Welcome to the Water

Austin Schell is the CEO of PORT 32 Marinas and serves on its Board of Directors. Austin believes that great customer experience starts with the people of PORT 32 and our desire to bring PORT 32 members an unparalleled level of service within the marine industry.

Austin has held many executive leadership positions over his career. His diverse industry experience includes client services, transportation and logistics, consumer healthcare, environmental services, and real estate. Prior to PORT 32, Austin was the President and COO of XOJET, the largest on-demand private jet services platform in North America, backed by TPG and Mubadala Investment Company. During his six-year leadership tenure at XOJET, Austin and his team of talented colleagues delivered industry-leading growth and profitability to investors and built a high-performance, customer-centric company culture. Other senior executive roles include COO of Modern Fertility and CFO of Wildlands. Prior to his experience building businesses as an operating executive, Austin served as a private equity investment professional at Parthenon Capital in San Francisco. He began his career in investment banking at UBS Investment Bank in New York City.

Austin is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Virginia. When he’s not working or at home with family, Austin is often found cheering on his kids’ sports teams, traveling to see old friends, or offshore fishing.

Kishan Desai serves as the Vice President of Acquisitions at PORT 32 Marinas. Prior to joining PORT 32, he was Director of Acquisitions at Safe Harbor Marinas, where he led or assisted in over $1 billion worth of marina acquisitions. With extensive experience in operations, capital markets, and financial planning and analysis, Kishan leverages his hospitality upbringing and holistic marina experience to drive value for PORT 32 members by expanding the network through quality assets and personnel. Kishan completed his Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in finance from Louisiana Tech University.

Chelsea leads people strategy, talent, development, and workplace efforts as VP of Human Resources. With over 15 years of experience in the hedge fund, private equity, and tech startup space, she brings expertise in people operations, organizational effectiveness, talent development, and talent acquisition. Chelsea has a track record of delivering tangible business outcomes through managing change, leading teams, and partnering with senior leadership to deliver growth-driven solutions. She is passionate about building high-performing teams and creating a culture of excellence. Chelsea previously worked at two tech startups, where she was Head of People Operations and Chief of Staff. Before that, she worked in various people, operation, and strategy roles at a global New York-based hedge fund for 12 years. Chelsea graduated from The College of Charleston with a BS in International Business. She lives in Charleston with her husband and two boys.

Bruce Wallace is the Director of Operations for PORT 32 Marinas. Bruce began his carrier in the marine industry in 1990 as the Boatyard Manager for Ripley Light Marina in Charleston, SC. Bruce attended Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville, Indiana. Prior to the formation of PORT 32, Bruce was the Director of Operations for Atlantic Marina Holdings for 13 years. Over the last 30 years Bruce has worked in many areas of the marine industry from Dockmaster, Boat Yard Manager, General Manager to his current position as Director of Operations. Bruce serves on several marina regime boards in the PORT 32 portfolio. Additionally, Bruce has worked as a consultant for dock builders, penned articles in national publications on segments of the marine industry, and has formed and served as a multi-year board member on several fishing tournaments to benefit local charitable organizations.

Mike Vinson brings a wide base of experience in the marine industry to PORT 32 Marinas. Over the last 15 years, he has worked from the service end of the industry to his current position as VP of Operations for Florida. Mike has a vast knowledge of marina designs and operations. He has taken facilities with poor operational footprints, redesigning upland storage facilities to become more efficient and safer. He was the team leader on the renovations of our Palm Beach Gardens wet slips renovations. Additionally, Mike has been instrumental in the total redesign of our Fort Lauderdale boatyard and wet slip service facility. Mike's oversight of day-to-day operations has helped the Florida facilities to reach higher revenues due to increased occupancy and expense controls.

Leading PORT 32 Marinas’ Florida West operations, Chris' tenure is marked by a strategic approach to marina management, focusing on redevelopment projects and operational excellence.  The knowledge gained from an MBA in Business Administration, combined with years in the marine industry, reinforces his development of in-water and dry-stack marina management, ensuring a seamless customer experience and robust business growth Chris started his marina career at Brewer Yacht Yards and progressed through increasingly more responsibility at Safe Harbor Marinas to his current regional leadership role at PORT 32. His focus has always been on enhancing marina operations, service departments, rental operations, and redevelopment projects. His goal is to constantly reinforce PORT 32's reputation as a leader in the marine industry.

Jeremy Enck has been in the marina industry for over 25 years. He started like a lot of our General Managers working summers on a fuel dock. He graduated from Southern Illinois University and has continued to grow his career in the marina industry. Jeremy has operated marinas in Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. He recently received his Certified Marina Manager certification from AMI and enjoys networking at numerous marina conferences throughout the year. Prior to joining PORT 32, Jeremy managed multiple properties for Safe Harbor, including Safe Harbor Aqualand, the largest inland lake marina in the United States.  Jeremy joined PORT 32 in June 2023 as the General Manager of Tierra Verde, and was recently promoted to Regional Vice President. He currently lives on the West Coast of Florida with his wife Kelly.

Brian Leimbach is the contract CIO/CTO of Port32 Marinas, where he specializes in optimizing IT strategies and improving operational efficiency. With a strong passion for innovation, he helps businesses harness technology for rapid growth. Brian is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience in guiding technology teams, collaborating with partners, and developing world-class solutions. He holds a BS in Computer Science and an MBA in Business Administration, with a focus on Entrepreneurship.

Virginia Kirwan has over 20 years of marketing leadership experience working for Moet Hennessy, Belvedere Vodka and Goldman Sachs. She has been instrumental in creating both consumer and trade programming to grow brand image and profitability by managing marketing, sales, digital, public relations & events and CRM. Virginia and her family are avid boating enthusiasts, and she has enjoyed taking her skillset to a passion of hers with her role at PORT 32.