Commodore: Hugh Upton
Hugh has been boating/sailing for 56 years on a variety of crafts. Hugh was 15 when his father introduced him to boating after purchasing a 32 foot Chris Craft Cabin Cruiser. The family boated in San Francisco Harbor and the Sacramento Delta for many years. In 2009, Hugh received his Bareboat Certification from the US Sailing Association and sailed in San Francisco Bay, along the California Coast, in San Diego, Catalina, the Channel Islands, French Polynesia and the Caribbean. He is currently an active member of SIBC and the Carefree Boat Club and at The Landings. Hugh is a Mechanical and Nuclear Engineer and worked at General Electric Nuclear for 39 years ending his career managing the licensing of Advanced Boiling Water Reactors for GE Nuclear. In his early years after graduating from the University of Colorado in 1972, he was commissioned in the Naval Reserves as an Ensign and served as Navigator on Nuclear Submarines during the Vietnam War. He served in the reserves for 14 years and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant in 1984. Hugh retired in 2017, moved to Savannah, GA and currently resides at The Landings with his wife Charlene.
Vice Commodore: Cheryl Walters
Cheryl grew up in Pennsylvania, where opportunities to be on the water or in the water were plentiful. Lakes and creeks and streams were a regular playground for after school or weekend adventures. Water skiing and canoeing were favorite activities in the teen years. Trips to the ocean were on every summer’s calendar. Jetboats, ferries to the islands, and sunset cruises were a must. All of these adventures and opportunities became the fabric for the future.
Cheryl met her husband, Ric, while in college. After they were married, they moved to Lancaster County, PA and bought their first boat at a barn sale in 1979. The boat was launched on a dammed up section of the Susquehanna River, known as Lake Clarke. At that point, they immediately joined a wonderful organization called Lake Clarke Rescue. That was where boat safety and camaraderie were thoroughly ingrained.
Upon moving to Kennebunkport, ME in 1993, Cheryl and Ric became members of the Arundel Yacht Club. They bought a Boston Whaler, which they kept at a dock at their house, and then they bought a trawler to be able to fully explore the ocean, bays, rivers, and islands of coastal Maine. The theme continued to be the same – love and enjoyment of waterways, boat club activities, and the camaraderie of good friends. Upon moving to the Landings in May 2021, Cheryl and Ric immediately sought out yet another boating club in which to becomes members, and SIBC turned out to be a great fit!
Cheryl earned both a bachelors degree and a masters degree in Speech/Language Pathology and Communication Disorders. She practiced in a variety of settings, from hospitals, to state facilities, to private practice, and to all levels of public education. For the last 20 years of employment, she led a team of 39 professionals and paraprofessionals in the field of special education.
Since becoming a member of SIBC, Cheryl served on the Social Committee for a year, and then as Board Secretary for a year. These positions helped Cheryl to gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the organization. She views SIBC as a home away from home and gratefully embraces the rewarding experiences and the friendships made at SIBC.
Secretary: Jamie Scholten
Jamie went to a business college and attended Purdue University. She met and married her husband in Indianapolis, Indiana. They then moved to Naperville, Illinois and then Savannah 33 years ago on April fool’s day 1991.
She and her husband bought a boat when they first moved here to Skidaway and enjoyed it immensely until her husband, Ray, was stung by a Stingray (doing what he was designed to do “Sting Ray”). After a long hospital stay (Ray was allergic to the stingray) and the busyness of raising three daughters, they sold their boat. Jamie and Ray have always loved being on the water and if they hadn’t been so busy they would have loved to have had another boat.
During the last 33 years here in Savannah, Jamie was an office manager for the youth ministry Young Life of Savannah. She then worked as an administrative assistant to the Vice President of South College. She went on to spend 20 years as the Assistant to the Director of Counseling and Disability Services, serving as a Testing Coordinator, Event Planner, a certified Life Coach, while working with Psychiatrists, training Interns, and Disability services at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Jamie has been involved in various Christian Ministries most of her adult life. She was very involved with various committees at Evangelical Free Church in Naperville, IL. She was instrumental in establishing Mothers of Preschoolers, involved with Navigators, Bible Study Fellowship, taught vacation Bible School, as well as being a staff consultant for “Deep End Downtown” at SCAD.
Treasurer: Lucian Gillis
Lucian and his wife, Lee, moved from Atlanta to The Landings in August 2022. Lee had lived in the Atlanta area most of her life. Lucian was there for 31 years. They live next to the Palmetto Clubhouse and are thrilled to be here.
Lucian practiced law full-time for 45 years. In 1974, he received a B.S. degree in Commerce from the University of Alabama. His prelaw major concentrated in finance. After graduating from the University of Alabama Law School in 1977, his first job was a deputy district attorney in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1980, Lucian moved to Mobile, Alabama to work with a private firm there. He left in 1991 to practice in Atlanta. From 2007 until retirement in July 2022, Lucian’s firm was Gillis & Creasy located in Dunwoody. His private law practice focused on general civil litigation, primarily business litigation and personal injury defense. He has regularly had fiduciary responsibilities for his clients and sometimes for third parties.
His primary hobby since college has been competitive powerlifting. He last competed in 2010, and is certified as an international referee. Lucian regularly officiates contests at all levels. In addition to able-bodied competitions, he has for decades volunteered for disabled powerlifting events, both Special Olympics (for the intellectually challenged) and Paralympics (for the physically impaired). Now that he is retired, Lucian wants to get more involved with clay shooting, swimming, fishing, cycling, and hunting.
Directors at Large:
Laurie Etherington
Laurie grew up and lived most of her life in the Northeast where she enjoyed many years on the water in powerboats, sailboats, and kayaks owned by friends. After moving to The Landings in 2019, she subsequently joined SIBC. Thanks to a fellow SIBC member, Laurie bought a secondhand kayak in 2022, and since then has pursued kayaking in earnest learning the tides and winds while exploring various rivers, marshes, creeks along barrier islands, in state parks and even down in FL. Professionally, she was fortunate to experience two interesting careers, one in commercial real estate investment management and a second in retained executive search.
Steve Johnson
Steve and his wife Jen moved to The Landings full time in 2020 after 32 years in Atlanta for Steve and 10 years in Savannah for Jen. Steve grew up around boating in the Washington, DC, area and the outer banks of North Carolina. He also spent time boating and clamming with his grandfather on the Long Island Sound. Prior to moving to Savannah, Steve’s boating was mostly on lakes. He is still adjusting to the more challenging coastal waters and tide variations of Savannah. Steve and Jen joined SIBC in 2022 and have enjoyed trips and social engagements including regular participation in the happy hours. Steve and Jen love living on Skidaway Island. Steve had a 38 year career with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, starting out examining banks in Alabama and Georgia, spending a few years on the Atlanta management team, and spending his last 15 years working for the Washington, DC, office concentrating on large and complex financial institutions.
Paul McCormack
Paul and his wife, Betsy, moved to the Landings in March 2022 from Duxbury, a coastal town on the South Shore of Massachusetts. While living in New Jersey, they summered in Duxbury for 15 years. During that time, they had a trailerable Boston Whaler and a small day sailboat.
After moving to Duxbury full time in 1999, a boating decision had to be made, go bigger (more expense and more complications) or simplify. The decision was made easier due to the fact that there was, and is, a 20-year wait for a deep water mooring. (Alas, in the good old days, before “good governance” came in, we would have been able to jump the line with a small “gift” to the harbormaster.)
They sold the Whaler and sailboat, and bought two kayaks. Upon moving to Savannah in 2022, the kayaks were gifted to neighbors, who had been getting the most use of them anyway. During their time here, they have made many water trips with SIBC and New Neighbors. Paul’s professional career was in finance.