Kate Gaffney began her career by earning degrees in Computer Science and Economics from Brown University. She worked in the software industry for many years, starting as a developer and progressing to managing large-scale commercial software development projects. She went back to school for MA teaching credentials and began a second career in education.

 

Ms. Gaffney is a certified math and science teacher by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has spent the past 18 years teaching in a broad range of capacities. She first taught math and science full-time at Trottier Middle School in Southborough, MA and went on to teach math at the Archway School and the Head-Royce School, independent schools in Northern California. She has also taught SAT and ACT prep classes through Ames Seminars, as well as through her own tutoring business. Prior to her role at Cape Cod Academy, she taught math part-time at Falmouth Academy. She continues to tutor students privately, primarily in middle-school and high-school math subjects as well as SAT and ACT prep.

Rob Hurd is Director of Sailing Operations at Cape Cod Academy. Prior to joining CCA, Coach Hurd was the Head Sailing Coach and Waterfront Director at Tabor Academy. Over his tenure, he celebrated eight national championships and over 40 New England championships with several other podium finishes. He recently surpassed 500 wins as Head Sailing Coach. He has worked with hundreds of students in his 35-year high school career, developing many future college All-Americans. 

 

Coach Hurd is also one of only five Master Instructor Trainers in the country. Appointed by US Sailing, the US governing body of the sport of sailing, Master Instructor Trainers work closely with the National Faculty to create a modern, adaptable, national curriculum to introduce sailing and racing to a new generation of sailors. In this role, Coach Hurd is responsible for training the individuals who go on to train the sailing instructors.

 

Through CCA’s several enrichment opportunities, including its Seminar Program and Winterim, Coach Hurd introduces the US Sailing Level-1 Instructor Program into the CCA curriculum. This makes Cape Cod Academy the only school in the country licensed to run such a program. Coach Hurd also works closely with the Massachusetts Environmental Police to conduct boating safety courses.

 

In addition to teaching math and physics, Coach Hurd’s primary responsibilities as Director of Sailing Operations include managing the school’s fleet of boats and providing shore side support, enhanced scheduling, and college placement assistance for our athletes who want to compete at the next level. All of this helps CCA foster, attract, and retain talent. His goal is to make the day-to-day operations flow smoothly, create a seamless transition from the growing middle school program to varsity sailing, and to generate the best possible experience for our athletes.

 

Hurd is a graduate of Middlesex School and Bowdoin College. He has a Masters in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College and a Masters in Emergency Management from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He lives in West Dennis with his wife and two children. He is currently the Administrator of the Southern Mass Sailing Association, serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the New England Schools Sailing Association (NESSA), and is Vice President of the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), the national governing body of high school sailing.