Staff

Fred Sitkins became our organization’s second executive director in 2013, but he was involved with ISEA during its infancy in the ‘90s. Before we had a ship of our own, we chartered the tall ship Malabar, which Fred helped crew! After receiving his Bachelor of Elementary Education and Masters of Educational Administration, Fred went on to become a teacher and later the principal at Boyne City Elementary. It isn’t often that someone has the opportunity to see his or her life come full circle, and Fred is excited to be at the helm of ISEA after it inspired him so early in life.

Outside of running the organization, Fred enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons playing hockey, fishing, sailing, and mountain biking.

Harrison first joined ISEA in the summer of 2022. He is originally from the Ann Arbor area; he spent many summers traveling up north, wading through creeks and getting lost in the woods. After graduating from Bowling Green State University, and helping to win a rugby national championship, Harrison decided the next step was to work in Outdoor Education where he found a love for teaching, working with kids, and paddling. After completing a Masters of Education in 2021 Harrison and his wife Nicole looked around trying to figure out where to head off to next. Traverse City seemed like the perfect fit, with career opportunities and the Great Lakes calling they took the leap and have loved every minute. 

When not at ISEA Harrison can be found playing disc golf, walking his dog, or enjoying the beauty of northern Michigan with Nicole. 

Ben was one of our early interns in 1997. After receiving his Bachelor of Zoology, he helped crew and sail tall ships not only in our Great Lakes but in the oceans as well. Ultimately, Ben came back to join our staff in 2012 because he believes in our mission of protecting the Great Lakes through education.

After a long day of captaining our schooner Inland Seas, Ben goes home to his wife and son (a practical carbon copy of Ben, we’re sure!) and daughter to relax and play the fiddle.

Rebecca has been around water since the beginning; growing up in Poughkeepsie NY, she rowed on the Hudson River, was on the swim team, and in general has enjoyed all that water has to offer. In 1995, Miss Hancock got her first taste of life aboard ship while serving as the Assistant on-board Educator on the Sloop Clearwater. Finding that she truly loved living and working on vessels, after earning a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME, Rebecca found herself attending Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Following graduation and licensing in 2003, she worked as a deck officer aboard many Great Lakes freighters, but found the call of science to once again be strong. The Lake Explorer and Sally Ride quenched some of this thirst. As the wanderlust continued, Rebecca worked as a licensed deckhand on the Safari Endeavour, visiting SE Alaska and Baja, much to her delight. As luck or fate would have it, COVID cut this particular experience short, and Miss Hancock found herself once again in the clutches of a tallship, signing on as the mate of Inland Seas in the spring of 2021.

Life has never been better – sailing around Suttons Bay and beyond – spending time with musician, chef and husband Joshua – kayaking down to her house on the Boardman from upriver – and giving her cat Freya all the scritchens. A perfect circle exists, indeed.

Lily embarked on her sailing career in 2009, starting out as a deckhand aboard a Windjammer in Maine. During her early years, she sailed as far as Greenland and Puerto Rico. In 2013, seeking new adventures, she made her way to Traverse City to explore sailing on the Great Lakes, discovering a love for freshwater sailing.

Introduced to Inland Seas during the Spring Schoolship season of 2013 while working for schooner Manitou, Lily found it to be the highlight of the Manitou schedule. In 2018, Lily joined ISEA as a relief captain for their programs aboard schooner Inland Seas. With the growth of ISEA programming and the acquisition of schooner Alliance, Lily officially became the second full-time captain in early 2023.

When ashore, you can find Lily on walks around her property with her dog and cat, baking, and gardening.

Kate moved to Traverse City in the fall of 2021 and is excited by ISEA’s mission. She has lived in a variety of places but has deep connections to Michigan, including many years of visiting grandparents in the Upper Peninsula. Curious by nature and with a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan Technological University (1988), she looks forward to learning more about the Great Lakes from ISEA staff, volunteers and students.

Outside of the office, Kate loves hiking, exploring parks with friends and family, and making and appreciating art.

Juliana joined ISEA in 2019. Growing up in Leland, MI, she spent many hours in, on, or around the Great Lakes and is excited to return to her northern Michigan roots. Juliana received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from Denison University and her Master of Science degree in Environmental Behavior, Education, and Communication from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. She brings her past experience in the non-profit sector, environmental education, and coastal communities research to her job at ISEA.

Outside of work you can find Juliana exploring the outdoors through hiking, canoeing, and growing vegetables.

Rachel earned a degree in natural resources management with a biology minor from Grand Valley State University in 2017. A year later she worked with Inland Seas as a Schoolship Education Intern. ISEA offers a unique opportunity to marry her knowledge of science and love of theater; the best sails come with a bit of dramatic flair! She is passionate about protecting the Great Lakes and inspiring the community to love our grand freshwater feature.

During her free time, you can find Rachel flipping her fins as a mermaid in the bay. She also enjoys chilling shore side cozied up with a book and her black cat.

Trisha Smrecak (Smer-jack) grew up in a rural farming community in the Tri-Cities region of Michigan with a family that believed strongly in community involvement. After completing a master’s degree in geology, she worked as an informal educator and grant manager at a museum in Ithaca, NY focusing on climate change and evolution. She fell in love with outreach and earned a PhD at Michigan State University to further her ability to reach folks with science and education. After traveling much of the eastern US with her spouse and pup (including a very long hike from Georgia to Maine), she joined the Inland Seas team in 2021. As a paleontologist, Trisha brings a knowledge of Michigan’s ancient seas and the creatures who inhabited them, as well as her experience in environmental education and curriculum development, to Inland Seas.

To find Trisha outside of work, look for her backpacking the North Country Trail with her husband, toddler, and dog.