Board of Directors
EVAN BRABSON
Evan Brabson, a Delaware native, has a strong foundation in both accounting and rowing, which has guided him through his career and community involvement. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware and immediately began applying his financial expertise in various roles. While in high school, Evan first became involved in rowing with St. Mark's School before joining WYRA, where his passion for the sport grew, and he later took on coaching responsibilities at WYRA’s summer camps.
Currently, Evan works as a Senior Accountant at Santora CPA Group, where he provides tax and consulting services to a range of clients. His background in accounting allows him to assist organizations in improving their financial health, while his personal experience in rowing and commitment to youth sports has driven him to reconnect with WYRA. In 2020, Evan joined the WYRA board to support the organization’s continued growth, specifically focusing on the financial and operational strategies that ensure its long-term success.
SEAN BOYD
Sean Boyd has had a diverse and successful career at the intersection of business, education, and community service. He has launched and grown multiple Life Science businesses, with one going public and reaching global markets. His business expertise spans across a wide range of C-level roles, including marketing, sales, operations, and product/service development. While his background is deeply rooted in science, Sean's true passion lies in education and helping young people succeed.
Throughout his career, Sean has taken on various roles in the education sector, including being a classroom teacher and founder of a highly successful charter school. His work has often focused on organizations aimed at transforming lives through educational access and support. Sean has served on several boards for educational nonprofits, where he has worked to ensure the implementation of effective strategies that benefit underrepresented communities. He has also brought his coaching experience to cross-country and soccer teams, where he’s seen first-hand how sports can build resilience, teamwork, and leadership.
Sean’s current role as the Development and Finance Director for LYTE Scholars, a Delaware-based education nonprofit, allows him to apply his strategic and financial skills. In this capacity, he ensures that the organization is equipped with strong management systems, clear financial reporting, and sustainable revenue generation strategies to continue supporting youth in the region.
BRAD du PONT
A native Delawarean, Brad du Pont earned an undergraduate degree from Williams College and a master’s degree from the University of Delaware. After serving as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, he returned to Delaware. In 2025, he retired after 36 years of teaching history and coaching lacrosse at several local private schools, the last 26 years at Tower Hill School. Currently, he serves on the board of several local non-profit organizations that focus on education, conservation, and social welfare.
Although he has no experience with rowing, he grew up on the water sailing and hunting. As a coach, Brad witnessed the transformative influence that sport has on the development of young people. He became interested in WYRA as an opportunity to continue helping young people mature and develop.
GARETH IONS
Originally from Wales in the United Kingdom, Gareth relocated to the United States with his family in 2015. Three years ago, his son began rowing with the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association and has been consistently impressed by the sport's positive impact on him and his teammates. The discipline, teamwork, and personal growth observed in these young athletes inspired greater involvement with WYRA, including efforts to introduce new participants to the sport and support the next generation of rowers.
Professionally, Gareth trained as an engineer in the UK’s defense industry, spending the first decade of his career in that field. Later, he transitioned to a role as a Technical Sales Area Manager before moving to the United States. Gareth's diverse professional background and skill set provides a unique perspective, which is now applied to his work with WYRA to foster youth development through rowing.
DR. NEIL KAYE
Dr. Neil Kaye is a highly respected psychiatrist and educator with deep ties to both the medical and rowing communities. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medicine College and has a clinical practice in Hockessin, DE, specializing in adult psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Kaye has earned numerous accolades, including recognition as a "Top Doc" by Delaware Today and the NAMI-DE Health Care Provider of the Year award.
Dr. Kaye’s connection to rowing began in high school, where he served as a coxswain at Phillips Exeter Academy, setting a record that still stands. He went on to compete internationally with the U.S. National Junior Men’s Team and worked with U.S. Men’s Heavyweight crews. Throughout his career, Dr. Kaye has played an instrumental role in reviving rowing programs and creating new opportunities for athletes, including founding the rowing program at Skidmore College and the Empire State Regatta.
Dr. Kaye’s vision for youth development through sports is deeply ingrained in his philosophy of teamwork, leadership, and mental wellness. His dedication to WYRA has been unwavering, and as a board member, he continues to support the organization’s mission. Dr. Kaye has raised over $2 million to fund rowing programs and is committed to helping WYRA grow its impact on young athletes in the region.
MARTHA MANNING - CHAIRWOMAN
Martha Manning has been a stalwart supporter of WYRA for over 30 years, contributing her expertise and passion for education to the organization. A mother of four grown children—one of whom rowed for WYRA—Martha’s involvement with youth athletics has been long-standing. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Martha worked as a teacher before founding the Delaware Charter Schools Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting charter schools in the state. She served as Executive Director of the network until her retirement in 2006.
Martha has also been an active volunteer in Wilmington’s arts and educational communities. She served on the Board of Cab Calloway School of the Arts for 11 years, where she leveraged her grant-writing experience and leadership skills to help the school achieve its goals. Her community work and wealth of knowledge in nonprofit management have made Martha a trusted figure in the Wilmington area. As Chairwoman of the WYRA Board, she is dedicated to fostering youth development through sports and education.
MARK DALLE PAZZE
Mark Dalle Pazze is a partner at Herdeg, du Pont & Dalle Pazze, LLP, specializing in estate and business planning, wealth transfer, estate litigation, and tax law. Mark earned his law degree and LLM in taxation from Villanova University School of Law, where he attended on an academic scholarship. Before law school, Mark was a highly successful student at the University of Delaware, where he graduated magna cum laude with a full academic scholarship.
Mark is also a proud alum of WYRA, having rowed with the organization from 2001 to 2005. His connection to the program has remained strong, and as a parent of two young children, Mark remains invested in supporting WYRA’s mission. As a board member, Mark brings a strong legal and financial background to the table, and he has contributed to helping ensure that WYRA continues to provide valuable opportunities for young athletes.
RYAN JORNLIN
yan Jornlin is a real estate and corporate law attorney at Ward & Taylor, LLC in Wilmington. A Delaware native, Ryan graduated from Tower Hill School (where he played lacrosse for fellow Director, Brad du Pont) before attending the University of Delaware, where he walked on to the rowing team. During his collegiate rowing career, he served as team president and earned First Team All-American honors from the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA). After college, Ryan continued competing with Penn AC's high-performance team in Philadelphia and later served as an assistant coach for the club's summer junior program. Ryan later graduated from Delaware Law School.
Ryan and his wife, a former WYRA coach, have two children. As a member of the WYRA Board, Ryan is excited to combine his professional experience with his connection to the rowing community to support the organization's growth. He is committed to helping ensure that more young athletes have the opportunity to experience the discipline, teamwork, and lifelong benefits that rowing has provided him.
ANDREW PIZOR - SECRETARY
Andrew Pizor is an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, where he focuses on consumer protection law. A Wilmington native, Andrew’s early connection to rowing began at the Wilmington Rowing Club while he was a student at the Tatnall School, long before WYRA was established. Over the years, Andrew has rowed and coxed for several organizations, including WRC, Georgetown University, and the University of Glasgow.
A graduate of Georgetown University and Fordham University School of Law, Andrew has contributed to several books on consumer protection law. As Secretary of the WYRA Board, he brings his legal expertise and passion for the sport to the organization. He is also a volunteer dockmaster for WYRA’s Head of the Christina Regatta, where he helps organize and manage this key event.