About the George Pocock Rowing Foundation

The George Pocock Rowing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, serves as a community resource for the support and advancement of the sport of rowing in the Northwest.

The Foundation had three primary objectives at its founding in 1984, including:

1. The construction of a major rowing center that could house a large rowing population
2. Support of high-performance athletes in training for the Olympics and World Championships
3. Development of a FISA Class A rowing course

The Pocock Rowing Center opened 10 years after the founding meeting. The PRC HP team was founded shortly thereafter by Emil Kossev and has produced top quality athletes, including a number of Olympians, and the Venue Committee is working with three different groups at Lake Kapowsin in Pierce County, in Everett on the Snohomish River, and at Skookumchuck Lake in Thurston County.

The Founders believed – and still believe – that the best way to support the growth of rowing in the Northwest is to help local groups with an interest in rowing programs to get started. “If you build it – they will come” works for rowing. Foundation Board members and supporters have been deeply involved with the development of the Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center in Seattle, Sammamish Rowing Center on Lake Sammamish, as well as programs in Renton, Orcas Island, Port Townsend, Vancouver, Wa, and Portland, Or. PRF Board members are active in helping fledgling programs or interested groups in Bellevue, Kenmore, Mercer Island, and on the Duwamish near South Park. Since the PRC was opened, LWRC and Lakeside School have built themselves new homes, and LUC was created just around the corner from the PRC. The PRF’s ERGOMANIA! Provides financial support for HP and Junior rowing, and is the hub of a new initiative to expand Indoor Rowing in the NW as a cost efficient way to assist the public school system – among others – to make more vigorous physical exercise available to a much larger segment of the population.

If you have an interest in health & wellness, and in particular in stemming the epidemic of obesity in the youth of America, please contact Dr. Al Mackenzie at prc@seanet.com.

Shortly after the opening of the PRC, the first Director, Bruce Beall developed a partnership with TJ Vassar at Lakeside School, and a rowing element of the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program or LEEP was created. That program ran for many years at the PRC, until Lakeside assumed more direct control and the program now runs out of the Lakeside Boathouse under the supervision of Lakeside personnel. LEEP rowing spawned a number of other programs, characterized by the PRF Access Rowing staff as providing rowing opportunities for at risk children and adults in the community.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from the community of rowers.

George Pocock Rowing Foundation Board of Directors Al Mackenzie, Board President A co-founder (1984) and current board President of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, Al has also held offices as the past president of Lake Washington Rowing Club and the past president/founder of Renton Rowing. He is a former University of Washington Oarsman and current Masters rower. As a graduate of the University of Washington (1968) BS Zoology and (1972) DDS, Al’s professional background is in dentistry. Al served with the US Army Dental Corp '72-'77 and has since been in private practice of general dentistry (currently in Federal Way). He holds professional memberships with IAOMT (International Assoc. Oral Medicine/Toxicology, IAO ( International Assoc. of Orthodontics), and AAFO (American Assoc. of Functional Orthodontics).   Stan Pocock, Vice President Master shell builder, longtime rowing coach, teacher and mentor to generations of NW rowers, Stan is one of Seattle’s living legends. Stan’s father George brought the art of wooden shell building to the West Coast and Stan followed in his footsteps growing the Pocock Racing Shell company into an international success. Their hard work effectively helped to bring rowing from English prep schools and into the hands of public universities and communities in the US. Stan is the founder of Seattle’s Lake Washington Rowing Club and is a former University of Washington oarsman and U.S. Olympic and Pan American Games coach.   Andrea Bonaccorsi, Treasurer With a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from La Salle University, Andrea is a CPA and a manager in the Bader Martin tax practice. She provides a blend of tax and business consulting services for closely held and family-owned companies, as well as high net worth individuals and families. Andrea has 18 years of experience serving clients in a range of industries, with an emphasis in real estate, professional services, and technology. She has experience in tax compliance and planning for real estate developers, investors, owners, lessors, and managers. Andrea has been a member of the Pocock Foundation Board of Directors since 2004 where she serves as Treasurer of the organization and is a member of the High Performance Team Committee. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. Andrea represented the U.S. on the 1995 Pan American rowing team and now enjoys spending time with her family, rowing, and running marathons.   William Pickard, Jr., Vice President and Secretary With a Masters in Business Administration and a BA in Government from Dartmouth College, Bill has more than 30 years of senior management experience in diverse industries and functions. Bill has served as CEO, COO, CIO, CFO, VP & Director for a number of companies in manufacturing, retail, consulting, agribusiness, and pharmaceuticals. His experience ranges from large national retail chains to start-up dot.coms, international aerospace manufacturing, defense technology, non-profit boards, committees, and operating roles. A co-founder and director of the Pocock Foundation, Bill is also a board member, CFO and Treasurer for SpringStar, Inc. and has been an active member of the Washington Software Association, the Computing Technology Industry Association, and the Internet Engineering Task Force. Bill is a former Director of the United States Rowing Association, a member of the US Rowing Team, Masters World Champion, and was co-captain of the Varsity Crew at Dartmouth.   Julie McCleery, Board Member and High Performance Team Program Director and Coach Originally from White Plains, NY, Julie has a B.A. from Georgetown University and a Masters in Education from Harvard. She is currently a Doctoral student at the University of Washington. Julie has been a coach at the Pocock Rowing Center for seven years, becoming the director and head coach in fall of 2006. In 15 years of coaching, she has coached juniors, masters and elites in national and international competition. She coached the lightweight single at the 2004 World Championships and a variety of 2006 national champions. She also won numerous medals at the national and international level as an athlete.   Warren Perkins, Board Member Warren comes to the Pocock Foundation with a BA from Harvard College, an MS from the University of Massachusetts, and an MSE in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. He has worked as a hydrologist for Woodward Clyde Consultants in Seattle, WA and is currently a Civil Engineer for Gray & Osborne, Inc., also of Seattle, WA. Warren began rowing in 1976 for the Harvard Freshman Heavyweight Crew and later went on to row with the Harvard Varsity Heavyweight Crew and Greenlake Crew where he also served on the Rowing Advisory Council He now rows as a master's rower in Seattle.

Who was George Pocock?

Born in England in 1891, George Pocock learned the art of boat-building from his father, the boat-builder at Eton College. He began sculling at the age of 12, and won his first race at 15. In 1910, he won the London Bridge-to-Chelsea race, a grueling four-and-one-half mile event open only to professional watermen – a race his brother Dick had won the year before.