Meet the OWNA Team
Captain Donna Lange
Founder, Chairman of the Board, OceansWatch North America
Donna met Chris Bone when she stopped in New Zealand half-way through her first solo sail around the world. Donna and Chris shared a vision to help developing island communities. Having spent three months in the Cape Verdes islands during an earlier sail, Donna was determined to involve the sailing community to make a difference throughout the Caribbean. She promoted OW during her sail around the world, and worked to establish OceansWatch North America when she returned to the United States.Donna lives aboard with Bob Philburn in Rhode Island during the summer and at home in Florida in the winter. She completed her second solo circumnavigation around the world on May 27th, 2016, leaving and returning to Bristol RI, stopping only in the Panama Canal. She is speaking and doing seminars about her Sail Twice Around accomplishment while promoting and working to develop the incredible mission of OWNA. Her time in Panama has become a powerful opportunity to further the goals of Oceanswatch worldwide. Since returning, the goal of furthering Cruising With A Cause has become the focus. Donna is now going forward with her Sail Twice Around Team to develop this incredible application to help connect the cruising community and skilled volunteer in the maritime community to the needs in island coastal communities.
Bob Philburn
Team Sail Twice Around leader and Board member, secretary of Cruising With A Cause Inc. Bringing 35 years of sailing, Captaining, offshore sailing, and legal experience to help Cruising With A Cause meet the dynamic needs of island coastal communities.
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Ted Johnson
IT and Data based website development. Ted has a career of IT Development behind him to help propel Cruising With A Cause into the 2020 world of data based automated web application.
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Bonnie Blue
Founding Board Member, Marketing
Bonnie Blue is a founding board member and leads our team in promoting OceansWatch North America in New England. She is a professional artist and owns a shop, The Sea Star, in Bristol, RI. Her skills in graphic design and marketing have been invaluable to OceansWatch, and her passion for the ocean and all its creatures inspires us to keep up our efforts to protect the marine environment.
Joan Conover
Radio Operation/Computer system consultant, SSCA Cruising Station Coordinator
Joan joined up with Donna on the first OWNA project, helping to route yachts to a safe harbor in Ile A Vache, Haiti. She has been working with us ever since, contributing her skills in boating communications and weather, research, computer systems, and project development. She is currently leading research into marine radiation tracking by yacht.
Jean Phelix Joseph
Il a Vache, Haiti
OceansWatch NA Coordinator
Born in La Hatte, Il a Vache, Jean Phelix holds a degree in Haitian law from the Ecole de Droit et des Sciences Economiques des Cayes. He is a co-founder and president of The Good Samaritan Foundation of Haiti, and also the secretary of the Committee General for the Development of Ile a Vache. Both organizations have worked closely with OceansWatch, and helped oversee our projects in Haiti. Jean Phelix has been a gracious host to visiting members of the OceansWatch team.
Jesse James
Trinidad
OceansWatch NA Coordinator
Jesse is a Trinedad local who co-hosts the island's Seven Seas Cruising Station. He also owns and opperates the 'Members Only' Maxi Taxi service, and is committed to building a positive relationship between the cruising community and the local people. After Hurricane Ivan, he helped organize the transportation of volunteers and supplies to the island of Grenada, and he runs a yearly food and clothing drive with the visiting cruisers in Trinedad. Jesse became involved in OceansWatch when he met Donna at SSCA during her Haiti tour.