Amanda Pérez has been educating recreational boaters with the BoatU.S. Foundation for over 13 years. In her current role as Director of Education, she manages the free online boating safety course, specialized courses, website and other online assets and media as well as the team of developers, designers and project managers who keep those programs running.

Amanda serves on the National Education Standards Panel whose mission is to “Establish and maintain recreational boating education standards to increase safety on our nation’s waterways.” In addition, Amanda also serves on the NASBLA Education and Outreach committee, helping to shape boating safety marketing and education best practices.

A lifelong boater, Amanda has spent nearly her entire career working in the boating industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Towson University and a Master of Arts from St. John’s College.

Jeff Wheeler is the deputy chief of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Boat Forces, located at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. The Office of Boat Forces enables mission performance in support of the strategic goals of the Coast Guard, providing human capital and capabilities necessary to effectively operate boats to meet Coast Guard mission requirements.

Wheeler came to the Office of Boat Forces in 2000 while still on active duty, assuming the role of manager, boat crew training and doctrine. In this capacity, he was responsible for the management, oversight and development of the service-wide boat crew training program and boat readiness and standardization program. Wheeler retired from active duty in 2003 and continued to serve the Office of Boat Forces in a civilian capacity. In 2008, he assumed the deputy chief position in which he is responsible for assisting the office chief in the direct supervision, management and strategic development of the Boat Forces program. 
Prior to his assignments within the Office of Boat Forces, Wheeler served at multiple operational field commands throughout the country performing law enforcement, search and rescue, and aids to navigation missions. Wheeler has held numerous operational and boat competencies within the Coast Guard, including Surfman, which have provided him a profound knowledge of boat operations and mission requirements. He attended the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2009.

Wheeler was the recipient of a 2010 Nextgov Award. This is an inaugural program to recognize federal managers who overcame bureaucratic inertia and political resistance to establish innovative processes that improved government operations and citizens’ lives.  

Wheeler won the award for his work with NASBLA in the creation of NASBLA’s Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Program. Through this initiative, he established a single standard of training and credentialing of state, county, local and tribal organizations in support of interoperability and force multiplication. 

Bob is a life member and Past Vice Commander of United State Power Squadrons. He served as USPS National Educational Officer from 2012 through 2015. He also has served four years with the national Public Education Directorate of the United Sates Coast Guard Auxiliary. He is in his third year of service on NASBLA’s Education Standards Panel, and is a past Commissioner of NASBLA’s Certified Recreational Boating Professional program. 

Bob and his wife Jane, also a Past District Commander of USPS, have cruised extensively under sail along the East Coast from Nantucket to Florida. They have also sailed bareboats in the Caribbean, and on cruises along all four coasts. They keep a 35’ sailboat on Lake Erie at the Ashtabula Yacht Club, where Bob is Past Commodore.

Bob is retired corporate banker of Mellon Financial Corp. He now is a boating educator, itinerant jazz musician, and occasional Yoga teacher. He is also a licensed Coast Guard Captain Master of power and sailing vessels on the Great Lakes and Inland waters, and an instrument-trained Private Pilot.