Mark Wilson

Mark works on all aspects of the Launch Safety Training program, and manages the technical and logistical aspects of the courses. He recognized the need for the Safety Launch Training program through his own coaching and racing experience, during which he witnessed many avoidable accidents and near-accidents.

Mark's many years of rowing and coaching and boat experience give him an outstanding platform from which to address all technical and logistical aspects of the Launch Driving Workshop. For twenty five years Mark has operated power boats, with experience ranging from operation of boats from a 14-foot outboard fishing boat to 82' coast Guard patrol boats. He has twelve years of rowing coach experience operating the coaching launch. He has navigated waterways from small lakes and streams to Hillsboro Bay, the Mississippi River, St Croix, Allegheny, the Charles River, the Schuylkill River, and intercoastal water way in Florida. He was trained by the Coast Guard Academy and was trained in small boat operating by the many coaches he worked for and with. He is thoroughly familiar with the Navigational Rules.

Mark is Certified by US Powerboating, and in his many years of coaching, he has seen the need for national rowing coach Launch-driving Certification with formal standards and guidelines. He is on the staff of Oak Ridge Rowing Association in TN.

Regional Instructors:

John Bancheri, Grand Rapids, MI

Alex Binkowski, Ridgewood, NJ

Charles Huthmaker, Norwalk, CT

Gene Jeffords, Oklahoma City, OK

Ed Maxwell, Seattle WA

Joe O’Connor, Tempe, AZ

Al See, Dallas TX

Peter Stramese, Washington DC

Chris Swartz, Columbus, OH

Bob Whitford, Sacramento, CA

Laura Simon - Coxswain Program Coordinator
Laura started rowing at the University of California at Santa Barbara and then transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. There she was the varsity coxswain from ’95 to ’98 and placed second in the V8+ at NCAA in ’97 & ’98. Laura attended selection camps for the US Women’s National Team in ’97 and continued training with the US team through ’02. In ’02, she went the World Championships as a coach for the Women’s Team.

Laura has coached collegiate, junior and master’s rowers and has a strong background in technique and rigging. She enjoys working with coxswains to improve their performances and the performances of their teams.

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Jeanne Friedman
Head coach of Mount Holyoke Crew since 1991. Gold medalist, United States Lightweight champion: 1974, 1975. Master's National Regatta medalist. Member of the NCAA Regional Seeding Committee. Level III Certified United States Rowing Coach. Founding member of Boston University's crew team. Assistant coach, University of Pennsylvania. B.A., Boston University; M.S. in exercise physiology, University of Washington.