Board of Directors

The ACSC Board of Directors is made up of a diverse group of local community members. Each board member volunteers at least 10 hours a month to the organization and attends monthly meetings. We are always looking for new valuable members of the Board, and please contact us if you would like to inquire about any openings.

Mike Bishop, Board President

Mike has been an avid sailor for his whole life learning in optimist dinghy as a 7 year old. He now sails very actively on the Bay enjoying the huge variety of sailing conditions and boats on the Bay. A dinghy sailor at heart but races on everything from the laser to 54 foot yachts and everything in between. He lives in Alameda and works in Oakland. As a founding Board member of ACSC, he wants to be able to bring the great experience of sailing to the local community.

Rachel Finci, Vice president

Rachel has been passionate about sailing since the age of 10, starting with dinghies and small keel boats. Her dedication to the sport led her to join her high school sailing team and later, her college sailing team. (Go Terps!) With a rich history of coaching that began in high school, Rachel has continued to nurture and develop young sailors. She has been a key part of the Alameda Community Sailing Center (ACSC) since 2013, contributing her extensive experience and enthusiasm to the organization’s growth and success. She chairs the Volunteer and Communications committees.

Kame Richards, Board Member

Kame is the co-founder of Alameda Community Sailing Center and owner of Pineapple Sails which he founded in 1973. He also serves with many local organizations, including the Northern California PHRF Committee that handicaps sailboats for racing. Kame attended UC Berkeley and majored in Geophysics. He is a strong advocate for education at all levels of sailing as well as non water-based activities. Kame serves on ACSC Executive and Facilities Committees, and works on the development of the ACSC site.

Khalfani Zulu, Board Member

Khalfani Zulu, a Senior at The Athenian High School in Danville, California, brings a fresh perspective and a passion for community engagement to ACSC. As both a board member and an instructor, Khalfani is dedicated to making sailing accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. His role on the Outreach Committee allows him to work directly with the community to spread awareness of ACSC's mission and bring new people into the world of sailing. Khalfani’s commitment to inclusive programming stems from his belief that sailing should be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of experience or resources."

Nancy Hird, Board Secretary

Nancy is a retired healthcare administrator who holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA in Finance. Her lifelong love of watersports led her to sailing after moving to California from the Lake Erie area of Ohio where she grew up enjoying her family’s weekend power boat excursions. She has cruised and raced sail boats from the Pacific Northwest down the coast, through the Panama Canal and throughout the Caribbean. She founded the Bay Area Single Sailors Group twenty five years ago and, as a member of Island Yacht Club, is the Chairperson of the Annual Women’s Sailing Seminar. Nancy serves on the Audit, Volunteer and Program Committees of ACSC and writes grants for the organization.

Morgan Collins, Board Member

Melissa morton, treasurer

Melissa is a retired Civil Engineer who worked for several public works agencies in the Bay Area. Her sailing adventures began with a home-built sunfish sailed on the lakes of the Sierra foothills near her family’s farm in the Central Valley. When she moved to the Bay area after college, Bay sailing allowed her to renew her connection to wind and water. Her experience managing the financial budgets for operation and maintenance of facilities and infrastructure help ACSC make sure that sailing continues to be accessible to all, most especially local youth. Melissa serves on the Executive and Finance & Budget Committees.

Olivia todosiev, board member

Olivia grew up sailing optis and lasers in Morro Bay, learning how to race through a volunteer youth sailing program at Morro Bay Yacht Club. She attended UC Berkeley and was an active member of the sailing team, holding positions as captain and alumni chair. During the summers, Olivia taught as an instructor at ACSC and has also coached development race teams at St. Francis Yacht Club. Currently, she is a program manager working in biotech, and lives in San Francisco with her husband and 2 cats. Olivia races J/22s, V15s, J/105s and Megles 24s as well as cruising with her family on their Explorer 45. She is passionate about giving back to her sailing community and providing opportunities for the next generation of sailors.