Erica Lichty is a fifth-generation Pacific Northwest designer and waterwoman whose life and career have been shaped by the waters of the Salish Sea. Raised in a maritime family — her father a boat captain and her mother a designer — she grew up navigating both vessels and creative spaces.
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After graduating from California State University Maritime Academy, Erica began her career working on oil rigs and supply boats, developing a strong operational understanding of vessels and maritime systems. She later transitioned into the yacht sector, where she applied both technical knowledge and creative leadership. For more than two decades, she has worked as a self-made interior yacht and residential designer, blending aesthetics and functionality across marine and land-based environments.
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Erica holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-Ton Master’s License and is currently reinstating her Mate’s Unlimited Near Coastal License, continuing to deepen her professional engagement in the maritime industry.
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She is the founding president of SEASTR PNW, a nonprofit rooted in Socio-Environmental Advocacy (SEA) and dedicated to expanding access to maritime culture and careers. SEASTR works to remove barriers to participation by providing mentorship, safety-first education, and experiential programs that introduce participants to both recreational and commercial maritime pathways.
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Erica also serves on the Washington State Ferries Diversity Advisory Group and is an Ambassador for Women Offshore, contributing to national conversations about representation, workforce development, and mentorship within maritime industries.
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As a lifelong Salish Sea boater, Erica believes deeply in the reciprocal relationship between people and the marine environment. Her work with organizations such as the Northwest Maritime Center and Maritime High School reflects her belief that meaningful change happens at the grassroots level — in classrooms, on docks, and through mentorship.
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Outside of her professional work, Erica is also an accomplished endurance paddler. She completed the Seventy48, a 70-mile human-powered race through the Salish Sea, three times on a stand-up paddle board, becoming the first woman to finish the race three times in that category. Her 2021 race journey was documented in the film Stand Up by Vester Media and Our World Films.
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At the center of Erica’s work is a personal philosophy: that life itself is a rare and extraordinary accident of the universe, and that our role within it is not to dominate our environment or one another, but to participate in balance. For Erica, that participation takes the form of service — advocating for others, nurturing community, and helping create pathways so that more people can safely and successfully find their place on the water.