The SAAA Board of Directors are volunteers who dedicate their free time to making sure games are run and athletes get the best experience possible.

Interested in joining our board of directors? Keep an eye out for our next election, and run for a position.

Eddie Brown

President

Eddie Brown has participated in highland games as an athlete, judge, Announcer, and athletic director since 2012.

Grant Leslie

Vice President

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.

Rose Doyle Mason

Secretary

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, and is excited to assist the SAAA in strengthening and serving the Highland Games community.

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.

Jon O’Neil

Treasurer

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 competed from 2012 to 2019 and 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. They have 2 cats and a pet fish. Jon has worked in the legal field for over 20 years.

Francis Cullen

Webmaster

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.

Karl Gehrke

Board Member At Large

Karl is new to the board in 2026. He 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/Highland Games.

Born and raised in California he currently lives in Escondido with his wife and daughter

Steven Squires

Board Member At Large

Steven is new to the board in 2026 and has competed in Highland Games since 2023. As a heavy athlete, even without prior experience, Steven rose through the ranks and now is 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 (Go Cougs!) and has a robust background in Marketing, Sales, and Business Operations.

As a board member, Steven’s mission is to leverage his professional toolkit to sharpen the SAAA brand, elevate media presence, and ensure the Highland Games experience is world-class for athletes and fans alike.

Evan Engh

Board Member At Large

Travis Stine

Board Member At Large