With deep sadness, the American Canoe Association mourns the passing of former Chief Operating Officer Chris Stec, who passed away earlier this month, after a courageous battle with brain cancer.
Chris began working for the ACA in 2007, but his connection to the organization and its mission began long before that. First certified as an ACA canoe instructor in North Carolina in 1995, Chris spent more than 30 years as a passionate paddler, dedicated educator, mentor, and unwavering champion for the ACA. He was also a lifetime ACA member, and in every sense, he will always remain part of the ACA family.
Chris brought an uncommon combination of energy, heart, and purpose to everything he did. He was deeply dedicated to paddlesports education and believed wholeheartedly in its power to make people safer, stronger, and more confident on the water. He did not simply support the ACA’s instructional mission. He helped shape it. Chris was a trailblazer in the evolution of ACA’s education and instruction programs, and his leadership helped build the gold standard of paddlesports instruction that so many know and trust today.
He was the kind of leader who inspired others not only through his knowledge, but through his enthusiasm. Chris had a way of making people feel welcomed, encouraged, and capable. He gave generously of his time, shared his expertise freely, and pushed the organization and its people to keep growing. His passion was contagious, and his influence can be seen in the many instructors, leaders, and paddlers whose lives and work were shaped by his guidance.
Chris’s impact extended far beyond the ACA. His work in boating safety, education, and outreach earned national respect and reflected a lifelong commitment to serving others and protecting lives on the water. But for those who knew him through the ACA, Chris will be remembered just as much for his spirit as for his accomplishments: energetic, heartfelt, visionary, and deeply devoted to this community.
We are grateful for Chris’s many years of service, for the standards he helped raise, and for the passion he poured into this organization and the broader paddlesports world. His legacy will continue every time an instructor teaches with care, every time a paddler learns with confidence, and every time the ACA community comes together around safety, education, and a shared love of the water.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Chris’s family, friends, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be deeply missed and long remembered.