Meet The Crew
Capt. Bob spent four years as an instructor with the International Game & Fish Association, and is an IGFA-certified observer for competitive fishing tournaments. Most recently, Bob worked as camp counselor with the Boynton Beach Parks & Recreation programs. This native of South Africa, a product of Palm Beach County private schools, has a winning way with children, and his background with IGFA makes him a perfect fit for teaching the FFA’s curriculum and finding new resources for the Florida Fishing Academy. Bob is also a USCG Certified OUPV Captain.
The FFA Board of Directors
Jeff Freeman, President
Jeff, a native of Detroit, Mich., came to Florida after many summers as a camper, employee and eventual Outdoor Education Program director with one of the largest summer camps in the Midwest. Jeff has been facilitating team-building and experiential education classes since 1998 with diverse groups of adults and children. He is an American Red Cross-certified lifeguard and a CPR and first-aid instructor. Most recently, a graduate of the police academy at Indian River State College, Jeff completed training and certification to become a Florida Highway Patrol trooper. His new duties will have him enforcing state Department of Transportation trucking laws and regulations as an FHP trooper stationed in South Florida. Jeff’s other passions include teaching kids new skills that will remain with them for life and being a good role model.
Sharon Baker, Vice President
A native of Andover, Mass., Sharon grew up off the shores of Plum Island with a lifelong passion for fishing -- and a talent for cleaning her own catch. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Andover, she joined the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated as a second lieutenant in 1982. She traveled throughout the United States, Europe and Japan before settling down in a sales job for a Wall Street firm and later moving to Florida. She has since started her own company, Fruit Fresh Delivery, delivering fruit, healthy snacks and breakfast foods to South Florida companies that want to improve their employees' health and morale. An active community volunteer with a passion for helping animals, the sick and the elderly, Sharon also donates her time and energy to hospice and the American Cancer Society, among other organizations.
Nicole Brochu, Board Secretary
Nicole is an health writer with the Sun Sentinel, where she has worked since 1994. A South Florida native, she has a master's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has won state and national awards during her 20+-year career writing for newspapers and magazines. In her spare time, she boats and fishes with her husband and two girls, and volunteers as a court-appointed guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children.
Tony Fins, Treasurer
Antonio Fins is executive director of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, where his duties include advocacy, education outreach and development. The former Editorial Page editor at the Sun Sentinel newspaper, Tony spent almost two decades in journalism, including as a correspondent for Business Week magazine, before his passion for ocean conservation brought him to GHOF. He received his BA degree from the University of Miami, and his Ph.D. in U.S. and Latin American history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He loves his job, but would rather be out on the ocean all the time.
Marc Anthony Lee, Board Member
Marc is a science teacher at Don Estridge High-Tech Middle School in Boca Raton. Marc has a bachelor of science degree in marine engineering from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Before becoming a teacher, he spent 10 years as a marine engineer. Marc is also the owner of Bar Jack Fishing, and he and his family own and operate the Sportsman’s Park Marina in Lantana.
Kathy Daley Bochicchio, Board Member
A native of New York and current Delray Beach resident, Kathy spent 25 years as a lobbyist in Tallahassee representing local governments like Palm Beach County and Delray Beach. She is also a longtime boater with a distinguished record of service to the local community on the boards of various nonprofits, including Leadership Florida, the Lupus Foundation and Plumosa Elementary School of the Arts, a charter magnet school in Delray Beach.
Steve Gordon, Board Member
A native of South Florida, Steve has lived in the Atlanta, Ga., area for the past 20 years but still maintains a part-time home in Fort Lauderdale. He is an accomplished entrepreneur who has owned his own businesses for the past two decades. His Optima Services Solutions Co. provides full-service, in-home delivery and installation solutions for appliances, home entertainment, networking and wireless technologies for the largest retailers and manufacturers in the world. A passionate advocate for children's causes and an avid striper fisherman on Lake Lanier, Steve was instrumental in starting the Atlanta chapter of Make A Wish Foundation, and his Optima Foundation raises money for various children's charities. He is so committed to the Florida Fishing Academy that he commutes from his Georgia home for FFA board meetings and special events.
Nathan Wellman, Board Member
An Ohio native, Nate moved to Palm Beach County as a young boy and matriculated through the local school system. He is a 20-year veteran of the construction industry, but uses his contractor's license and expertise in a unique way: by teaching real-world math applications to middle school students. As a math teacher at Okeeheelee Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, Nate teaches one of Palm Beach County's only two middle school construction courses, "An Introduction to Construction," where students learn to apply math theories and equations in real-life situations. Nate, who coaches his school's boys basketball team, is also an avid fisherman and veteran of the local waterways.
Alyssa Freeman, Board Member
Alyssa was born and raised in the metro-Detroit area, where she grew up on the water enjoying recreational boating, fishing and water sports. She graduated from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., with a bachelor of arts degree in communication, with a focus on public relations. Alyssa moved to Florida and started her career with the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County in 2008. She is a member of several committees, including Palm Beach County’s Artificial Reef and Estuarine Enhancement and Lake Worth Lagoon Public Outreach committees, and she chairs the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade committee. Alyssa lives in West Palm Beach with her husband, Jeff, and their two dogs.
At the helm...
Capt. Rich, a former police officer with the city of Delray Beach, has more than 25 years under his belt as a small business owner, largely in the real estate arena. A longtime deep-sea fisherman, he holds multiple fishing licenses and permits, he has certifications in CPR and water safety, and is a USCG Certified Master Captain. Team REEL Estate and the Florida Fishing Academy were born from his passion for fishing and boating, and his desire to teach children, including his own two daughters, how to do it safely and ethically. Learn more about Capt. Rich’s story and his inspiration for the Florida Fishing Academy here.
On deck...
A native of Connecticut, Amy moved to South Florida as an infant and received her Child Development Associate degree from Palm Beach Community College in 1993. Married for 16 years and the mother of three children, she was a stay-at-home mom and avid volunteer at schools throughout Palm Beach County until pursuing an interest in the nonprofit world in 2011. That’s when she went to work for the YMCA of South Palm Beach County, where she served as front-desk coordinator for two years, taking on myriad duties for the organization. Amy loves sea turtles, boating, running, snorkeling, fishing and the ocean. Her passion for the marine world and her experience in working with kids makes her a perfect fit to fill her role as assistant director of the FFA.
