President of the Board of Directors

Elisa M. Santoro is President of the Board of Directors and has served on the Board of Directors since 2021.  

Elisa is a graduate of University of Rhode Island with a degree in English Literature and has earned a Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in New York and California. Elisa is an Attorney in Locust Valley, specializing in Estate Planning, Real Estate, and Land Use. Elisa is an avid rower and tennis player and loves sailing with her husband and their two daughters.

Executive Director

George J. Ellis is the WaterFront Center’s Executive Director. He and his wife Susan have been residents of the Town of Oyster Bay for 22 years, raising two children. George is an avid sailor and competes on the waters of Oyster Bay and beyond. A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in Economics, George has spent his career in capital markets working for investment banks.

Education Director

Cameron was born and raised in Huntington, Long Island. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marine Biology from the University of Maine and spent a “Semester at the Sea” at the Darling Marvel Center.

After college, he spent six years working as an outdoor educator/naturalist for Nassau County BOLES. In 2012, Cameron became a Bay Buccaneer instructor at the WFC; after that, he was asked to stay on as the Education Director. Additionally, Cameron is the WFC’s Site Coordinator for the Cornell Cooperative Horseshoe Crab Study and is the main caretaker of all marine animals living in the classroom touch tanks.

Cameron is a US Sailing REACH coordinator and Boy Scouts of America Merit badge Counselor and is First Aid/CPR Certified. He serves as a judge for the Long Island Environment and for the New York Science and Math Association high school poster competition.

Sailing Director

Cormac grew up sailing in Centerport, NY. He started sailing at the age of 8 in the Opti, transitioned into the C420 when he was 14, but found his love for the sport during a short campaign in the 470. Growing up, his High School sailing team practiced at The Waterfront Center, which led to him racing on the WFC Junior Big Boat Team. He has most recently been active in the laser class and the match racing circuit.

Cormac started coaching at The Waterfront Center in 2018 as an Opti intermediate coach. He became the Opti race coach in Fall 2018 and continued with the group until 2020. That year Cormac was promoted to Head Instructor where he gave support to all the different sailing programs throughout the Summer. Cormac has also been coaching the High School Sailing Program since 2020 and can’t wait for another great season.

Cormac has his First Aid/CPR, U.S. Sailing Level 1, SafeSport, HeadsUp, US Safe Powerboating, and NASBLA certifications.

Marketing Director

Shannon grew up in Oyster Bay and received a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing from Binghamton University in 2019. She has been working for The Waterfront Center for 6 years in various positions from Educator to Communications Coordinator.

During her time at The WaterFront Center, she has taught over 500 children of all ages from various schools around Long Island and New York City about marine, environmental, and biological sciences. When she was younger she loved going sailing with her father and has continued her education in sailing here with us at The Waterfront Center.

Her passions include reading, writing, filming, being on the water, and rugby.

Development Coordinator

Jamé grew up in Hauppauge NY, spending all of her summers on the south shore waters on her parent’s powerboat. She attended Hofstra University after receiving a BA in TV Production, she moved to the city and started her career working for CNN. Her passions moved her back to Long Island, Bayville where she lives today with her husband and 3 children. Jamé has worked in development for over 16 years including work with a community service organization and non-profit school for children with developmental disabilities.

Jamé has always lived near the water and has enjoyed spending time swimming, kayaking, and boating. She is active in Glen Cove as a Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Treasurer of the Interagency Council.

Program Coordinator

Katie grew up in Bayville on Long Island, where she spent most of her summers on the water with her family. Growing up, she went water skiing, swimming, and fishing in the Harbor. In High School, Katie was a lifeguard at Center Island Bay. Her past work in the hospital and doctor's office has taught her that she loves to work with the public and is passionate about community outreach.

Katie is the Program Coordinator at The WaterFront Center. She is excited to share her love of the water with others in her community and looks forward to more adventures with The Waterfront Center!

Waterfront Coordinator

Max grew up in Huntington and graduated from Whiteman High School. As a child, he grew up fishing on his boat with his family in Huntington and Oyster Bay Harbors. Max previously worked as the Dock Master at OBMC, where he was responsible for moorings, boats, and dock activities. At The WaterFront Center, Max handles the day-to-day activities on the dock, our fleet, and the yard. In his spare time, he loves to relax with his family, especially his daughter.

Head Educator

Lauren is a South Shore native from West Islip. She attended the University of Rhode Island and received a B.S. in Marine Biology. During her undergrad, she spent a semester in Bermuda, where she performed her own independent research on coral restoration. Following college, in 2017, she became an educator and strives to inspire children and adults of all ages to share her enthusiasm for marine life and conservation.

Growing up on the water, Lauren was drawn to all water activities such as paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming. While she’s still a novice sailor, her continuing eagerness to learn makes her just as much of a student as it does a teacher here.

When she’s not out on the water or teaching, she loves painting, hiking, photography, and spending time with her dog Kismet.