Henry Goitz, MD.
President
Henry Goitz, MD, an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine sub-specialist, has experience in caring for athletes from most of Detroit’s professional teams, as well as international athletic care with our U.S. Paralympic Teams. He was introduced to rowing as an undergraduate at Cornell University, and initially became involved with the DBCC in 2012 when his son, Dylan, rowed.
Ben Scrace
Vice President
Ben Scrace joined FODR as a board member in 2024 and has been involved with rowing since 1990 as a Jr with Detroit Boat Club continuing at Northeastern University and Lake Union Crew. Ben’s coaching career started at Rice University in 2000, City of Tempe 2002-03, Lake Union Crew 2004-2020, and DBCC since 2021. Since 2001 Ben’s career has been on improving water quality with a primary focus on municipal water and wastewater treatment.
Melanie Parks-Linford
Secretary
Melanie Parks-Linford rowed in college at Purdue University and reentered the world of crew following the birth of her first child. Since then, she’s rowed for Austin Rowing Club, MIT Rowing Club, Community Rowing Inc, Newburgh Rowing Club, Orange County Rowing Club, and has now been at Detroit Boat Club Crew since 2021. Melanie is a military spouse and coached novices at the US Military Academy at West Point for 3 years. She enjoys that the sport is outdoors, social, and that her crewmates push her to the best person and athlete she can be in all areas. Her current goals are to improve her sculling technique, learn more about marketing and graphic design through work on the Board, and learn how to keep the butterflies down at the start of a 1k sprint race. She’s proud to represent the City of Detroit on the water with her crewmates! After a career in construction management, Melanie has become a stay-at-home parent to her two children.
Paul D’Ambrosio
Treasurer
Paul D’Ambrosio…..
Andrea Reynolds
Director
Andrea brings rowing and professional experience to our board. She began rowing for the Detroit Boat Club as a junior in 1990, she rowed briefly the rowing club at Michigan State University, and came back to the Detroit Boat Club to row as a master after grad school. As a Vice President and Director of Structural Engineering at SmithGroup, Inc. she has extensive experience in the design and construction industry. She has also served on Academic Industry Advisory Boards and on the Board of Governors for multiple non-profit professional organizations.
Nicole Spain, MS, RDN.
Director, Safe
Nicole Spain has made childhood nutrition her passion and life’s work for 20+ years. Nicole, a Registered Dietitian has been providing nutrition services to Learning Care Group. Approximately 120,000 children are impacted daily because of Nicole’s dedication to providing them with healthy menu choices. Nicole has been a speaker at nutrition conferences and schools across the country. Nicole began her rowing career at Miami University and has rowed Masters at Portage Lakes Rowing Club and the Detroit Boat Club Crew. If you can’t find Nicole on the Detroit River with her crewmates she is likely cheering on her three children either at a pool or at regattas with DBCC’s Junior Racing Team.
Dennis Wojdyla
Director, Rowing Operations
Dennis Wojdyla is a retired managing director from a global consulting firm. His rowing background includes a 4 year varsity collegiate letter winner and 2 year captain at Wayne State University. After college he joined the Detroit Boat Club Crew where he has rowed competitively for more than 50 years. He has won many US Masters National Championships and FISA Masters World Championships. In 2024 he won the Veterans 8 at the Royal Henley Regatta in England, and the 4+ at the Head of the Charles and Head of the Schuylkill. He is planning on competing at the FISA World Masters Championship with a large DBCC contingent in Barcelona Spain.
Paul Johnson
Director
Paul Johnson joined the Detroit Boat Club Crew in 2023, restarting his rowing career 35 years after graduating from Purdue University where he rowed and competed for 4 years. He is excited to be supporting and participating once again in the sport he loves. Paul’s career spanned engineering, finance and senior leadership positions in the aerospace and automotive industries, and was responsible for business units throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Retiring in 2023, he now focuses on his passions including flying, boating the Great Lakes and making rowing more accessible to Detroit’s youth.
Dick Bell
Director
Paul Stefanutti’s passion for rowing grew from watching both his sons compete with their high school crews and witnessing the camaraderie and commitment to excellence it fostered. He joined the Detroit Boat Club Crew in 2014 and is an active member of the competitive crew. Paul applies the same values to his business, an industrial manufacturing company in Massachusetts that he’s owned and managed since 1994. In addition to rowing, Paul enjoys gardening, travel and ceramics, and is excited to work with DBCC to introduce the sport he loves to the young people of Detroit.
Mike Murray
Director
Mike Murray…….
Paul Stefanutti
Director
Paul Stefanutti’s passion for rowing grew from watching both his sons compete with their high school crews and witnessing the camaraderie and commitment to excellence it fostered. He joined the Detroit Boat Club Crew in 2014 and is an active member of the competitive crew. Paul applies the same values to his business, an industrial manufacturing company in Massachusetts that he’s owned and managed since 1994. In addition to rowing, Paul enjoys gardening, travel and ceramics, and is excited to work with DBCC to introduce the sport he loves to the young people of Detroit.
Larae Baker
Director
Larae Baker brings a participant-centered perspective and a background in marketing and communications to the Board of Directors. Larae has seen firsthand from participating and coaching how Learn to Row and Recreation programs introduce new athletes to rowing, and build long-term engagement with the club. In addition to coaching, Larae participates on the Masters Competitive team. Larae also brings over a decade of experience in marketing and communications and looks forward to using these skills to promote and grow DBCC.