CAPT. MIKE VLAHOVICH
FOUNDING DIRECTOR & STAFF

Mike Vlahovich has been immersed in the traditional maritime trades, both at sea and shoreside, for nearly 40 years. While still working the tools at various boatyards and museums, Capt. Vlahovich finds himself devoting more of his time towards the planning and development of historic vessel restoration projects and maritime heritage programs on both coasts. His hope is to establish self-sustaining educational organizations that assure the preservation of commercial fishing family cultural traditions in North America.

EMILY VLAHOVICH
PRESIDENT

Emily Vlahovich grew up in Tacoma, Washington. She made her first trip to Alaska at age 15, crewing on the boat Commencement and learning tales of fishing life from her father, Capt. Mike. Her continued travels to Alaska supported her love of nature and inspired her to study marine biology. She graduated with a degree in marine biology from The Evergreen State College in 2005. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in marine ecology at the University of Maryland, where she works in oyster restoration. She will continue researching the benefits of restored oyster reefs for blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay.

CAPT. RICK MYERS
VICE PRESIDENT & SECRETARY

Capt. Rick Myers has held a 100 ton USCG masters license for 18 years and presently operates the largest dive charter business in the Pacific Northwest – Bandito Charters. His 30+ year experience ranges from commercial diving to scuba dive instruction. Boating since a very young age, Capt. Myers's substantial sea time inland in Puget Sound, SE Alaska, British Columbia; and near coastal time to Northern California, makes his addition to the CHA Board extremely valuable. Spending upwards of 150 days a year underway, Capt. Myers still finds time to look after CHA's heritage vessel Commencement in the off-season. Rick can be contacted through his website www.banditocharters.com.

MJ DUBOIS BUCHWALD
TREASURER

Bio coming soon.

WARREN BALFANY
TRUSTEE

Warren Balfany has family roots that go back to his namesake, Uncle Warren "Wannie" Jensen, an ore boat captain on Lake Superior. It was largely through this influence and family background that Warren became interested in maritime history, as well as antique and classic wooden boats. His higher education was through the University of Minnesota in the field of Economics and Engineering. After moving to Gig Harbor, WA, Warren met Captain Mike Vlahovich and was introduced to CHA and its preservation activities within the community. He now volunteers time and talent to the restoration and documentation of the F/V Shenandoah for the Harbor History Museum. He is also helping to maintain and formulate educational programming aboard CHA's heritage vessel F/V Commencement.

TOM HEINECKE
TRUSTEE

Tom Heinecke started his civil engineering career in the offshore oil platform design group for Shell Oil Company in New Orleans. At that time he became extremely interested in maritime commerce and related activities of the marine construction yards along the Gulf Coast. He received his B.S. in civil engineering at Washington State University and a Masters Degree in geotechnical construction at Purdue University. After being discharged from the Army, he earned a second Masters Degree from Oregon State University with the primary emphasis in ocean engineering and oceanography. Scuba diving since 1967, he is a retired diving instructor with multiple awards for his still photographs taken during the 1970s and early 1980s. During that time, he was also photographing and documenting underwater construction as part of his professional responsibilities. He is presently an active underwater videographer, diving at every possible opportunity. Close to retirement, he has been the public works director for two cities in Washington State for the past 24 years. His continued and increasing interest in maritime culture, history and particularly marine commerce and shipbuilding fits well with the goals and objectives of Coastal Heritage Alliance.

GUY HOPPEN
TRUSTEE

Capt. Guy Hoppen was raised on the working waterfront next to his family's boatyard in Gig Harbor, Washington. With the exception of time spent at the University of Washington and the Photographic Center Northwest where he received degrees, his adult life has been spent as a commercial fisherman, a shipwright and a marine photographer. Every spring Capt. Hoppen, wife Ann, and their crew, sons Jacob and Dale, migrate north to Alaska to work the summer salmon season aboard the Beryl E, the family's eighty year old 90 foot fishing vessel. Capt. Hoppen is the founding director of the Gig Harbor Boatshop, a forming maritime non-profit that hopes to locate soon at the recently preserved Eddon Boatyard in Gig Harbor.

CAPT. LONNIE MOORE
TRUSTEE

Lonnie Moore has been a lifelong resident of Tangier Island, Virginia where harvesting the sea has been a way of life for generations of commercial watermen and their families. He is a successful Atlantic blue crab fisherman, a competent USCG licensed master, and an accomplished marine environmental educator. Presently, Capt. Moore is a fleet and facilities manager overseeing several island based educational programs in the Chesapeake Bay. His experience and maritime interests extend beyond the Mid-Atlantic region to the North Pacific coast where he has explored and researched the Inside Passage of British Colombia and Southeast Alaska.

PAULA VLAHOVICH
TRUSTEE

Paula Vlahovich was born and educated in Washington State. Her professional career has focused on psychiatric nursing, working primarily with military veterans. She is a keen observer of human behavior and life in the natural world. Paula is an accomplished writer and a published poet. She enjoys her four children, her companion animals, and life on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay.