Officers and Board Members
Our Board of Directors is made up of passionate community members who believe in the power of the water to bring people together. Each board member brings unique life experience, leadership, and heart to North Coast Paddling Club - helping guide our mission to build connection, confidence, and belonging through shared challenge on the water.
Sheila Roley
2026 will be Sheila’s 14th year of dragon boating. To her, it is the perfect sport; on the water (her favorite place to be), hard work in sync with others, a place to be out in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and a warm community of teammates where everyone works and plays together.
President and Coach
Cathy grew up in Marin County, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah, before returning west for graduate school and settling in Astoria nearly 30 years ago with her husband, Rudi. They have two grown children in the Portland metro area and a young granddaughter.
After a career in journalism and with the National Park Service as the education specialist at Fort Clatsop, Cathy retired in 2024. A founding member of the North Coast Paddling Club, she enjoys gardening, caring for animals on her family farm, hiking, reading, and dragon boating, and is energized by the community the club has created.
Vice PresidentCathy Peterson
Sande has been dragon boating for 12 years and grew up swimming, canoeing, and kayaking in the lakes and rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Her love for the outdoors made dragon boating a natural fit, and she began paddling with the Nehalem Tiderunners before becoming involved with Coastal Reign from the beginning.
For Sande, the best part of dragon boating is the camaraderie and sense of community that make this sport so special.
SecretarySande Brown
Amy was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and moved to the North Coast 10 years ago, where she quickly found home. She has spent nearly 30 years working as an elementary educator and loves being in and on the water whenever she can. Her passion for paddling began years ago when a fellow teacher invited her to try dragon boating. After paddling with a team in Portland, she missed being on the water when she moved to Astoria.
When North Coast Paddling Club was formed, Amy jumped at the chance to join. She finds deep joy in the peace of the water and the strength that comes from women paddling together toward a shared goal.
Treasurer and CoachAmy Spunaugle
Max is a native Alaskan who began his education in Astoria before earning degrees from Willamette University and the University of Oregon in biology and chemistry, and a master’s in physical education and health from Portland State University. His varied background includes teaching and coaching, logging, ski patrol, whitewater canoeing, and teaching in England as a Fulbright scholar.
Married for 57 years, Max is a proud father of two sons and grandfather to four grandchildren. He loves dragon boating for the way it brings people together—out in nature, on the water, and into meaningful teamwork and camaraderie.
Board MemberMax Bigby
Susan is originally from Gold Beach on the southern Oregon coast and has lived in the Astoria area for more than 40 years. She recently retired after a 34-year career as a fisheries biologist with NOAA, where the Pacific Northwest ocean and the Columbia River watershed were her office.
These days, Susan stays active by volunteering with local nonprofits, playing euphonium in community music groups, and gardening with her extended family. She loves the mission of dragon boating and how it brings together a diverse cross section of the community around a shared purpose. To Susan, the moment when 24 paddlers move in unison - sometimes even in silence - beautifully reflects what’s possible when people come together for something meaningful.
Board MemberSusan Hinton
Originally from New York, Ren moved to the West Coast after graduating from college and has called Oregon home since 2018. Her career has spanned corporate finance, writing, and metalsmithing, and she now supports small business owners with their accounting. Drawn to dragon boating through her love of the water, Ren is deeply grateful for the strong, inspiring community of women she’s found with the North Coast Paddling Club.
Board Member