It takes a lot of dedicated people to organize the events and communications of the CYC, and we have the best. Many of the board members are past commodores and others have just arrived at Green Turtle Bay. One thing is for certain - All of them have the operation of the Commonwealth Yacht Club as a high priority in their lives. Click the link below to meet our crew.
Officers
Kim Ketter
Commodore
Kim cruises with his wife, Marta Elisa and sons Robert and Richard aboard their Gulfstar 44MC Halcyon. The previous owner of two sailboats, Kim enjoys both sail and power. Kim has cruised the Cumberland, Tennessee, Tenn-Tom, and the Gulf Coast of Florida under power, and the British Virgin Islands under sail. Also a member of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, Kim enjoys traveling to Malta in the Mediterranean for the Rolex MiddleSea Race. Kim is a licensed captain and holds a 100 ton OUPV, 50 ton Master's license.
Mark Sunderman
Vice Commodore
Mark is a certified Master Fabric Craftsman and has been creating boat canvas for 30 years. Mark found that after working all day on boats, he had no desire to spend his leisure time on a boat. However, things changed about 15 years ago when he started coming to the Lakes area to work out of his mobile canvas shop and met a few of the salty sailors hanging around GreenTurtleBay. Mark enjoyed sitting around with them in the evening, smoking good cigars and listening to them tell various, and some times true, sailing tales. At that time, Mark owned a large canvas company in Jeffersonville, Indiana and, even though there were a few sailors from the Louisville/Jeffersonville area who sailed the Ohio, it just didn’t have the same appeal to him as sailing on the lakes.
Mark’s dream of sailing became a reality when six years ago he sold his large canvas company, relocated his home to Grand Rivers and started a small, family-owned canvas and boat graphics company which he runs with his wife, Susan and their son, Caleb. Mark quickly discovered that when you live this close to the lake you really need to own a boat and purchased his sailboat, a 30’ S2 9.2. Mark sails his red-hulled sailboat, Varangian, with Susan. When not working in his shop, you can usually locate Mark and Susan on their boat and, if not there, hanging out at the CYC (the two stools located at the left-sided end of the bar).
In 1999, Mark’s company designed the sea anchors used by Tori Murden, to help in her successful quest to become the first woman and the first American to row unsupported across the Atlantic in the SECTOR NO LIMITS sponsored American Pearl. Mark has also made canvas for the famous African Queen and the River Rat.
Mark is a member of the Kentucky Lakes Sailing Club (KLSC) and also crews on a 35.5 Hunter during the KLSC racing season. Mark is also Vice President of the Grand Rivers Chamber of Commerce and has been an essential member of the Grand River’s Hunter’s Moon Festival Committee for the past 3 years.
Virgil "Butch" Jones
Rear Commodore
Just about every weekend you can find Butch on the water somewhere. In the summer months, you will find Butch and his wife Pat on their SeaRay Sundancer on pier 11 or in one of the many bays on Barkley or Kentucky Lakes.
In the winter months, boating and scuba diving in the Florida Keys is their favorite destination. Although an avid power boater, Butch sails from time to time, whenever anyone will let him crew.
Sharon Brown
Secretary
Sharon Brown, an Arts and Humanities teacher at Marshall County High School, and her husband Bob, who is retired, have boated on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes since moving to the area from Louisville in the 70’s. They have a son, Alyn, who will graduate from Indiana University School of Law in May 2006, and a daughter, Ashley, who is a student at SoutheastFloridaUniversity in Ft.Lauderdale. Through the years they have enjoyed a series of houseboats and cruisers, all appropriately named “Teacher’s Pet”. Sharon has been CYC’s recording secretary since the club was started in the spring of 1993.
Pat Terry
Treasurer / Activities Chair
Pat and her husband Jerry have lived aboard their 50' houseboat at GTB on pier six for seven years. They have traveled most of the US and lived in several states before coming to this area and immediately fell in love with the beautiful water and the kind people here. Pat retired from the medical field after many years. Pat has served on the board for the CYC for several years and states that she has enjoyed it so much you can find her there enjoying her friends and making new ones often. She is known to all on pier six and many folks around GTB as "Mayor Pat". Each morning as she enjoys her coffee on the front of their boat she feels so blessed to be able to continue living this wonderful "Water Way of Life".
Dave Rittenhouse
Fleet Captain
Bill Gary III
Immediate Past Commodore
Board of Directors
Jerry Carter
While a boater for the last 30 years, my wife Cindy and I are quite active in our Harley-Davidson Dealership inPaducah. Since we lost our Sea Ray 370 Sundancer the Pier 6 fire in January, we and our partner Jack Fares now have a 322 Baja on Pier 12. We live in MarinaVillage and are somewhere in the Marina every weekend. We enjoy living at the lake, life at Green Turtle Bay, and trying to be more boaters to become Harley-Davidson owners. We can be found tooling around the marina in our 12 foot Caribe inflatable also, so wave the next time we pass by.
Kevin Farmer
Kevin has been an avid sailor for quite some time, taking courses through US Sailing, American Sailing Association and J World covering topics from racing to cruising and practical boating to celestial navigation. Sailing is his passion, but he and his family enjoy all aspects of the boating lifestyle.
They started sailing on their 28' Hunder "Off Wallstreet" and skiing behind their 18' SeaRay "A No Wind Day". They currently sail aboard their 32' Beneteau "Off Wallstreet II".
While Kevin found his crew, consisting of his wife Lennie and daughters Bailee and Peyton adequate, he has recently been blessed with two new crew - twin boys Weston and Walker. Needless to say, they see the need for a larger boat in their future.
John Fiessinger
John and his wife Sue have two daughters, Stepanie and Sherri . They have only been boat owners for 5 years but have not missed any chance to enjoy their 41 Maxum "Obsession" on Pier 6 during the week but usually somewhere out on the Lake or River every weekend. They have taken 2 short vacations on the Tennessee River. One was to Chattanooga two years ago and last summer they joined other pier 6ers and went to Aqua Harbor. They look forward to every weekend and maybe someday make the Great Loop.
Max Hartz
Rick Jewett
Beverly Reed
Bev has been boating most of her life, but came into the sailing world with a Hobie Cat in 1991 at ChickamaugaLake in Chattanooga, TN. After moving to Western Kentucky in 1994, she found that the sailing world really opened with her discovery of the area lakes. Bev quickly moved to mono-hulls with a Hunter 23.5 and then to a Hunter 30 where she spent her weekends. Bev has sailed on the Lake Michigan, the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and also sailed in Puerto Cervo, Sardinia, where she met several of the crew from Alingi in 2000. What a thrill!
In 2002, Bev married her best friend, Harry Reed, a fellow sailor who has also sailed for a number of years. Harry introduced Bev, who previously loved cruising, to racing on KentuckyLake and she was never the same. They have since raced and cruised a number of boats. Harry took first place in the 2006 Club Series JAM B Fleet on his Cal 27 and Bev took second place in the JAM A Fleet on her Hunter 33. This year, they decided to size up and bought their Hunter 54, Windblown. You can find Bev &/or Harry at any point in time, working on one of their boats. They still have a J/22, Cal 20, Holder 20, and three Sunfish, in addition to the others. The Holder 20 was the boat they accidentally sunk on March 1, 2006, and didn’t know if they were going to drown, freeze, or go over KY Dam. After a good bit of hypothermia, Bev screamed and got some attention. Not that Bev ever needs attention or anything! 10 days later, Bev & Harry recuperated, repaired the boat, and took it to Harbor Island, TN and placed 3rd. Yep, they love sailing!
While Bev’s passion is sailing, she also has a love of her business, commercial insurance. She has been in the insurance industry for 22 years and has been employed by Western Rivers Insurance since 2005 as a commercial lines agent. In addition, Bev teaches several continuing education insurance courses for Professional Insurance Agents of Kentucky. She is a former member of Insurance Women of Marshall County and Insurance Women of Chattanooga. She holds her Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter designation as well as her Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Insurance Service Representative designations. She holds a bachelor degree from MurrayStateUniversity in Organizational Communication.
Bev has also been very instrumental in several non-profit and civic organizations. She is currently Secretary and a director of Kentucky Lake Sailing Club and has been on the board of directors for 3 years. She handles the communication tasks and newsletter in the club as well. Bev presently serves as a co-chair on the Paducah Rotary Antique Quilt Show Promotions Committee, where she has been a member of the club since 2005. Formerly, she was a member of the Murray Rotary Club, since 1998, where she served as Chairman of the Christmas Parade Committee, Chairman of the Soap Box Derby for 2 years, and Co-Chairman of the Membership Committee and Attendance Committees. She is also a Paul Harris Fellow. Bev formerly served as Secretary of St. Marks Anglican Church and served as a Vestry member. Bev is also currently serving on the 2007-08 United Way of Paducah and McCracken County Campaign Cabinet.
A proud grandmother of three, Peyton, 10, Hailey, 8, and Weylin, 3, Bev also loves to ride horses and shares a love of living in the country with Harry.
Vanessa Sticker
Vanessa and her husband Sonny battle over who the Captain really is of their Hunter 26.5 Sas Sea who Lives on Jetty 3. Having been exposed and addicted to sailboat life on Charlotte Harbor in Florida, Vanessa Cleverly introduced her husband to her dream! The Stickers wish GTB was their first home and sail KY Lake As often as they can sneak away from Clarksville, TN. Vanessa and Sonny have completed their ASA Courses in hopes Of one day persuing their own chartering company upon early retirement. They consider sailing a way of life to enjoy time and adventures together not only as husband and wife; but, as best friends!
The Yacht Club Crew
In the summer months, you will find Butch and his wife Pat on their SeaRay Sundancer on pier 11 or in one of the many bays on Barkley or Kentucky Lakes.
Board of Directors
iling, American Sailing Association and J World covering topics from racing to cruising and practical boating to celestial navigation. Sailing is his passion, but he and his family enjoy all aspects of the boating lifestyle.
been boating most of her life, but came into the sailing world with a Hobie Cat in 1991 at 
husband Sonny battle over who the Captain really is of their Hunter 26.5 Sas Sea who Lives on Jetty 3. Having been exposed and addicted to sailboat life on Charlotte Harbor in Florida, Vanessa Cleverly introduced her husband to her dream! The Stickers wish GTB was their first home and sail KY Lake As often as they can sneak away from Clarksville, TN. Vanessa and Sonny have completed their ASA Courses in hopes Of one day persuing their own chartering company upon early retirement. They consider sailing a way of life to enjoy time and adventures together not only as husband and wife; but, as best friends! 