Staff
All Rockland Rowing coaches are experienced rowers with years of coaching experience. Our coaching motto - is “one team” - meaning that all rowers from beginners in our learn-to-row programs to our nationally competitive youth team are coached by the entire staff. Everyone is coached to develop the same stroke mechanics and to excel to the limit of their abilities. We provide our coaches regular training in first aid and general safety and offer continued coaching education opportunities to keep them growing as premier instructors in the sport of rowing.
Macarena Urdiles, Head Coach Youth Competitive Team
Macarena Urdiles is from Valdivia, Chile, and currently lives in New Windsor NY. She started rowing when she was 10 years old and by the age of 13 was competed at the national team level. As a member of the Chilean National Rowing Team for several years, she represented Chile as a coxswain for both the senior and junior teams. One of Urdiles’ most valued accomplishments as an athlete is when she was the first woman selected as the Coxswain for the Chilean Men’s National team. As the Coxswain for the Chilean National team, Urdiles led her team to numerous victories and medal finishes in international regattas. After retiring from the national team, Urdiles became a coach at Club de Remeros Centenario of Valdivia. In addition to coaching children (ages 7-12 years old) Urdiles assumed the role of organizing the Chilean U23 competitions. While coaching at the club level in Orange County New York, Urdiles earned her USRowing Level 2 Coaching Certification. In the summer of 2023, USRowing selected Urdiles to coach athletes at the 2023 Youth Olympic Development camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Rowing has shaped Urdiles as a person, and currently, her favorite part of her job is to empower athletes to believe in their dreams and work hard to achieve them.
Nick Ippolito, Head Coach Development Team and Director of Rowing Operations
Nick is Rockland Rowing’s developmental team head coach and director of rowing operations. He started his rowing career in the 7th grade and grew a love for the sport immediately. Coming from a family of rowers, who compete yearly at the Head of the Charles in Boston in the father son double. Nick obtained his degree in education from the University of Delaware where he was part of the men's lightweight rowing team. Since college he has coached every level of rowing from middle school / beginners to master adults. Although he has coached many levels of rowing, He has notable pride in teaching beginners of any age group from middle school to adult. Nick is an essential part of our venues operations in maintenance of rowing shells to the up keep of our facility. He looks to bring not just his vast coaching abilities but handy man skills to help build RRA’s future.
Serena Yanitelli, Assistant Coach and Director of Club Operations
Serena is Rockland Rowing’s assistant coach and director of club operations. She is a huge part of the daily club management and information center. Serena started her rowing career during middle school with Rockland Rowing (then River Rowing) and continued on to row four years in a NCAA Division 1 program at IONA University. She served as team captain and SAAC Chair (Student Athlete Advisory Committee). Her duties included getting her team involved in charitable organizations outside of athletics to grow the communities involvement with Iona University. She looks to bring her leadership skills to RRA to further our mission and vision.
Leslie Horn, Adult Head Coach and Adult Learn to Row
Leslie has been coaching Rockland's recreational masters and both youth and adult learn-to-rows since 2015. She was a collegiate basketball player who took up rowing as an adult. Since beginning to compete, Leslie has won several regional regattas in the double sculls with her racing partner. Leslie attained the level 2 coaching certification from USRowing.
Greta Nettleton, Head Coach and Coordinator for Adaptive Rowing
Greta joined Rockland in the fall of 2015 and coaches the adaptive team which serves physically and cognitively disabled athletes. She also coaches our novices joining the youth team. Greta previously coached novice youth rowers at Mountain Lakes Rowing Club and Piermont Rowing Club. She learned how to row as an adult and has rowed competitively with Piermont Rowing Club and Rockland Rowing.
Kathy Rudolph-Shabinsky, Business Manager
Kathy volunteers her time to manage the books at RRA. Not a rower herself, she is immersed in the sport through her husband Ivan’s rowing and her youngest daughter Alice who rowed for the RRA before rowing for Cornell University where she captained the varsity squad. One day Kathy might be convinced to row, in the meantime, she crushes the erg every year at our Pull-With-Purpose row-a-thon.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, Director and President
Ivan retired in 2018 as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at AllianceBenrstein – a global investment management firm. He now is Director for the Division of Business, Innovation, and Leadership at Dominican University New York, where he teaches a number of business courses and is head coach of their men’s and women’s rowing teams. He was a varsity rower at Cornell, where he more recently served as president of the Cornell Rowing Association and was voted a life-member. He is a volunteer coach for the RRA youth team. Ivan is also rower/coach for the RRA Masters team and has won several national championships with RRA’s Masters and with Cornell alumni rowers. Ivan’s daughter, Alice, rowed for RRA and Cornell as well!
Justin Bohan, Director and Vice President
Justin works for CareCredit, a part of Synchrony, architecting digital software integrations for providers and partners in the health and wellness sector. Justin rowed for Iona College, where he won Dad Vails and competed at the Henley Royal Regatta. He is an active competitor on the RRA’s masters team where he has won several national championships. Justin’s son Connor is currently rowing for RRA.
Peter Klose, Director and Secretary
Peter is an attorney in Nyack, NY, where he is also currently chair of the Planning Board. Peter rowed for Cornell University and for Reading College in the UK. He competes actively for the RRA, where he has won several national championships. Peter’s daughter Celeste rowed for RRA and is currently rowing for Northeastern.
Alec Almond, Director and Treasurer
Alec is Vice President, Global Technical Sales for Silver Spring Networks, a technology company focused on the Internet of Things. Alec’s son Ryan rowed for the RRA and is planning to row for Fordham University. Alec currently competes as a masters rower on RRA and rowed at University of Buffalo in college as a lightweight rower, as well as the President of the team.
Ron Gold, Director
Ron is CEO and Co-Founder of LeanOnWe, the eHarmony of home care. He is an avid and successful adaptive rower for the RRA.
Chris Hely, Director
Chris is a Managing Partner at BKA Financial, an estate planning and insurance consulting firm focused on national brokers and their clients. Chris rowed for the University of Pennsylvania, where he won both Eastern Sprints and the National Championship in Penn’s varsity eight. Chris’ daughter Hannah rowed for the RRA and is currently rowing at Cornell.
Sharon Quayle, Director
Sharon is a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist with over 25 years of experience. She recently joined the Hudson Center for Women's Health and is the Assistant Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Previously she practiced OB/GYN in private practice, the U.S. Navy, and most recently at Columbia University Medical Center where she was a professor as well. Sharon is an avid masters rower with the RRA and has won the mother/daughter 2x at the Independence Day Regatta with her daughter Charlotte Buck.
Peter Fernberger, Emeritus – co-founder of River Rowing Association (now Rockland Rowing Association). Peter is an independent film-maker, avid rower and sailor.
Bronwyn Woodhead, Emeritus– co-founder of River Rowing Association (now Rockland Rowing Association). Bronwyn is an independent film editor, avid rower and sailor.