Rick’s wife, partner, and co-pilot of more than 27 years, and mother to their two sons. Tracey is a hospitality professional with experience in restaurant management, training, and data analytics. Tracey holds a BS in Business Administration/Marketing from Northeastern University in Boston and a Master’s of Management in Hospitality from Cornell’s Hotel School. Her goal is twofold: to support those with the same sense of curiosity, adventure, leadership, and desire to do more as Rick, and to ease pain and suffering in Rick’s memory.

RADM (ret.) Samuel P. De Bow, Jr., long-time friend and mentor of Rick, is currently the Vice President of Lynker Technologies directly supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Coast Survey as the Enterprise Product Manager. RADM De Bow retired from active duty in 2007 after close to 30 years of service. He was the prior Director of the NOAA Commissioned Corps and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. His active duty career focused on NOAA’s mission to ensure safe navigation. After his distinguished NOAA career, Sam moved on to be Director of the Center of Excellence for Research on Offshore Renewable Energy at the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography prior to joining the Lynker team.

Lorraine is a friend, colleague, former classmate and professional right hand of Rick. She has been with NOAA for over 20 years and is currently the Deputy Director of NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS). Previously, Lorraine worked as a cartographer in the Coast Pilot Branch, a physical scientist in OCS' Hydrographic Systems and Technology branch, as the OCS project and portfolio manager, and most recently as the Deputy Chief of OCS' Hydrographic Surveys Division. She holds a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology and German from Smith College, a Master of Science degree in Earth Science, Ocean Mapping from the University of New Hampshire, and a Master's Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. Lorraine does extensive volunteer work, notably as co-chair of the NOAA Fish Fry since 2018.

Longtime family friend, Cheryl has been a part of the NOAA community for more than 30 years. She has served as both president and treasurer on the NOAA Officer Family Association’s board, as a Board member of NMFA and is currently serving on the Maryland Council for MOAA as Spouse and Surviving Spouse Liaison. She owns her own Yoga business and stays fit by walking and showing two active Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. She holds a BS from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Longtime colleague of Rick’s, Leslie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences at The College of Charleston. Leslie has been teaching marine geology at CofC for 30 years and heads up the seafloor mapping program, BEAMS where students learn to use state-of-the-art multibeam sonar data processing software to map and characterize the seafloor. Leslie holds Geology degrees from Tufts University (BS) and the University of South Carolina (MS and PhD), and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Aside from conducting research and teaching at the college level, she has developed academic marine programs for middle and high school teachers and students and has earned numerous awards including the S.C Marine Educator of the Year in 2001 and 2018, and the 2002 National Marine Educators Association’s Marine Education Award.

Jeremy Weirich is a former NOAA Corp officer and friend of Rick. Jeremy recently rejoined NOAA as Director of Ocean Exploration after serving as the Vice President for Corporate Strategy at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), where he led policy and advocacy for planning for the next generation of U.S. cutting-edge telescopes. Prior to his leadership at AURA, he worked on the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Appropriations in the position of Majority Clerk for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Jeremy is not new to the world of ocean exploration, as prior to joining the U.S. Senate, he served in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps aboard ocean-going research and hydrographic vessels and coordinated underwater expeditions for NOAA Ocean Exploration. He also served as a Maritime Archaeological Program Officer. He graduated with a BS in Ocean Studies from Maine Maritime Academy and received an MSc in Maritime Archaeology from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.

Classmates, Roommates, Brothers, Lee and Rick met on a hot August day in 1986 as knobs their freshman year at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. It was the beginning of a four-year journey in a living lab that fostered the growth of principled leaders and a friendship that would span thirty-five years and counting.

Lee is currently a member of the Executive Committee and Controller for Atlantic Building Components & Service (ABCS), a manufacturer of roof trusses & floor joists supporting national and large regional builders.

Prior to moving into manufacturing, Lee started out as a staff accountant in the industrial and electrical distribution industry where he spent the next thirty years serving in numerous capacities and disciplines including Corporate Operations Manager, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Director of Finance.