Block Island Race Week and used to do Key West Race Week annually. He moved to Park City in 2000 and frequents Bear Lake to sail his Frers. Bill joined Park City Sailing in 2008 and signed his kids up for the junior program. He's been involved ever since.
Michelle Bittle
Junior Program
Michelle is originally from Rockford, IL and moved to Park City after 15 years in Seattle. Her 3 boys started in the Junior Sailing Programs and Race Team a few years ago and her husband grew up sailing in North Carolina. The boys involvement in the Junior Programs kickstarted their family sailing trips most recently in Hawaii and the British Virgin Islands. Michelle has participated in the Women and Wind programs to improve her own skills to keep up with the rest of the family! She is excited to join Sail Park City as a Board Member assisting the Junior Programs.
Tony Sams
Race & Social Committee
Tony Sams is originally from Mansfield, Ohio where he learned to ski some of the most technical terrain in North America (Snow Trails). He moved to Utah in 1993 with his lifelong partner in crime, where they learned to sail on the Great Salt Lake (when it was Great). When not skiing or sailing, he works for the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah as an Educational Technologist. His youngest son Aiden was introduced to sailing/racing last year and is now teaching his dad how to sail and race every Thursday evening. Tony really wants to sail to Hawaii instead flying there every year. He may be occasionally seen holding a camera!
Scott VerMerris
Executive Director
Scott grew up sailing on the Great Lakes, Lake Erie to be exact. His family's current home port is Vermilion, Ohio.
Scott made the pilgrimage in 1999 out west for skiing, college, and a career in experiential education and wilderness therapy. Scott's lifestyle living between Utah and Colorado over the past two decades landed him not only working in wilderness therapy and teaching sailing, but also working as a professional skier and marketing guy for an up and coming ski company called Icelantic.
Scott is a licensed captain and has a passion for teaching and helping others grow personally through sailing. When he's not sailing in the Great Lakes or Utah, or working and playing in the snow somewhere, you can find him running charters in various parts of the globe, working with families and student groups.
Scott has been a head instructor, a program director, and active member of Park City Sailing for over 8 years. He has recently taken on the role as Executive Director for PCSA and looks forward to taking the lead on running and developing the organization he calls "a huge part of his heart and soul".