GHYC Foundation
The Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation was formed in 2018 and is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Nantucket Harbor and its marine ecosystem. The Foundation will work with the Town of Nantucket’s Department of Natural Resources and others to fund projects which might otherwise go unfunded in furtherance of the Foundation’s mission and the Town of Nantucket's Strategic Harbor Plan.
Board of Directors
President Elliot Gewirtz, Vice President Cece Fowler, Treasurer Grady Durham, Clerk Matt Dwyer, Ron Zarrella, Karen Ketterer, Joe Smialowski, Valerie McCarthy, and Jeffrey Parker
Scientific Advisory Committee
William DuPaul, Ph.D., Steve Tettelbach Ph. D., Robert Orth, Ph.D.
What We Have Done and Where Are We Going
State of the GHYC Foundation January 2022
Greetings:
The New Year is upon us, and the GHYC Foundation Board extends are our very best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. We’re all looking forward to a wonderful summer at GHYC when hopefully Omicron is in the rear-view mirror and no new surges are in sight. Think Friday night at the Fuel Bar!
January is a time for reflection and planning. In that vein, I’d like to give you a brief up- date on your Foundation. The Foundation has approximately $2,000,000 in cash and pledges. Under the guidance of Grady Durham and Joe Smialowski, a portion of the Foundation’s funds are now being conservatively invested as a hedge against rising inflation. Our expenses are nominal and we have no debt or other material obligations.
During the Fall, your Board has been working with the Town of Nantucket’s Department of Natural Resources to advance our mission of improving the health of Nantucket Harbor and its marine ecosystem. This includes promoting the health of Nantucket’s iconic but much endangered bay scallop fishery. It was not a great year for the fishery and when last I looked, Nantucket bay scallops were selling off-island for almost $80 a pound. Not good for anyone. Nutrient loading from groundwater runoff, fertilizers and the like remains a real issue producing harmful algae blooms and killing-off eelgrass so critical to scallop larvae.
Against that background, we have made plans to fund three projects, each proposed by the Town and all scheduled to begin by the summer:
So these are the plans for the year to come. While we are all looking ahead to the summer, please mark your calendar now for the 2022 Foundation Day on Sunday July 10. We’ll have our 12 Meter Regatta in the afternoon and our evening gala dinner and auction at the Club out under the stars. Marcus Fuller along with Emma Hermanek will be taking the lead on our Regatta and Karen Ketterer, Valerie Wilson McCarthy, Brooke Stanton and Rachel Sheridan will be organizing our auction and dinner. Last Year the Woman’s boat won and perhaps they’ll go for a repeat. I’m hoping we can organize a Junior’s boat this year to take up the challenge supported by loving Parents/Grandparents!
The evening promises to be really fun with a live auction featuring some super items including old favorites like a Barton & Gray membership and some new and truly unique items. This year we will be auctioning off a portrait sitting by world- famous news photographer Brendon Smialowski. He’s the fellow who captured Bernie in his mittens on the Capital Steps and for good measure an original pair of the Vermont mittens will be included as well!
So do plan on making a day of it, racing in the afternoon and dinner with auction in the evening. If you’d care to add an item to the auction, please contact me. It’s a great way to support the Foundation. Surely, there are no members like our members, and I’m highly confident any item contributed by a member would be enthusiastically bid-up. Give it a think and go for it!
With thanks in advance for your help and generous support, and with best wishes for the New Year Sincerely, Elliot Gewirtz GHYC Foundation President
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Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation Presents - A Year in Review 2020
Please join us to hear more about the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department’s efforts in collaboration with the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation to understand the ecosystem changes in the Nantucket Harbor and their efforts to improve the health of the harbor. Additionally, viewers will learn about successful restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay and what that might mean for Nantucket Harbor. There is a panel of experts, who have been intimately involved in the long-term investigation of the marine environment of our harbor. Listen to their answers to pre-recorded questions following the presentation.
Please watch for this presentation airing soon on NCTV18 YouTube Channel and on TV Channel 18. It will also be available on the websites of the Town of Nantucket's Natural Resources Department ( https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/130/Natural-Resources) and the Great Harbor Yacht Club (http://www.ghyc.com/public/ghyc-foundation).
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SUMMER 2019
July 28th will be one of celebration for The Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation and its commitment to promoting the health of Nantucket Harbor’s marine ecosystem. In the morning four Traditional 12 Metre Yachts will depart for a day of friendly competition. The evening continues with an elegant party on Brant Point under a waning crescent moon and a million stars.
For more information on The Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation please log into your member account or email [email protected]