• Founder

Through Freedom Waters Foundation, Debra builds bridges in much of what she believes in: sharing one’s passion; building a greater sense of community by building relationships beyond tolerance and understanding through shared experience; and offering opportunity and new ways of being to those who might not otherwise be exposed to full potential possibilities. Debra was…

• Chair
• Event Director, Winterfest Inc.

Dawn is happily married to George and has three sons. A Broward County Native, Dawn’s love for Winterfest developed when she watched the parade as a child and continued that tradition into adulthood. Dawn proudly celebrates her 29th parade in 2022. She is committed to creating quality, high profile events for the community that brings…

• Vice Chair Secretary
• Director of Technology & Intelligence, Northrop & Johnson

Northrop & Johnson Director of Technology & Intelligence, Keith has a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Broward College. He is extremely passionate and dedicated to his field of study. Keith also boasts an extensive understanding of the yachting industry. In 2007, he joined a local company where he worked on a myriad…

• Immediate Past Chair
• President, Lacks Enterprises

Mike is a graduate of Grand Valley State University.  He has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1992. He has been an entrepreneur as well as the CEO and CFO of various companies in his career.  After being with Lacks Enterprises for 14 years, he was invited to become President of the company in 2021.…

• Treasurer
• Certified Public Accountant, Retired

Paul is a Certified Public Accountant who retired from the Naples Daily News as the Vice President of Finance. Paul has been married to his lovely wife, Francie for over forty-five years. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. His oldest grandson has been involved with the Freedom Waters Foundation’s Weller Day Boat outings and…

• Board Director
• Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs

Ed Dernulc joined Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs in March of 2018 as the Director of the Foundation. Prior to joining NBT, Ed has had a 22-year career in banking in the wealth management area for Chicagoland banks such as Northern Trust, LaSalle Bank, Harris Bank and Amcore. In 2007, he went into the fund-raising arena,…

• Board Director
• Vice President and General Manager of Freedom Boat Club Corporate-Owned Territory

Scott Ward oversees more than 100 corporate-owned locations. He leads sales, operations, fleet, and member experience for the Club. Scott has spent his entire career in the marine industry. Prior to joining Freedom Boat Club in March of 2020, Scott has spent the last 15 years working within the Brunswick Corporation; most recently as the…

• Board Director & Retired from NMMA

Dammrich served as President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) for over 20 years and as President of IPC—Institute Connecting Electronic Circuits for nine years. When Thomas Dammrich became president of the NMMA in 1999, he knew he had to get the industry working together and focused on things everyone could agree to work…

• Board Director

Daniel is a Palm Beach County native and has never lived too far from the sea. While attending the University of Southern California (USC) for his Business Administration degree, Daniel picked up sailing, and is saving up for his first Catalina cruiser. Daniel later obtained a Master’s studying Health Care Management from Yale University. Daniel…

• Board Director
• Development Director

My professional background is in Financial Development. I am currently retired from my position as Development Director of the American Red Cross of Collier County. Throughout my career, I volunteered my Development experience in working with the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society in Dallas, Texas and the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Anaheim,…

• Board Director

Jeffrey H Gage “Jeff” Jeff has been an avid sailor since he was 11 years old and very active in the sailing community in CT and now in SWFL. Jeff has competed in racing one design vessels and PHRF, holding various leadership positions with the Milford Yacht Club, Naples Sailing and Yacht Club and the…

• Board Director

Almost 20 years of Marketing experience working at big brands such as Mayfair, Staples and most recently Clarks Shoes. At Clarks, Dan spent the past 13 years leading their commercial marketing efforts to help drive their growth within the Americas region. Clarks has roughly 200 owned retail locations and numerous wholesale partners throughout the US,…

• Board Director

Jim Hunt is both a waterman and cartographer. Born in the UK, he came to America by ship, as his mother wouldn’t fly, even though his father was in the Air Force. Jim graduated from George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia, with a BS in Biology and minor in Cartography. After graduating, he then spent…

• Honorary Board Member
• Yacht Broker, Luke Brown Yachts

In 1972, Andrew graduated from college with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. He began his career in marketing for a boat manufacturing company. In 1976, he joined Luke Brown Yachts. A year later the owner of Luke Brown Yachts advised his brokers that he was closing the doors, due to a lack of…

• Honorary Board Member

Loving and supportive friend of Debra Frenkel, Freedom Waters Founder since 2000 and has been a dedicated supporter of Freedom Waters Foundation since its inception.

• Honorary Board Member
• Yacht Broker, Luke Brown Yachts

As a youngster, Ron ran everything from a 9’ Johnboat to a 90’ yacht. He ran a thriving live-bait business during his high school years which had him catching bait in the wee hours to sell to local fishermen, and often spending his days aboard those very fishing vessels helping guests catch fish using that…

• Honorary Board Member
• Founder, T.E.I. Industries

Doug was fortunate to be able to incorporate his love of boating when he founded T.E.I. Industries April 1981 with the purchase of a small marina outside of Atlanta, GA. From this start, he has grown T.E.I. Industries into a vertically integrated enterprise encompassing nine divisions: Marinas, Boat Sales, Boat Service, Marine Retail, Boat Rentals,…

• Honorary Board Member
• Founder, Cox & Company Maritime and Aviation Law

After a few years working at a highly respected law firm, Jeff founded the law firm now known as Cox & Company Maritime and Aviation Law. Cox & Company, for over a decade, has distinguished itself from other firms by focusing solely on maritime and aviation law, as it pertains to yacht and private airplane…

• President/CEO

David Bakelman comes to Freedom Waters Foundation, taking the helm as Executive Director, as of January 2, 2025, bringing extensive non-profit management and fundraising experience with him. His most recent position was the Chief Fundraising Executive for United Help Ukraine. Previously, he served as CEO of the National Pancreas Foundation. Prior to his arrival at…

• Founder

Through Freedom Waters Foundation, Debra builds bridges in much of what she believes in: sharing one’s passion; building a greater sense of community by building relationships beyond tolerance and understanding through shared experience; and offering opportunity and new ways of being to those who might not otherwise be exposed to full potential possibilities. Debra was…

• Program Director

Sophia demonstrates a profound passion for her pursuits, exemplified by her dedicated volunteer work at the Freedom Waters Foundation during ger undergraduate studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Sophia has a BA in Communication with a concentration in public relations and a double minor in marketing and interdisciplinary studies. She is originally from Warwick, New…

• Program Director - Southeast Florida

Freedom Waters Foundation Program Director East Coast, Victor has a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Therapy/Sports Management as a Magna cum laude graduate from Florida International University. Additionally, Victor is a Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist and maintains his credentials through the NCTRC. He is extremely passionate and dedicated to his field of study and…

• Bookkeeper/HR Coordinator

Mary Conejo is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and has lived in Naples since 1986. She has a finance degree from Florida State University and will have her MBA from St. Thomas University in Miami Florida, by June of 2024. Mary has a heart for service and has spent the bulk of her career in non-profit.…

• Donor and Program Database Manager

Marissa is from Panama City, Panama. She met her husband who was in the military while they both worked at the US South Command in Panama City. While in Panama she worked for US Army Service Component Command, Deputy chief of staff resources management, Manpower Division as an Administrative Assistant. Marissa and her husband moved…

• Community Outreach Director

Originally from West Chicago, Illinois, Debbie Hanson holds a BA in English/Journalism from Western Illinois University and has over two decades of career experience in outdoor media, marketing, and business development roles. Her contagious enthusiasm for introducing newcomers to fishing and boating led her to a volunteer position with the Freedom Waters Foundation’s Heels &…

• Executive Director Florida Southeast Coast

Petula Sankarsingh is a seasoned professional and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of expertise in leadership, operations, and business development, specializing in driving transformative changes across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. With a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in business administration, she brings a powerful blend of academic knowledge and real-world strategy to…