With over 30 years of experience in the marine industry, Mark is a licensed and bonded yacht broker in California and serves as the National Sales Manager and Broker of Record for WS Yacht Brokes. He has put thousands of happy families into boats and yachts and has worked in different capacities, including as the Finance Manager for Silver Seas Yachts and the Financial Services Manager for Alexander Marine USA. Most recently, Mark was the West Coast Sales Manager for Denison Yachting.
Born and raised in Wyoming, Mark and his family had a small boat dealership that sold and serviced lake and river boats. While attending the University of Wyoming, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, Mark remained in the marine industry by working as an independent representative for several water-sport companies such as Hydrodyne Boats, HO Water Skis, and Eagle Wetsuits. During his time at Olympic Boat Centers, Mark worked his way up from a single store General Manager to the Regional Manager overseeing all operations for the 6 Southern California boat and yacht dealerships. He was also on the board of directors for the Southern California Marine Association, and currently serves as the President and Boat Show Chairman for the CYBA, (California Yacht Brokers Association).
Vice-President
Dean West
Ethics Committee Chairman
Advocacy & Legislative Committee Chairman
Cell: 619-417-9378
Email: ethics@cyba.info
Dean A. West rejoins the current Board, having served on & off at various times over the past 30 years, including as president. Dean has served in a number of capacities on the CYBA Board, currently as Vice President, Chair of both the Ethics Committee and of the Advocacy and Legislation Committee. In Dean’s role as the Ethics chairman, he was instrumental in the rewriting and updating of the CYBA’s industry-acclaimed Code of Ethics. Dean writes columns for The CYBA News, delving into individual ethics topics, best practices, and industry pitfalls.
In his role as Advocacy and Legislative Chair, Dean represents the CYBA’s interests on local, state and national fronts, including the American Boating Congress in Washington DC and the California Boating Congress in Sacramento. Dean also serves on the newly energized Boat Show Committee, working to launch the CYBA’s exciting new Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show.
Dean was a founding member of the San Diego Superyacht Association, an early member of the Certification Advisory Council (CAC) of the CPYB program, and one of the first Certified Professional Yacht Brokers (CPYB) in California. Dean sat on the Board of the International Yacht Council (IYC) and has interacted with brokerage and recreational boating groups throughout the US.
Dean is a proud, two-time recipient of the esteemed Merle Parke award, the highest award presented by the CYBA.
Having grown up on the Great Lakes, Dean got his first boat at five years of age, and since then has been involved in numerous facets of recreational boating including construction, captaining, racing, and selling new and used power & sail boats. Over the years he has cruised the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Sea of Cortez, Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, much of the Great Loop, and even the Nile!
Dean is the president of Dean A. West Marine Enterprises. When business allows, Dean and his partner Pamela divide their time between San Diego, their island home in Northern Michigan, and travelling.
Peter was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. He was 5 years old when his father, godfather and their best friend purchased a 1907 Friendship Sloop. He joined the crew cruising up into Canada as an 8-year-old and has been a boater ever since.
Peter moved to California and continued sailing on San Francisco Bay. In 1986 Peter joined Jack Barr Yachts as sales manager, representing Choy Lee & Hylas sailboats and and an active brokerage fleet of power and sailboats.
The following year he was enticed by Michael Han, Manager of Sea Ray Boats of San Diego to move to Southern California. He sold five new Sea Rays his first day on the job and was soon named brokerage Manager. Peter has managed offices for some of the biggest companies in the business and recently opened San Diego Yacht Sales.
As Past President, Peter serves as the Treasurer and is also involved with the Boat Show Committee. Peter supports building our Association and working with the Show Promoters to bring better experiences to our Members and Customers.
One of Peter’s goals is to get more people out on the water and encourage current owners to use their boats more often.
Mik’s desire to return to the CYBA Board was driven by the problems our industry is facing today and is hoping to be a part of a new approach to presenting our services to an emerging young demographic of excited recreational boating families.
Discharged from the USAF, Mik used his computer training for work until completing his college degree at San Francisco State College, then worked with a national corporation, managing 40 independently owned dealer outlets.
Following a stint of motivational training to industry, he entered the sales side of the marine industry and has been a licensed salesman and broker for 42 years. During that time, owning his own business and managing others.
Currently Mik is a Broker serving as a salesperson for Richard Boland Yachts in Northern California.
He has been recognized nationally for his efforts in marine safety and has worked closely with the California Division of Boating & Waterways & USCG.
Credentials and/or accomplishments:
- Licensed California Marine Salesperson/Broker (Since 1982)
- Past Licensed Marine Insurance Agent
- President & Board Member, Northern California Marine Association
- Past President, California Yacht Broker’s Association
- California/Nevada Boating Safety Council (charter member)
- National Association of Boating Safety Administrators Award Recipient
- Host, Clear Channel’s ‘The Boating Show’
- President, Lions Club, Mokelumne Hill, CA
- Merle B Parke Award Recipient (CYBA)
Mik has sold over 30 million dollars in recreational vessels and has many clients counted as best friends to this day.
May every day you spend on the water be your best day…
Jim is a lifelong boater with a passion for sailing. He grew up in upstate New York where his family had a 48-foot Chris-Craft Roamer and started his boating on the shores of Lake Ontario. After graduating from the State University of New York at Oswego, Jim moved to New York City, and worked in the financial district in Manhattan for 11 years. The weekends were spent on a 19” bowrider on the South Shore of Long Island.
In 1994, Jim was transferred to Southern California and started sailing competitively in earnest in the Wednesday night twilight series in Marina del Rey. After crewing for several successful campaigns, He purchased his first racing sailboat in 2005 whereas it and all future boats would be called Huckleberry.
In 2008 he was bitten by the one design racing bug and purchased a Farr30 and raced in the grand prix one design fleet, culminating with the 2012 World Championships in San Francisco. Jim joined the Farr40 class in 2014 and raced in the world championships in Long Beach and San Francisco.
Since 2016 Jim has been actively involved in the J/70 class and racing an active campaign. He is past president of the US class. He competed in the 2016 World Championships in San Francisco, and 2018 Worlds in Marblehead, MA. As US class president he helped bring the 2021 Worlds to Marina del Rey and was able to compete in Los Angeles.
He is currently an active member of both the California Yacht Club and the King Harbor Yacht Club where he is a Staff Commodore.
Jim became a yacht salesman in 2017 after a 34-year career in sales for the printing industry. The printing industry changed almost overnight, forcing a career change. Yacht sales seemed to be a natural progression. Jim started at JK3 Yachts in San Diego and then moved to Denison Yachting. After 4 years with Denison Jim decided to go out on his own and started Murrell Yachts.
Jim’s sales philosophy begins with his belief in establishing long lasting relationships with customers and strives to do what is best for each customer based on desires, budgets, and goals for boating, be it power or sail. He uses a consultative approach to find out what is driving his clients to either sell their existing boat or purchase a new vessel. He will meet with each customer for a talk on desires, goals, and budgets. Once a deal is complete, Jim will continue to be available for all general support as a resource for answers, training and assistance with all vendors.
Jim is not only a sailor. When Jim is not running Murrell Yachts or out sailing, you can find him on his Silverton 35 Sportfisher cruising to Catalina Island with his wife Diane.
Director
Nick Friedman
CPYB
Forms Committee Chairman
Office: 310.547.4416
Cell: 310.748.5409
Fax: 310.547.4258
Email: yachtbroker@pacbell.net
Nick is president of the Shoreline Yacht Group, comprised of San Pedro Yachts in San Pedro and Pacific Sailing and Motor Yacht Sales in Long Beach. Nick learned to sail in the Sea Scouts in San Francisco as a boy and has enjoyed boating for much of his life.
He began his career selling boats in 1995 and in 1998 purchased San Pedro Yachts. He and his staff have dedicated themselves to helping each of their client’s dreams of boating come true.
Nick has been a CYBA member since 1999 and joined the board of directors in 2006. He was president of the CYBA in 2008 and is proud to have been the 2011 recipient of the Merle Parks award for dedicated service to the California yacht industry, the highest award given by the CYBA.
Director
Wayne Goldman
Membership Committee Chairman
Cell: 510-759-8481
Email: wayne@atomictunayachts.com
Wayne has been around water his whole life and has sailed most of the waters of the world. He started out on his dad’s “huge” 21’ Chris Craft Woodie cabin-cruiser when he was still in diapers. He cried when his mom made his dad sell the boat to spend more time with the family. Once he had boating on his mind, he spent every chance he could on the lakes and rivers of upstate New York. Once he found the ocean when he went to college in New Hampshire, there was no turning back, buying and sailing boats wherever he went. He eventually ended up in California in a corporate job, but that did not stop him from buying his first cruising sailboat, a brand new Tayana 42’. During the next thirty years, Wayne would work a real job for a few years, then escape and go cruising for a few years.
Wayne has spent the last 20+ years in the marine industry, selling boating equipment to boat builders all over the world and doing international and local boat shows on the east and west coast. He has extensive experience with catamarans and has visited most of the catamaran factories around the world. He was instrumental in the early days of electric propulsion, while working Glacier Bay.
Wayne earned his 100 ton USCG Masters license in 1990 and worked as a paid Captain for deliveries and long term jobs on both sail and power boats in many parts of the world. His most recent delivery was from South Africa to Florida on a 58’ sailboat that took 57 days.
For the past 9+ years, Wayne has focused his passion on helping other, like-minded boaters find the boat of their dream. With his vast knowledge of boats, and understanding of what boaters are looking for, Wayne has been successfully finding the right boats for hundreds of boaters. Wayne started selling boats for a local San Francisco broker, then started his own brokerage, Atomic Tuna Yachts in 2017. He has since acquired two brokerages in the Bay area, Farallone Yachts and Pacific Yacht Imports and runs two locations in Alameda with seven salespeople. He has been on the forefront of internet marketing and raising the bar of the brokerage industry.
Wayne looks forward to representing all yacht brokers to help make our industry better.
With 30 years of experience in the marine industry, and 25 years of experience as a broker in California, plus a Florida sales license, Chirs has faced a lot of the challenges everyone faces firsthand.
Owner and Broker of Record of West Coast Yachts in Newport Beach, Chris also has the experience of a new boat dealer and running a yacht services company.
This is his career, and he wants to make sure it stays strong, vibrant, and sustainable for the future. Some of the concerns Chris feels are impacting the industry in its ability to grow and be successful are the aging of people in the business, as well as the shortage of new skilled labor, from mechanics to surveyors. He also believes it’s important to support smaller brokerages, especially as larger companies start to dominate the market.
Chris hopes his position on the Board of Directors will put him in a position to be a part of the solution in solving issues faced today in the brokerage community and feels it’s time to give a little back to the industry that has given so much to him so that it can remain successful for years to come.
Charles Ullman is a sailor who was born and raised in Southern California and grew up in the marine industry. As the son of legendary racer and sailmaker David Ullman, Chuck was raised learning the ropes on the water, first learning sailing in sabots, followed by racing dinghies and 29er skiffs. In high school and at St Mary’s College of Maryland, he traveled across the country racing against the top varsity sailing teams and competed in national championships while working summers as a yacht club instructor.
He got his start in the marine industry by working at a local marine hardware store while also learning the family business in the Ullman Sails loft. During late afternoons and at weekend regattas, he worked coaching the young sailors of the Long Beach Wilson HS and Chapman University teams. He often cruised to Catalina on his own classic restored Islander 32 and raced in the local summer series.
Ullman Yacht Sales was created in 2020 as a partnership between Chuck and Michael Darr, with the vision of giving quality service to sailors searching for their dream yacht or just taking the first step onto the world of boating. They specialize in sailboats but have a sales team full of specialists that are experienced and knowledgeable with all sizes and makes of yachts.
Charles has been a master member for nearly 2 years and is honored to have the opportunity to serve on the CYBA Board of Directors and help lead the way in shaping the future of such an esteemed association. Serving as a Director for the Board, Charles is fully committed to advancing CYBA’s mission of promoting the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and cooperation within the yacht brokerage industry in California.
Executive Director
Ty Mellott
Cell: 925-588-8929
Email: TyCyba@gmail.com
CYBA Mailing Address:
California Yacht Brokers Association
P.O. Box 2323
Martinez, CA 94553-8777
Ty Mellott grew up boating in Wyoming of all places! Ty’s love of boating and all things water became apparent quite quickly and he is familiar with sailing but admittedly his heart lies in the powerboat world. Having owned both larger boats and a handful of smaller boats you will more than likely find him enjoying his time on the water powered by a throttle vs. the wind. Whether it be on the water or off, most of his time is spent with his family and six grandchildren.
When not on the water, Ty can be found in various outdoor activities, of which none are more important than coaching his oldest granddaughter’s softball team.
Prior to moving to Northern California’s Bay Area, Ty lived in Florida as well as Southern California. He worked for Delta Airlines and prior to that spent 4 years in the U.S. Navy with nearly three of those years aboard the USS Missouri (BB63).
Ty Mellott has been involved in the marine industry since 1997, working for Recreation Publications. Working primarily on Bay & Delta Yachtsman magazine covering Northern California boating topics that involve not only the recreational boater but items of interest involving the industry as well. With the title of Co-Publisher for the past 15 years, Ty has continued to provide content and material of interest for his Nor-Cal readership. Ty served on the board of directors to the Northern California Marine Association for a total of 9 years. He served as President for one year and chaired several committees (including various boat show committees).
Currently serves as Past President of the California Delta Chambers and Visitors Bureau where he has been involved since 2006. Ty enjoys serving the CYBA Board of Directors and the CYBA membership. He looks forward to upholding the proven standards of the association and assisting the continued grow moving forward.
Thomas A. Russell has been the Senior Advisor to the California Yacht Brokers Association for two decades. A nationally-recognized maritime lawyer, Russell currently serves as is the Port Attorney for the Unified Port of San Diego. Prior to that he served for a decade as General Counsel to the Port of Los Angeles. He is past chair of the Recreational Boating Committee of The Maritime Law Association of the United States. Russell is a contributing author to several national publications, including Benedict on Admiralty and Moore’s Federal Practice. After serving as a law clerk to Justice Robert Kingsley of the California Court of Appeals, Russell studied dispute resolution at the Harvard Law School. Russell is a Proctor in Admiralty of The Maritime Law Association of the United States, is listed in Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who in America, and holds an “AV” peer-review rating from Martindale-Hubbell for achieving the highest standards of legal ethics and competence. Russell received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Southern California Law School.