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Executive Director - Chicago Yacht Club Foundation

The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on bringing the joys and benefits of boating to Chicagoland youth, with a primary focus on underrepresented communities. Two years ago, the Foundation minted a new strategic plan, calling for the rapid growth of the organization and a meaningful positive impact on the lives of thousands of Chicagoland youth. To that end, the Foundation aims to engage in four key activities.

• Introduction of boating to thousands of Chicago youth each year;
• Induction of interested youth by exposing them to meaningful programming designed to teach them about boating and related skills;
• Development of our youth who are interested in furthering their boating knowledge; and
• Inspiration of our youth by exposing them to role models and offering them scholarship opportunities to enhance their lives.

In the past two years, the Foundation has dramatically expanded its programming in all four of these areas, thanks to the support of our new professional Program Manager and the support of over 300 donors. Now, the Foundation is ready to continue its rapid growth by hiring its inaugural Executive Director. This role will require a strong visionary leader who shares our vision and passion for exposing youth to our sport, and who is prepared to bring their knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm to Chicago and lead the Foundation’s efforts in the future.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

Develop and increase a series of programs designed to introduce large numbers of Chicagoland’s children to boating, both on the lakefront at Chicago Yacht Club’s facilities at Monroe and Belmont Harbors. In particular, the successful candidate will lead a new collaboration between the Chicago Yacht Club and the Foundation to build a community sailing program in Chicago’s downtown Monroe Harbor and will play a leading role in overseeing a fleet of keelboats and associated programs.

• Launch a new initiative to build high school sailing teams in underserved high schools in Chicagoland.
• Develop and increase a series of programs designed to develop boating skills in Chicagoland youth from underserved areas and groups, including support of the Sea Scout Ship Privateer.
• Develop and increase a series of community engagement programs, designed to provide interested Chicagoland kids the opportunity to learn about boating in a series of intensive multi-day camps in Chicago and elsewhere around the Great Lakes.
• Assist in marketing, including building out of the Foundation’s social media presence and curation of the Foundation’s website and photo galleries.
• Assist in developing strategic relationships with community partners, including various social service agencies and schools.
• Play an active role in the Foundation’s fundraising efforts and lead the development of new revenue streams, including grants.
• Work closely with the Foundation’s partner, the Chicago Yacht Club, to manage a number of joint ventures and initiatives.
• Oversee the Foundation’s Competition Fund, designed to support high level sailors from the Chicagoland area on the national and world stage.
• Administer the Foundation's new InSPIRE scholarship program, which provides college and trade school scholarships to youth who have participated in Foundation programs.
• Supervise employees and contractors of the Foundation.
• Establish and maintain a strong relationship with the Board of Directors, allowing for a strong partnership and effective governance.

The successful candidate will have a strong interest in boating and community outreach, will excel in working collaboratively with many different groups of stakeholders, including volunteers, community partners, Club members, and Foundation donors, and enjoy developing creative and innovative solutions. S trong team leadership, communication, organizational skills, and an ability to connect with and mentor youth sailors is required. Must be physically fit and able to participate in on-the-water activities. Must be available to work weekends, holidays, and during peak sailing season.

Previous experience in sailing instruction and program management is required. Certification from a recognized sailing association is preferred. Examples include US Sailing Small Boat Level 1 preferred Level 3 or international equivalent, SafeSport, CPR and First Aid , NASBLA Safe Powerboat Handling or equivalent.

Some travel via car within the Chicago metropolitan area will be required, and candidates should have a valid driver’s license and a car. Prior experience in youth education, sailing education, development of community sailing programs, STEM education, marketing, and fundraising is preferred.

Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience. This is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to make a difference, while having maximum license for creativity and innovation. We encourage you to visit www.chicagoyachtclubfoundation.org to learn more about the Foundation.

The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. Individuals of all genders, individuals from traditionally underrepresented populations, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter. Materials should be submitted via e-mail and be addressed to:

Francesca Sigmond

Program Manager

Chicago Yacht Club Foundation

400 East Monroe Street

Chicago, Illinois 60603

[email protected]

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please apply no later than April 1, 2024 to receive full consideration .

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Yachtapalooza Sets Sail This Weekend, Aiming To Get South Siders Excited About Boating

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EAST SIDE — A day-long open house for local boaters of all experience levels this weekend in East Side aims to be an accessible, fun draw for newbies to the nautical world, organizers said.

Yachtapalooza takes place 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Crowley’s Yacht Yard , 3434 E. 95th St.

The free, indoor event celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It features free seminars and demonstrations, a pig roast, live music, a flea market Friday and Saturday and a three-day sale on nautical items from Boater’s Closet Friday-Sunday.

Organizers hope to draw 1,000 current and future mariners out to this year’s event, said Nick Fugate, sales manager at Crowley’s Yacht Yard.

Yachtapalooza will also include a boat showcase by Nautical Donations , Crowley’s charitable arm, featuring several rehabbed, budget-friendly boats for sale.

Proceeds from the boat sales will support nonprofits like the Chicago Maritime Society and the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation, Fugate said.

The Chicago Boat Show dropped its sailing portion in recent years and is planning a move to the suburbs next year , so this weekend “is probably the closest thing to a sailboat show that we’ve got in Chicago,” said Charles Szymanski, a Yachtapalooza organizer and president of the nonprofit Rainbow Races .

With a few dozen vendors and free seminars on topics like marine pumps and toilets, splicing line and rope, and applying epoxy and varnish, Yachtapalooza offers “anything you would need” to maintain a boat, Fugate said.

The seminars give attendees “the chance to use the products, put their hands on them and feel them, and learn a little more than watching a powerpoint on a screen,” he said.

The event is “the perfect opportunity for anyone looking to get into sailing, [with] questions about sailing or [wanting] to check out a sailboat for the first time,” Szymanski said.

Rainbow Races is one of Yachtapalooza’s featured vendors, and its members will host one of the day’s seminars. The group aims to erase barriers marginalized groups may face in getting into sailing, Szymanski said.

It’s the only U.S. Sailing-sanctioned, LGBTQ+ sailing school in the country, and the only LGBTQ+ sailing organization in the Midwest, he said.

Rainbow Races’ first day of sailing school begins May 18. The group is offering a $50 early-bird discount on sailing classes through the end of April with the discount code “hydra50.” To register, click here .

The sailing world struggles with homophobia, misogyny, elitism and other forms of discrimination prevalent in other sports, Szymanski said. Rainbow Races creates a safe community around the sport which tries to counter those problems, he said.

Despite its issues, due to the collaborative nature of sailing, it’s also “probably the most friendly sports arena I’ve experienced,” Szymanski said.

“Sailing is a true team sport,” he said. “You have to trust your crewmates with your life, and you also have to support each other.

“Sailors are aware if we don’t evolve, we die … If the wind changes, you have to change with it.”

Chicago’s sailing community is robust, particularly with groups like the Park District, local yacht clubs and Rainbow Races encouraging new people to explore the sport, Fugate said.

But with a massive lake as Chicago’s backyard and “a very strong maritime history” in the city, the community could definitely stand to grow, Szymanski said.

Yachtapalooza is a free “casual meeting of the minds” that can help spread the joy of sailing and boating and change a misperception that the community is only for the ultra-rich, Szymanski said.

Million-dollar yachts “are great to look at and to dream about, but when you get down to it, Chicago is a blue-collar city,” Szymanski said. “A lot of the folks trying to buy boats are probably younger and more [budget-conscious]. It makes this a really unique opportunity to bring people in, in a very casual, unencumbered way.”

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Golf | PGA Tour’s Jay Monahan describes…

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Golf | 2024 illinois primary day election results, golf | pga tour’s jay monahan describes ‘constructive’ meeting with saudi leader of liv golf.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan speaks during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 15, 2024, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

FILE -Tiger Woods, left, watches his son Charlie, right, putt ball during the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. Charlie Woods, 15, will be playing a pre-qualifier on Thursday in Hobe Sound, Fla., the first step before a full qualifier for the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)

Viktor Hovland, of Norway, left, and Jordan Spieth wait to putt on the 14th green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Adam Scott, of Australia, hits from the rough on the fifth hole during a practice round at The Players Championship golf tournament, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — The PGA Tour took a first step in sparking negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund with a meeting in the Bahamas that Commissioner Jay Monahan described as “constructive” without offering many more details.

In a memo late Monday night to players, Monahan said the player directors on the PGA Tour Enterprises board met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund that provides the money behind rival LIV Golf.

It was the first time player directors, including Tiger Woods, met with Al-Rumayyan. Woods played nine holes with him at Albany Golf Club, according to a person informed of the meeting who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the day.

The other player directors are Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati. Golfweek first reported the meeting was likely to take place Monday in Ponte Vedra Beach. It shifted to the Bahamas, where Woods often keeps his yacht.

“The conversation throughout was constructive and represents an important part of our due diligence process in selecting potential investors for PGA Tour Enterprises,” Monahan said in the memo. “This mirrors the approach we employed earlier this year as we evaluated an investment offer from the Strategic Sports Group.”

The PGA Tour, European tour and PIF reached an agreement announced June 6 to form a commercial partnership. The deal was to be finalized by the end of 2023. But amid government inquiries, and interest from private equity groups, the deal wasn’t done.

The PGA Tour selected SSG, a consortium of U.S. sports owners, in December. A month later, SSG pledged an initial $1.5 billion investment, which could increase to $3 billion. The next step is getting PIF as a minority investor or risk more players defecting to LIV Golf.

As the tour was negotiating with U.S. private equity, LIV Golf lured Masters champion Jon Rahm, along with Tyrrell Hatton, in a move that took more big names away from the PGA Tour and further splintered the golf landscape.

“During the session, Yasir had the chance to introduce himself to our player directors and talk through his vision, priorities and motivations for investing in professional golf,” Monahan said.

He told players he would keep them updated as much as possible, “but please understand that we need to maintain our position of not conducting negotiations in public.”

Malnati had said over the weekend there was “massive resistance” to Saudi involvement because of the surprise June 6 announcement — Monahan, board members Ed Herlihy and Jimmy Dunne were the only ones involved.

“As I’ve learned more, I think I understand better and I’m very open-minded to learning what involvement they want, what they want out of this and how they think they can help,” Malnati said. “On the surface, I think there are players who have resistance to that relationship, for sure. So that’s why I do think it’s important that maybe our next step is to meet at some point.”

Cantlay said without PIF investing in PGA Tour Enterprises, he could see golf going down a path of two rival leagues whose top players meet only four times a year at the majors.

Rory McIlroy is no longer on the board, giving up his seat in November and since being replaced by Spieth. He is among those who have met with Al-Rumayyan. McIlroy had said on a British soccer podcast at the start of the year that he returned from his visit and encouraged the tour to meet with the Saudi leader behind LIV Golf.

“I don’t think this is an overnight solution,” McIlroy said. “But if we can get the investment in, then at least we can start working towards a compromise where we’re not going to make everyone happy, but at least make everyone understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

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