2025-2026 Rowing PEI Board
President – Nancy Russell
Vice President – Alex Forbes
Secretary – Erika Marcelo
Treasurer – TBD
Directors
Tina Arsenault
Cassidy Doucette
Cynthia Drewry
Barbara McPherson
Biographies
Nancy Russell – President
Nancy Russell has been president of Rowing PEI since 2022 and has been part of the club since it started in the summer of 2010, making this her 15th season of rowing!! She is a reporter with CBC PEI, where you will often find her in a potato field or next to a stream. Her favourite rowing memories include watching her son Tristan competing at the 2017 Canada Games in Kenora, Ontario as well as many sunrises and sunsets on the Charlottetown Harbour. She is the queen of the rowing selfie!
Alex Forbes – Vice President
Alex Forbes has been a Board member of Rowing PEI since 2020 and a club member since 2014. He recently retired from a career as a city planner in Charlottetown and Fredericton, New Brunswick. He likes to find people who enjoy rowing the quad in Charlottetown Harbour, Brudenell, or Brackley. However, you can find him most times in a double early in the morning rowing in Charlottetown Harbour.
Cassidy Doucette – Director
Cassidy Doucette is a lifelong athlete who joined Rowing PEI back in 2017 after enjoying indoor rowing she learned in both Coastal and Flatwater boats. She competed in regattas in PEI, Nova Scotia, Montreal and her highlight regatta in South Africa at the World Rowing Masters Regatta and is now training for the same regatta happening this September in Spain. She just completed her first season as the Masters Flatwater Program Coordinator and will be continuing in the 2025 season aiming to continue to expand the group and develop rowing and coaching skills among them. She studied at the University of Prince Edward Island and holds a BSc and MBA and now works in Program Delivery for the Government of Canada. She is looking forward to supporting the growth of rowing in Prince Edward Island as a board member for the 2025 season.
Cynthia Drewry – Director
Cynthia Drewry has been involved with Rowing PEI since her arrival on the Island in the summer of 2021. While she no longer rows herself she does enjoy staying connected to the club. She helps out with many of the club admin tasks (her goal is to ensure that Nancy doesn’t drown). Over the winter this year she has. been coaching the Junior Winter Training program. Cynthia has over 20 yrs experience as a Masters Rower and has competed throughout Canada and the US in both sweep and sculling events. One (of many) of her favourite regattas is the Head of the Charles regatta which takes place in Boston each October.
Erika Marcelo – Secretary
Erika Marcelo is a third-year Biology major at the University of Prince Edward Island with a background in Animal Science. Passionate about pet wellness and innovation. Beyond professional interests, Erika enjoys traveling, rowing, stand-up paddleboarding with her dog, exploring outdoors, and driving the safety boat for Rowing PEI.
Barbara McPherson – Director
Born and raised in Montréal, Québec, Barbara McPherson moved to Ch’town in October 2017 to work in records management for the Province of PEI. Barbara has been involved with Rowing PEI since 2023, inspired to join after attending an Oars East-PEI fundraiser.
Barbara McPherson(right) at the 2023 Red Island Regatta
Tina Arsenault – Director
Christine is no stranger to the water and has had a desire to be in, on and under the sea since her youth growing up in Summerside, PEI. She learned to swim with the Red Cross swimming program achieving her Bronze Medallion and went on to be a swimming instructor as well as a small craft safety instructor with the Red Cross. She then achieved the Bronze Cross which led to her train and become a National Surfguard with the Royal Lifesaving Society of Canada and worked in the Provincial Parks system for 7 years as a Lifeguard.
During this time she also became a member of the Junior Sailing program out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. After years of competitive sailing, she earned the position of skipper in the Laser II category and competed in the 1985 Summer Games.
Professionally, Christine enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) initially under the Naval Reserve Plan at HMCS Queen Charlotte in March 1996. After earning a Bridge Watch Keeping Certificate in December 1997, she went on to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as a Naval Warfare Officer. After serving the CAF in a full time, active capacity regardless of her Reserve Force status, she held various operational positions onboard manyHMC Ships such as Deck Officer, Operations Officer and Executive Officer and in 2011, Christine accepted an offer to transfer to the Regular Force where she is still an active serving member with the RCN.
Christine has been trained in a variety of military disciplines and holds the following qualifications: Route Survey Operations, Maritime Coastal Operations, Advanced Maritime Warfare, Advanced Mine Warfare, Psychological Operations, Information Operations (Canada, UK & NATO), Harassment Advisors, Unit Ethics Coordinator, NATO Gender Advisor. Her education has earned her a diploma in Accounting Technology from Holland College and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Prince Edward Island.
When Christine is not working she enjoys any activity that gets her in, on or under the water and is a certified diver both with PADI as an Open Water Diver and with TDI as an Advanced Diver, is qualified as Pleasure Craft Operator and since 2024, an active member of Rowing PEI.
Aoife Guilfoyle – PSO Administrative Coordinator
Aoife Guilfoyle, our PSO Admin Coordinator, has always been driven to challenge herself. With a background in karate, she decided to try something new and took up rowing. Aoife’s willingness to embrace new experiences highlights her commitment to personal growth and continuous learning. Here, she is seen in our coastal quad, demonstrating her dedication to trying new skills.