SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (October 23, 2018) – The US Sailing Nominating Committee named new members of the National Governing Body’s Board of Directors who were officially elected on Thursday, at US Sailing’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) was elected as the next President of US Sailing. Rich Jepsen (Alameda, Calif.) was elected Vice President.
"One of the most influential experiences [on my career] was my involvement in training for the Olympics," Sertle said. "It is a unique opportunity to work your hardest towards a goal and striving for excellence. Placing second in the Olympic Trials and then becoming a training partner and Olympic Team member in 1988 was a unique experience to be part of a group of women that helped Allison Jolly and Lynne Jewell win the first gold medal for women’s sailing in Olympic history."
Sertl has had an extensive and successful sailing career both on and off the water. Her sailing experience ranges from dinghies and match racing, to one-design keelboat racing at the highest levels of national and international competition. Sertl was a U.S. Olympian at the 1988 Olympic Games as a 470 sailor, and she also launched Olympic campaigns in 1992 and 2004. She is a two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award winner in 1995 and 2001. Sertl is also a certified US Sailing Instructor Trainer and coach.
"As a board member over the past few years we have created a 'roadmap' in the form of a new strategic plan that focuses on building lifelong sailors and a diversity of pathways for sailing," Sertle says of her term's focus. "This is a great plan that we worked hard on, getting input from numerous stakeholders across the country about what the role of US Sailing should be in providing leadership and resources to the sport. NSPS (National Sailing Programs Symposium) and the Sailing Leadership Forum are tremendous events to be part of that are really effective at energizing instructors, coaches, program directors and those that are involved in leadership of sailing organizations from all over the country. Our focus is on improving our educational tools and sharing them with the programs that will use them."
Sertl has been active on behalf of US Sailing as a delegate to World Sailing since 1995. She currently serves as a representative on the Council for North America and Chairs the Youth Events Sub Committee. Sailing is a family activity for the Sertls. Cory and her husband, Mark have two grown children, who sailed at the college level – Katja (Boston College, 2016) and Nick (Harvard, 2018). Learn more about US Sailing and our Strategic Plan for 2018-2022.
