USRowing Foundation Welcomes Three New Trustees

USRowing is proud to announce the appointment of three new Trustees to the USRowing Foundation (USRF): Laura DeBonis, George D. Phipps, and Kurt F. Somerville. With backgrounds spanning nonprofit leadership, fiduciary governance, and elite rowing, the new Trustees strengthen the Foundation’s ability to serve the rowing community at every level.

Together, DeBonis, Phipps, and Somerville further reinforce the USRowing Foundation’s commitment to the long-term sustainability of USRowing, the success of the U.S. national team, and the expansion of opportunity within the sport. 

“It’s an honor to have Laura, George, and Kurt join the USRowing Foundation Board.  Their deep connections within this sport and their collective belief in the importance of supporting the organization and its priorities leading into the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles make them terrific additions to the Foundation,” said USRowing Foundation Vice Chair Andy McLane.

Laura DeBonis

Laura DeBonis is an advisor and consultant to a range of start-ups and serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Public Interest Declassification Board and the Digital Public Library of America. She previously worked at EF Education First and Google and served on task forces at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

Laura’s work focuses on the impact of technology on education, civil society, and democracy, with an emphasis on improving outcomes in each through thoughtful, mission-driven innovation. She holds an A.B. in History and Literature from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Laura rowed in college for an intramural team and in business school for a club team. She and her husband, Scott Nathan, have two teenage children and live in Washington, D.C.

George D. Phipps

George D. Phipps is Chairman of the Board of Bessemer Trust, a leading privately owned and independent family office and wealth management firm serving individuals and families of substantial wealth for more than a century.

Earlier in his career, George was a managing partner at Jasper Ridge Partners, where he co-led the private equity team and focused on the firm’s direct and co-investment activities. He also served as the firm’s chief operating officer. Prior to that, George was a general partner and managing director at Apax Partners (formerly Patricof & Co. Ventures), a global venture capital and private equity firm.

He is a member of the national council of the Environmental Defense Fund and a former member of the advisory council of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. He has served as a trustee of NOLS (formerly the National Outdoor Leadership School) and of The Thacher School.

George earned an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an A.B. in economics from Harvard College (‘86), where he rowed for the Harvard heavyweight team.  He and his family live in Woodside, California.

Kurt F. Somerville

Kurt F. Somerville has more than 30 years of experience advising families and individuals on trust and estate matters. He is a lawyer and trustee at Hemenway & Barnes (Boston, MA), where he helps clients preserve, enhance, and transfer family wealth. His practice includes wealth management, estate, financial, and tax planning, as well as probate matters. Kurt served as managing partner of the firm for many years and, before that, was head of the firm’s trust department. In addition, he was a director and head of the trust committee at the firm’s New Hampshire affiliate, Hemenway Trust Company. Kurt maintains an active practice as a professional fiduciary.

Kurt also advises charitable trusts and foundations on governance and management, including grantmaking, compliance, tax reporting, investment management, and philanthropic program development. He works closely with foundations on strategic planning to support long-term sustainability and impact. 

A Dartmouth College rowing alum (‘79) and lifelong rower, Kurt was a member of the U.S. Men’s Eight for the 1980 Olympic Team, which competed overseas in pre-Olympic regattas but did not race in Moscow due to the U.S. boycott. His boat included Bob Jaugstetter, John Chatzky, Bruce Ibbetson, John Everett, Steve Christensen, Tom Woodman, Charlie Altekruse, Dick Cashin, and Sean Colgan. Kurt is a founder and trustee of Community Rowing, Inc., the largest public access rowing program in Boston and a national model for similar programs. Kurt now competes on the Masters circuit out of Cambridge Boat Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He coaches high school boys' crew and is the proud father of a daughter who rows.

A full list of USRF Trustees can be found here. 

About USRowing Foundation   

The USRowing Foundation is the official fundraising arm of the United States Rowing Association (USRowing) and the U.S. National Team. Trustees of the USRowing Foundation use their personal and professional contacts to grow the USRowing fundraising pipeline– providing opportunities for individuals, foundations, and corporations to support USRowing initiatives and priorities through individual philanthropy and corporate partnerships. For additional information about the USRowing Foundation: tracy.brown@usrowing.org