Seattle, WA – Seattle-based sister brands, InnerSea Discoveries and American Safari Cruises, announce Jeff Kalbach as master of InnerSea Discoveries’ expedition ship m/v Wilderness Adventurer, Debbie Reid as operations assistant to company CEO Dan Blanchard and Yin Chan as accounting and human resources clerk.
“The skill sets these three bring to the company will help ensure the success of our operations,” said Capt. Dan Blanchard, CEO. “Jeff is a captain known for attention to detail and guest needs. Debbie has stellar organizational skills and extensive experience in the small ship cruise industry. And Yin brings excellent analytical skills and knowledge of accounting procedures.”
As master of the 49-guest Wilderness Adventurer cruising in Alaska, Kalbach is responsible for all operations on board the ship including crew management. Kalbach has15 years experience as master and operations manager in the small ship cruise industry including Seabird Cruises, American Classic Voyages and Lindblad Expeditions. Most recently, he served as master aboard private yacht m/y Orion, a 125-foot classic Feadship operating on the west coast. His interests include marine mammal research, environmental education and conservation, diving and travel. He is a PADI open water scuba instructor and holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and agronomy from California Polytechnic State University.
Debbie Reid joins the team as operations assistant to Chief Executive Officer Dan Blanchard. Reid oversees organizational aspects of the operations team and ensures timely execution of activities. Reid began her small ship travel career at Lindblad Expeditions in the mid 1990's, holding various vessel- based positions before joining the Seattle operations office. She most recently served as director of operations at travel operator Orbridge LLC.
As accounting and human resources clerk, Yin Chan is responsible for accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll. She also helps coordinate human resource policies and procedures. She most recently served as operations accountant at Cruise West where she also served as air services agent and accounts receivable assistant. Other positions held include clinic assistant at Puget Sound Behavioral Medicine, clinic services representative at Virginia Mason Medical Center and air services supervisor at Princess Cruises and Tours.