About The SAAA
Board of Directors
The SAAA Board of Directors are volunteers who dedicate their free time to making sure games are run well and athletes get the best experience possible.
Officers
President
Eddie Brown
Eddie Brown has participated in highland games as an athlete, judge, announcer, and athletic director since 2012.
Vice President
Grant Leslie
A lifelong attendant of highland festivals. After spending many years as a spectator, he jumped into competing in Highland Games in 2022. Later in 2023, he became a certified SAAA judge.
Outside of competitions, he coordinates the High Desert Drylanders throwing group in the Inland Empire. He is always encouraging new throwers to try out this great sport and join an amazing community.
Born and raised in the Inland Empire, Grant currently resides in Ontario with his wife, and women's masters thrower, Lisa.
Secretary
Rose Doyle Mason
Rose Doylemason fell in love with the Games when her family moved to Pleasanton in 2006; her whole family attends every year as a clan. As a track and field athlete, Rose threw discus (and, begrudgingly, shot put) at a highly competitive level through college, where she attended Cal Poly SLO as a walk-on NCAA Division One athlete. A relatively recent addition to the SFV Underlanders practice squad, Rose has become obsessed with the sport in short order.
Away from the field, Rose is an accomplished professional trombonist, performing orchestral, jazz, and commercial music across the country. She has worked in music and arts administration for nearly a decade. Rose has certifications as a Master Barista and a Cicerone (a beer sommelier), and has a deep love of languages, reading, and her cat, Cat King Cole.
Treasurer
Jon O'Neil
Jon started competing in the Highland games in 2008 after an illustrious college track and field career, earning Division 1 All-American honors and competing at many NCAA and National Championships as well as at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Trials. As a Highland games competitor he quickly moved up the ranks of the "A" class and won the Amateur Championships at Pleasanton before moving up to the professional class, where he won the IHGF World Team Championship with teammate Dan McKim in 2012 and finished 7th at the IHGF World Championships in 2013.
In 2019 he moved to the Masters class and finished 2nd at the Masters World Championships in 2019 and 3rd in 2021. Jon lives in Foothill Ranch, CA with his wife, Katie, his son, Bradley and his daughter, Kiley. Jon has worked in the legal field for over 20 years.
Webmaster
Francis Cullen
An A class highland games competitor, Francis is a full-time professional enterprise Software Engineer and Architect.
Originally from the East Coast, Francis lives in Escondido with his wife Sara, and two sons Van and Riker.
Members At Large
Board Member At Large
Karl Gehrke
Karl began his throwing career in high school with track and field and continued throwing in community college and then at Northern Arizona University. He has been participating in the Highland games since 2007, culminating in a lightweight world championship in 2019. Beyond throwing he has coached high school, college, and professional throwers in track and Highland Games.
Born and raised in California, he currently lives in Escondido with his wife and daughter.
Board Member At Large
Steven Squires
Steven has competed in Highland Games since 2023. As a heavy athlete, even without prior experience, Steven rose through the ranks and is now the #2 ranked thrower in his entire household — second only to his wife, Erin. Steven serves as the unofficial manager of the Orange County Highlanders, overseeing everything from social media to merchandise. He holds an Executive MBA from Washington State University and has a robust background in Marketing, Sales, and Business Operations.
As a board member, Steven's mission is to sharpen the SAAA brand, elevate media presence, and ensure the Highland Games experience is world-class for athletes and fans alike.
Board Member At Large
Evan Engh
Evan has competed in the Highland Games since 2023 and has loved the games since he camped out at the Seaside Games in 2006. He is working toward becoming a certified SAAA judge. Outside of competition, Evan is a Mechanical Engineer with experience in enclosure and hydraulic design for both aerospace/defense and entertainment industries.
Evan has a love for video games, grounded sci-fi, and fantasy novels. His dog Maggie is also an enthusiastic representative.
Board Member At Large
Travis Stine
Get Involved
Interested in Joining the Board?
Keep an eye out for our next board election and consider running for a position. We're always looking for passionate community members.
Contact the Board