President
Matt McCauley
An alumnus of Mercer Island High School, Seattle University (BA, Journalism) and the Seattle University School of Law, Matt has four decades of experience as a business owner, SCUBA diver, local historian, and writer. A certified SCUBA diver since 1979, Matt was co-defendant in US v. Hummel, et. al. (1984) a federal civil suit filed after he and Jeff Hummel salvaged the remains of a WWII naval dive-bomber from Lake Washington, and co-managed the recovery of four more WWII-era naval combat aircraft from Lake Washington in 1987, among other wreck projects over the years.
Matt has authored two books and hundreds of periodical and online articles on local history, co-directs KirklandHistory.org—an online, nonprofit information resource—and serves in various capacities in several local historical societies.
Directors
Volunteer Management Team
Mike Brickman, Head of Diving Operations
Mike was originally SCUBA certified in 2009, in Seattle.
After a 2010 trip to the Great Barrier Reef, he was hooked! Upon return he earned his Advanced and Rescue right away and quickly logged a few hundred dives. In 2013 he completed Divemaster certification and in 2014 entered Technical “Tech” Diving. Mike became a PADI instructor as well as a closed circuit rebreather (CCR) diver in 2015. In 2016 he completed his Mod2 and Mod3 classes on the rebreather certifying him to 100m using trimix. This is where he fell in love with shipwrecks and returned to Seattle and has been diving with them ever since. In 2018 Mike became a TDI technical diving instructor. Mike has issued hundreds of certifications from beginner to technical over the last 10 years.
Mike is passionate about all things diving and wrecks. Especially in Lake Washington and around the sound. Name a wreck in the area and Mike has probably dived it or has it in his bucket list. His favorite wreck in the lake is YMS Unknown or the tugboat SL Dowell. His favorite wreck in the sound is the SS Governor, which he is one of probably about 100 people to have had the chance to dive. Mike’s favorite dive travel location is the WWI and WWII wrecks of Malta, but Truk Lagoon and the Great Lakes are close second and third place. There is always something new to dive and to learn!
When he’s not diving, Mike has worked in the tech industry for nearly 20 years including leadership positions at large companies.
Devon Carroll, Head of Media Productions
Devon is a dedicated media manager with a diverse background in diving, search and recovery operations, and news production. His journey into the world of media began during his service in the US Air Force in 2012 when he developed a profound passion for diving.
During his time in the Air Force, Devon discovered his love for exploring underwater environments and honed his skills as a diver. This passion led him to become deeply involved in search and recovery operations, where he utilized his expertise in diving and video production to locate and recover missing persons submerged underwater.
As a producer and camera person, Devon played a pivotal role in a large search and recovery YouTube channel. Specializing in underwater operations, he contributed significantly to the channel’s success by capturing compelling footage and assisting in the recovery of missing individuals. His dedication to this important work showcased his ability to effectively use media as a tool for positive impact and social change.
Transitioning into the realm of news production, Devon brings a unique perspective and skill set to his role as a media manager. His experience in diving and search and recovery operations has equipped him with valuable problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and a commitment to accuracy and integrity in storytelling.
Today, Devon continues to channel his passion for media into his work as a non-profit media manager, leveraging his skills to amplify important stories and make a difference in the world. With a blend of creativity, compassion, and professionalism, he remains dedicated to using media as a powerful force for good in society.
Mission & Vision
The National Shipwreck Alliance (NSA) is a Washington state nonprofit created to bridge the gap between local and regional nonprofit historical organizations/museums and the technology and expertise required to discover, recover and preserve shipwreck artifacts and other important submerged historical resources.
Discover: Locating shipwrecks and submerged historic resources is outside the capability of most local historical societies and museums. While a particular shipwreck or submerged resource might play an important role in the history of the community or region it serves, its ability to present that story in the fullest and most engaging way is highly limited due to the research and technical difficulties associated in seafloor, lake and river bottom searches.
Recover: Even if an underwater site location is known, it needs to be approached under the auspices of trained underwater archeologists coordinating with the state and federal agencies that have jurisdiction over these resources. In addition to those basic requirements, water depths and other environmental conditions often place these sites well beyond the reach of recreational SCUBA and even commercial divers, making the use of advanced underwater exploration and recovery technology mandatory.
Preserve: In some cases, “preservation” can entail the costly and complex procedures of working with actual physical relics or even entire vessels recovered from the bottom, but in other cases the optimal means of preserving a wreck or resource might be simply making a detailed sonar and photo/video survey of the site, a technique employed with great success and to the general public’s fascination with such shipwrecks as the HMS Titanic and German battleship Bismark.
In addition, the NSA preforms extensive independent historical research and underwater exploration of its own projects and seeks to record those efforts through documentary film production.
The NSA has devoted itself to assisting nonprofit historical organizations in accessing shipwrecks and submerged resources so they can present those stories to the communities they serve. By creating alliances between the historical nonprofit community and the marine technology commercial sector, the NSA makes possible underwater projects previously deemed impossible.