Rome Ventura, Founder
"The spirit of a group of people pushing and encouraging each other to exceed their expectations is what drives me daily. Combine that with a generosity toward community and that’s what Lake Union Crew Outreach Foundation is all about."
Rome is the founder of Lake Union Crew and our Outreach Foundation. Her passion to give back combined with a unique business drive has enabled her to establish an amazing boathouse, develop a competitive crew, and build a community of outreach volunteers. A dedication to coaching and 30 years in real estate development is the perfect background for being able to muster volunteers to raise money, build community centers and share skills.
Her coaching career began in 1996 and Rome’s goal to be the best led her to establish a boathouse and develop nationally and internationally competitive crews. Rowing, perhaps more than any other sport, teaches the importance and joy of working together as a team. Rome both inspires and lives this ethos, and is well known for her leadership skills and ability to have fun. Everyone enjoys her sense of humor while working hard toward a common goal.
Ann Wunderlin, Executive Director
"Devoting my efforts to LUC Outreach Foundation is very natural for me. It is a place where I have both the joy of giving and the ability to share skills and energy to see our outreach projects through to successful completion."
Ann has worked with Lake Union Crew since shortly after it was founded in 1998. She brings her calm authoritative voice, business acumen and wealth of non-profit management experience to the Executive Director position of the Lake Union Crew Outreach Foundation.
After graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor Degree in General Studies she then pursued her MBA at Western Michigan University, majoring in Management Information Systems. Ann later worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, managing the Logistics department for the US Library Program. Now, continuing her career in higher education, she is the Communications and Training Manager for an IT department at the University of Washington.
A lifelong volunteer often cited for her fun-loving contributions and team-building spirit, Ann’s desire to give back started early. As a child, she and her best friend spontaneously canvassed the neighborhood one Labor Day weekend, collecting hundreds of dollars for Jerry’s Kids. More recently, she served on the Board of her children’s school, spearheaded fundraising for various non-profits, supported Seattle’s Global Visionaries Foundation and donated website and accounting consulting services for several small businesses.