staff

Born and raised in the South Bronx, Anita has long been interested in helping students similar to Rocking the Boat's population transition to the next phase of their lives. She worked for 11 years with United Bronx Parents (a seminal community-based organization founded in the mid 1960's by her mother, Evelina), serving as a case worker and coordinating an occupational skills program. Most recently as Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Bank Street College, she provided guidance regarding the pursuit of higher education and advised students on financial aid opportunities. Anita brings considerable youth development and community organizing experience to her position as Job Skills Advocate, and her far-reaching network in the Bronx is a great advantage for Rocking the Boat's Job Skills Apprentices.

Anthony came to Rocking the Boat following a two year position as the head of the Ranger Conservation Corps, a program of the City's Urban Parks Rangers. There he pioneered numerous experiential environmental education programs for teenagers and prepared himself ideally for his first Rocking the Boat job as On-Water Program Director for Environmental Restoration. Tony possesses a comprehensive perspective on youth development and group dynamics to Rocking the Boat, bringing environmental science to life in the most urban of settings.

Jim is a twelve year veteran to the boating world. Since he first discovered sailing in Trinidad and Tobago, he has sailed on tall ships, search and rescue vessels, and off-shore sailing vessels to over 40 countries around the world. As an Environmental Educator and student of Cultural Anthropology James has used his sailing expertise to explore some of the world's most hard to reach and culturally rich regions. Most significantly, in 1998 he lived in Indonesia with the Bugis who are traditional ship builders and sailors. Recently, James completed a 22,000 mile two year voyage from Australia to New York as Expedition Leader for Reach the World, an educational non-profit based in Manhattan. He is glad to be back in his home state of New York and to be turning the young people of the Bronx on the maritime trades.

Joaquin has been involved with Rocking the boat for over six years. In that time he has been a boatbuilding student, both a Boatbuilding and On-Water Program Apprentice, and always a photographer. He became Rocking the Boat's first Photography Apprentice, and has now elevated to the first full time staff position ever held by a former student. Joaquin is responsible for all visual documentation and presentation of Rocking the Boat activities, including still photography, video documentary, and website design. To see examples of his work, follow this link to the Rocking the Boat Archive.

Claritza joins Rocking the Boat as our first ever full-time Office Manager. She grew up in Washington Heights and is a recent graduate of Haverford College, with a degree in political science. Through her own experience as a participant in the Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF), a youth development and college prep program, she understands the impact that organizations like Rocking the Boat can have on young people and is already helping us to do a much better job of it.

Michael is a sophomore at Lehman College, and formerly an On-Water Program student and Apprentice.

Heshi was born in New York City, and currently lives in West Nyack, New York. He joins us with various experiences, ranging from spending close to 15 years farming on Kibbutz Gezer in Israel, to starting a bookkeeping and accounting business. He is involved in the Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice, and expects to begin the executive Green MBA program at Antioch University New England this summer.

A native of Manhattan, Adam graduated in 1996 from Vassar College with a focus on folklore and storytelling in American Culture. Through his work developing Rocking the Boat, Adam has received an Echoing Green Fellowship, a Union Square Award for grassroots organizing, has been the subject of a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy episode, and has been featured as a New York 1 New Yorker of the Week. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Bronx River Alliance and as a representative for Bronx Borough President Adolpho Carrion on the Hunts Point Monitoring Committee.

In 2000, when she was 22 years-old, and working at New Settlement Apartments (NSA) after school program, she was hired by Rocking the Boat, then located in the basement of NSA, to help run the program.  She assisted in Boatbuilding class, helping to build La Bella and manage the students. She worked on and off with RTB's On-Water staff, gaining experience in environmental education and outdoor training through workshops, including those held by the Bronx River Alliance, that she participated in.  She is currently working as an On-Water Educator helping to run the On-Water Classroom for Middle Schools alongside the On-Water Classroom for High Schools.

Once founder and director of Building Bridges, Building Boats, now Deputy Director of Rocking the Boat, Trevor brings a variety of work and life experience to the staff mix. "Working with young people has always been half my passion - the other half is boats!" With 14 years of Outward Bound experience, a Captain's license, Wilderness First Responder certification, personal coaching training, Wilderness Lifeguard certification, and all his tools, he is fully equipped for his role as the organization's second in command. "Growing up in Brooklyn prepared me for this work, but sailing, rowing, boatbuilding, working with youth, managing staff, a construction background, a wife, a four year-old, and a good college education sure helped."

Christopher grew up in rural Maine and studied geology at Middlebury College in Vermont. He was awarded the highly prestigious Fulbright Fellowship and spent two years studying relationships between river sediment geochemistry and climate in New Zealand. During his time in New Zealand, he cultivated an interest in utilitarian art and folk handcraft by carving kayak paddles and bone in the traditional Maori fashion. Returning to the United States, he apprenticed to a master carpenter building post and beam houses in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. While there, Chris also learned traditional Northwest Coast Indian carving techniques and designed and built a traditional Greenland style skin-on-frame kayak. He writes: "Rocking the Boat represents an intersection of ideals, handcraft, and educational encouragement that rest close to my heart."

Also a graduate of Vassar College, Jaye works from home in northern Westchester with the help of her four year old son Cole. Her husband, Peter Pockriss, is the Development Director of Historic Hudson Valley, a Rocking the Boat Advisory Board Member, and introduced Jaye to Rocking the Boat. Boy are we glad!

Phineas moved from California to Maine two years ago to attend the traditional wooden boatbuilding school The Apprenticeshop of Rockland. There, he studied experiential education, sailing, and of course, traditional wooden boatbuilding. During his tenure at the Apprenticeshop, he was the lead builder of a seventeen foot Rangeley Lakes boat, and a sixteen foot sailing Whitehall. He was also a crew member of a group that built a twenty-four foot lobster boat. In addition to these projects, Phineas also served on the Board of Trustees of the parent Atlantic Challenge Foundation as the Apprentice Representative, learning the inner workings of a non-profit organization. He writes: "Although wooden boat building is a passion of my mine, education has always been my continuing inspiration. I am extremely happy and excited to be involved in the creation of the new Job Skills program in such a dynamic learning environment as Rocking the Boat."

Coming from Florida, Chrissy developed a passion for the environment at a young age. Several pursuits have lead to her position as environmental restoration educator. As a NYC high school teacher she developed a program called Urban Green Spaces that connected high school students with opportunities in environmental programs throughout NYC; she helped children in Harlem start a gardening program; she started an environmental high school internship on the Bronx River and has introduced hundreds of students to the natural environment and stewardship as educator at Clearpool Education Center. Finally, Chrissy co-founded Butterfly Project, an all-volunteer organization that works with community and school gardeners to assist in the development of native plants pollinator gardens. Butterfly Project has worked with over 100 gardens to educate about pollinators and to help reestablish native plants throughout NYC. At Rocking the Boat, Chrissy helps students develop their own passions through actual restoration on the Bronx River.

Rocking the Boat Program Assistants

Boatbuilding

On-Water