Our Team

Meet our team

Charlie Zechel

Executive Director

Phone: (617)523.1038 ext. 12
Email: [email protected]

Charlie has served CBI as Executive Director since 2002. He helped develop the Universal Access Program (UAP) in partnership with the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and successfully advocated to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a complete replacement of the pier and dock facilities at CBI in 2011. He also helped the Junior Program integrate STEM programming including an emphasis on the environment of the Charles River.

He feels the greatest accomplishment during his time at CBI is the steady growth and improvement of CBI’s management team and staff and the quality of the programs that CBI delivers. As Charlie says, “CBI is fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented staff. I can’t imagine working with a better crew.”

Charlie and his wife Mari sail their Contessa 35 sailboat in Narragansett Bay. Charlie has sailed extensively along both east and west coasts, and the Caribbean. He especially loves sailboat racing, from frostbiting Lasers to Informal Friday nights on the Charles.

Sam Peirson

Director of Operations

Phone: (617)523.1038 ext. 16
Email: [email protected]

Sam’s parents put him in a wooden pram at age four; he grabbed the tiller and never looked back. Sailing and boats have been a major part of his life ever since. Hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Cape Cod, he’s been afforded plenty of opportunities to pursue his first love. He spent high school at Tabor Academy on Buzzards Bay racing FJs and 420s while also serving as a Watch Officer on the 92-foot schooner Tabor Boy II, assisting in its return from the Caribbean to the United States. Sam graduated from Eckerd College with a major in political science and a minor in law. He also continued his competitive sailing at the college level and since. Sam has spent seasons coaching, instructing, or managing instructors at several different cape-area summer programs, including Wianno and Beverly YC’s, as well as serving as a racing coach at Lauderdale Yacht Club in south Florida. Sam is a Level 3 certified instructor with the U.S. Sailing Association and possesses a U.S. Coast Guard license. He enjoys team racing, skiing, and big boat racing on Cape Cod.

Sidaulia Lyons

Director of Community Relations

Phone: (617)523.1038 ext. 15
Email: [email protected]

With 15 years at Community Boating and a decade as Director of Community Relations, Sidaulia Lyons is passionate about building meaningful connections between CBI and the greater Boston community. She manages member relations, sponsorships, marketing, event planning, and more, ensuring that CBI’s mission inspires sailors of all ages and abilities. Growing up in nearby Somerville, Sidaulia loved watching sailboats glide across the Charles River, sparking her admiration for CBI’s vision of “Sailing for All.”

Outside the office, Sidaulia enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new events around Boston, relaxing by the water—any water—and is a passionate supporter of all things Boston sports.

Ying Chen

Staff Accountant

Phone: (617)523.1038 ext. 15

Ying immigrated to the United States in 2007. She had worked in an accounting firm as a certified public accountant for 10 years when she was in China. In 2013, Ying joined Community Boating as the new accountant. She enjoys working with the dedicated CBI staff at the best location in all of Boston.