Our Team
Thomas G. Opferman
Treasurer and Director
Tom is a retired Partner at Dentons US LLP and served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law, where he taught estate planning in the J.D. and graduate tax programs. Tom is a member of the Lincoln Park Boat Club and previously served for over 5 years on the board of Recovery on Water. Tom has rowed a 1X and 2X at the Head of the Charles Regatta, Chicago Sprints, Masters Nationals Regattas and other events.
Michele Willmott
Vice President and Director
Michele is a sculling member of the Lincoln Park Boat Club, the Berkshire Rowing and Sculling Society and the Rio Salada Rowing Club. She was Vice Chairman of the Lincoln Park Boat Club for one term and served on the Recovery On Water board for over 5 years. She has rowed competitively at local and national races including Chicago Sprints, Masters Nationals and the Head of the Charles in a 1x and 2x.
Andy Gush
Director
Andy Gush is a property developer with a background in construction management. He has expertise in design management, preconstruction, and project delivery. He has worked on large-scale projects across multiple market sectors including residential, senior living, commercial, hospitality, and healthcare. Andy started rowing in college, rowing for the University of Texas at Austin for four years, serving as varsity men’s captain his senior year. He picked up sculling after college and now sculls recreationally and occasionally. Andy also serves on the Chicago Leadership Council for Upwardly Global.
Alfredo Villegas
Director
Alfredo is the principal of Altus Academy, a private, independent, elementary school that provides a tuition-free college preparatory education for students from historical minority groups, low-income households, and some of the most challenging neighborhoods and communities in the Chicago area. Outside of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the school, Alfredo especially enjoys coordinating the rowing program at Altus Academy. Alfredo lives in the West Side of Chicago with his wife and 2 children.
Tim Field
Director
Coach Tim started rowing at the University of Michigan between 1990 and 1994. He returned to rowing as assistant coach for Huron High School in Ann Arbor in the spring of 1999. During that season he met the boys from Manley HS (A Most Beautiful Thing) and moved to Chicago to begin working with the the team. Between 2000 and 2008 he developed Manley Crew into the Chicago Youth Rowing Clubs with teams at Manley HS, Juarez HS, Jones College Prep HS, Maria HS and indoor rowing clubs at other high schools and youth centers. He was a volunteer coach at the Chicago Rowing Foundation West 2021-2022, spring of 2023, and then with Hinsdale Community Rowing from Fall 2023 through today. Tim is excited to share the sport of rowing with CCS students.
Frances Tuite
President and Director
Fran began her rowing career at Purdue University in 1976 and has been rowing in Chicago since 1988. Fran has rowed for and been a part of numerous clubs around the world and is the founder of the Buchanan Rowing Club in Michigan. She is a Master's Nationals Medalist many times over as well as medalist internationally. Fran is a portfolio manager at Oak Family Advisors, a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Directors Circle, and a Trustee for the USRowing Foundation.
Eleanor Boland
Director
Eleanor Boland started rowing in Dublin, Ireland in 1995, rowed 4 years at Trinity College and was captain of the Dublin University's Ladies Boat Club ‘98-’99. She rowed for another 8 years as a member of the Neptune Rowing Club senior women's squad. She has won a total of seven National Titles and represented Ireland at the Home Internationals, was a Finalist at Women’s Henley, raced Head of the Charles, Boston, and the International Regatta, KRC Gent. She has coached at Trinity College Dublin for 2 years and at a Chicago high school for 4 years. Currently she helps out coaching junior rowers at both Chicago Community Sculling and Hinsdale Community Rowing. She is a Chartered Civil Engineer and lives in La Grange, IL with her husband, five children and dog, Towser.
Margaret Conway
Director
Margaret is an educator and consultant with expertise in learning design, assessment, and program evaluation. She is the Director of Learning for Convergence Design Lab where she works with clients to research and design new systems of learning across public, private, and cultural sectors. Margaret has been rowing since 1997, in the earliest days of Ignatius Chicago Crew. She continues to row as a competitive sculler and holds several Masters National titles. She is a member of Lincoln Park Boat Club and has previously served on the board of Recovery on Water (ROW).
Caroline Hurley
Director
Caroline Hurley is a data analyst and rowing coach based in Chicago. She worked as a data journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times, and currently works at a fundraising company focused on youth sports and activities. Caroline began rowing at Ignatius Chicago Crew in 2011 and quickly fell in love with the coxswain position. She went on to cox the heavyweight men's team at Columbia University and was a captain her senior year. She coached high school rowing for 3 years and now helps with coaching at Chicago Community Sculling.
María Agustina Martínez Solá
Director
Agustina is an Argentinian engineer and Project Manager specializing in environmental management and renewable sources of energy. She has been a recreational rower for most of her childhood and young adulthood as a member of the Buenos Aires Rowing Club. She is now a member of the Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago and helps out with Chicago Community Sculling and Old St Pats Refugees Ministry. Agustina is convinced that interaction with nature and water sports improve character and strengthen long-term bonds of friendship and teamwork.
Camilla (Mia) Inman
Director
Camilla (Mia) Inman is a High School Bridge Counselor at Chicago Jesuit Academy. She has coached both youth and masters rowers in Chicago for the last 5 years. Mia was a member of the Varsity Women’s Rowing team at Michigan State University and is pursuing a Master of Education in Sports Based Youth Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Advisors
Arshay Cooper
Arshay grew up in the North Lawndale community of Chicago and rowed on the first all-black high school rowing team at Manley Career Academy. He is the award winning author of A Most Beautiful Thing. Arshay coached the Chicago Youth Rowing Club and served on the board of Row New York and Hope Culture. He is a nationally celebrated motivational speaker and US Rowing Golden Oars winner. Arshay is featured in the film documentary “A Most Beautiful Thing” recently released by 50 Eggs Film Productions.
Gary Markle
Gary is a former collegiate rower and an avid boater. Gary is also an active member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary where he leads the organization's Recreational Boating Safety and Marine Safety programs for the areas surrounding Lake Michigan. He is a recognized expert on navigation technology, safety education, and rowing/paddling safety on congested waterways.
Andrew J. Campbell
Andrew holds the course record for rowing a 1X (single) at the Head of the Charles Regatta. He is currently a Data Scientist for Builder in Miami, Florida. Andrew competed in the men’s lightweight double sculls (2x) event at the 2016 Summer Olympics and was recently described by Rowing magazine as the most talented rower from North America in the last 15 years.
Linda Muri
Linda, a three time world champion, began rowing as an undergraduate at MIT. She has served rowing as a coach for Cornell University, Harvard University and Dartmouth University. Linda served as a National Team Coach to Andrew Campbell, who placed 5th in the Rio Olympics. She also lead the world leading indoor rowing competition - Crash B- as well. Linda has her own coaching business, Rocket Science Rowing, and continues to compete as a masters athlete and breast cancer survivor.