MEET OUR STAFF
Administration Team
Trish Alexander
Executive director
Trish Alexander began ice skating in 1972 and was competitive in both singles and pairs events. In 1994, at the age of thirty-four, she took up inline skating and fell in love with it. In 1996 she became a certified skate instructor, and in 2002 she became an examiner for the International Inline Skate Association’s Inline Certification Program (IISA/ICP). She co-wrote the Fitness Inline Training (FIT) manual and taught marathon skating for seven years. She was the director of the MS Skate Marathon for four years out of its eleven-year run. She also took over the Skate Instructors Association (SkateIA) in 2009 and increased membership from 60 people to 270 by 2020. SkateIA now teaches 170,000 classes annually.
Trish started Skate Journeys Skate School in 1999 and it has since become the largest school of its kind in the world. The school offers instruction to both children and adults, including six levels of classes from Beginner to Advanced, as well as specialty classes like slalom and pairs. As the director, Trish has transformed Skate Journeys from a for-profit company into a non-profit organization which serves the community. With the help of the tireless Board of Directors, she continues Skate Journeys’ goal of providing low- and no-cost lessons and equipment to children and adults in the local community who may otherwise not have the opportunity to learn skating.
Cindy Pearlman
Volunteer bookkeeper
Cindy enjoys artistic, trail, and slalom skating on her inline skates and hopes to try quad skates in the future. She enjoys meeting people with diverse backgrounds and sharing the common experience of skating with them. She looks forward to helping make skating more accessible to people of various ages, ability, and walks of life. Outside of skating she likes weekly visits to the Farmer’s Market and daily Nordic walking trips to coffee shops with the neighborhood dog Benny, who had his first bus ride recently.
Tamara Sherry
hr Manager
Tamara has been an avid skater since childhood. Her earliest memory in Oregon is of her mother skating on wooden wheels. She joined Skate Journeys in 2011, taking on roles at the front desk, HR, and teaching weekend classes. Certified at the Skate IA conference in 2012, she has worked with groups like the Seattle Derby Brats and the Meridian School’s Summer Quest Camp. Tamara loves the freedom of skating and is eager to see how Skate Journeys positively impacts the community. She also enjoys all aspects of art.
Joe Walker
Social media & Graphics
Joe Walker has been a SkateIA instructor since 2005, certified in Level 1, Level 2, Skate Park, and Slalom. With years of experience, he enjoys one-on-one sessions, carefully analyzing and adjusting students’ form to help them reach their skating goals efficiently. His personalized approach keeps students supported and motivated while making the learning process enjoyable. Additionally, Joe is a talented graphic and website designer, showcasing a versatile skill set.
Debbie Sumner
Technical Support
Debbie Sumner grew up working for her family’s travel business, managing graphics, website development, and booking trips for clients, while honing her skills in the sports and fitness industry. She is a level three certified professional ski instructor (PSIA) and specializes in training, developing, and certifying instructors in both skiing and inline skating (IISA-ICP, SKATEIA). Additionally, she is a Yoga and Nordic Walking Instructor as well as a Life Mastery Consultant. Debbie expresses her enthusiasm for working with Skate Journeys by saying, “I love having the flexibility to create my own schedule, and I appreciate the sense of community with the staff. We are heard and valued, which allows us to be our true selves.”