Our Team
CHRIS CHURILO | PRESIDENT
Bio: Chris is an explorer, creator, with a “get it done” attitude. She attributed her love for the outdoors to her early days of playing in the water in Japan and Hawaii with her little brother. Since then, she has wind surfed, skied, and snowboarded around the world and worked and lived in the Lake Tahoe region.
Chris' love of paddle boarding only started after she helped her sister-in-law develop the popular PaddleSplash festival to support the NorCal SUP Groms program. Running a race for a sport she never even attempted seemed crazy, so she decided to finally give it a go, and has been hooked ever since.
Professionally, she is a marketing executive at a popular open source software company with over 20 years of experience in tech.
Chris is an ACA certified Level 2 Instructor at Mike’s Paddle and enjoys teaching people of all types to learn how to paddle and share the stoke of paddleboarding. As a founding member of the Ohana Paddle Club, Chris is dedicated to working collaboratively with the board and the members to build a club that sets the club’s vision and mission in motion to share the paddling experience through friendship, activity, and exploration.
Paddles
LEAH R | Vice President
Bio: Leah was a water baby from the get-go. Born and raised in San Francisco, she spent a lot of time at foggy beaches and in cold water thanks to parents who enjoyed picnicking and camping throughout California. She is especially fond of jumping into (and quickly out of) icy mountain streams and lakes.
This love of water eventually led to paddling kayaks and canoes before Leah tried paddle boarding. She was delighted to find Mike’s Paddle in Alameda where she took classes, built skills on tours, and met so many folks who love the camaraderie and sport. Leah has recently become an ACA certified instructor and enjoys helping people learn, explore, and become confident on boards.
When Leah isn’t paddling she is busy working as a nonprofit digital communications & web accessibility strategist. She focuses on advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for people with disabilities in her organization and sector.
Leah wants YOU to join the Ohana Paddle Club and get out on the water with us! Big audacious goals of developing leadership, embracing environmental stewardship, and building community need your help to become reality. Sign up today!
Paddles
MICHAEL RICHARDS | SECRETARY
Bio: As a lifelong resident of the Bay Area, Michael spent years enjoying the natural environment of Northern California as a cyclist, hiker and climber. Looking for new ways to explore, Michael began paddling in the local waterways and eventually discovered Mike's Paddle in Alameda. He was quickly drawn into the friendly community centered around the shop, where he was introduced to the various disciplines of SUP: racing, touring, surfing and downwinding. He has been a "serious" paddler for a few years now, and is an ACA certified instructor.
Michael loves paddling in the bay and believes he has a special connection to the harbor seals.
Michael is thrilled to help start this non-profit paddling club and to continue to build a local SUP community that values cooperation, stewardship, service and friendship.
Paddles
LEEANNE PETERSON | CFO
Bio: LeeAnn is an avid adventurer, former college division I soccer player, coach and water sports enthusiast with a background from white water class 5 rapids rafting in southern Oregon.
She has lived in Brazil and Mozambique as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
LeeAnn has been stand up paddling for 5 years and is ACA certified Level 2 Instructor at Mike’s Paddle. LeeAnn is an avid traveler when the world is not under lock down and looks forward to traveling once again. Paddling the last few years she had gotten more experience in down winding and SUP surfing.
As a founding member of Ohana Paddle Club she is interested in building a strong paddle community to share in the bay area paddles and possible travel trips.
Paddles