Our board of directors come from diverse backgrounds.
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Our hands-on board contributes a significant amount of time and love to the Philadelphia Ship Guild. Many members have been around for years, and some new talent has recently joined in the passion of ship preservation.
Melissa Black-Simmons
Board President
Melissa has been a board member since December of 2014. She is a business partner at Greater Philadelphia Property Management and is a real-estate owner, developer, and manager.
Patrick Flynn
Board Secratary
Patrick has been a board member since July of 2010, and is a licensed professional mariner and shipwright. He is the Superintendent of Ships and a business partner at Mascher St. Works.
Marcus Brandt
Marine Committee Chair
Marcus has been a board member since December of 2018 and is the proprietor of Marcus Brandt Restorations. He is a timber frame and historic structure restoration specialist.
John Telencio, MED, ATC, CSCS
Education Committee Chair
John has been a board member since December of 2019, and hails from the Hamilton Township. He has spend much of his career as a New Jersey school teacher, a professional development presenter, and educational consultant. He is also a Maritime Social Emotional Learning Facilitator.
Marybeth Tomlinson
Treasurer
Marybeth has been a board member since August of 2023 and is an IB Business Management Educator at Downingtown STEM Academy.
Gina Pickton
Board Member
Gina has been a board member since July of 2020 is a mariner, shipwright, and project manager. She is also the Executive Director at PSPG and a business partner at Mascher St. Works.
Robin Schimpf
Board Member
Robin has been a board member since December of 2010 and is a bar, restaurant, and rental property owner.
Leon Brooks
Board Member
Leon has been a board member since August of 2020 and is a retired public school educator and librarian. He is also a historical re-enactor.
Lisa Kolibabek
Board Member
Lisa has sailed and maintained various historic vessels and works as an Able Seaman on an East Coast tugboat with an aspiration to work up to a mate's position. She current holds a 100 ton Near Coastal master's license, and a 1600 ton Near Coastal mate's license. She also volunteers at the Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue and the Valley Railroad Company.
James Hutson
Board Member
James has been a board member since December of 2024 and holds a position as the Director of Data Science and Machine Learning. He is a former tech start-up founder.