Board of Directors
Francesca Koe: President
Francesca Koe brings extensive freediving competition experience, breath-hold education and policy expertise to USA Freediving as an active World-Record level international judge for both AIDA + CMAS; as a multi-disciplinary & multi-agency dive instructor, and as the Technical Director of USFF. Francesca has collaborated with many international diving schools & competitions to ensure best-practices and a safety-focus abound worldwide, including Deep Dominica and Freedom Depth Games. Francesca has worked at Vertical Blue for over a decade integrating roles of safety, production & communications as the Chief Media Officer. In 2023, 2024 and 2025 Francesca was voted by the assembly of nations to be one of six judges at each of those respective depth World Championships. Francesca is also a certified doping control officer under WADA protocols.
You can listen to Francesca talk about her marine ecosystem conservation work on the Rising Tides podcast here; a Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy podcast featuring Francesca here ; and read an Op-ed on #kelprestoration here.
Emily Padjen: Vice President
Goes by simply Padjen, is a Utah native and free-diver who recently set a record in free immersion with CMAS USA. Padjen’s passion for free-diving led to her opening a women-owned diving center in Dominica in 2022. The center is called Deep Dominica, a place where divers can train, learn, compete and even do volunteer work on the island.
Katie McCarthy: Secretary
Katie is a civil rights lawyer as her day job, but after discovering freediving several years ago, she’s devoted all her time outside work to the sport. She trains primarily in the fresh water cenotes in Yucatan, Mexico at Casa Apnea— splitting her time between there and NYC each month. She started competing a couple years ago and has been active in depth competitions ever since. Katie joined USA Freediving in 2021, and she was nominated to the USA Freediving Board as Secretary in 2024.
Brad Stephens: Treasurer
Originally from Chicago but now based in Quepos, Costa Rica. Brad is the founder of Rica Freedivers and Evolution Spearfishing. He spends most of his days helping his freediving and spearfishing instructor students turn their dreams into a reality. Starting their personal brands, freediving schools, and or charter businesses. Freediving to me is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle. It teaches mental resilience, discipline, and how to overcome many different challenges. Brad join USA Freediving in 2020 and was nominated as Treasurer in 2025
John Prins: Member at large
Based in California, John is the founder of Fins and Foam Freediving, and an Instructor Trainer, Athlete, competition Organizer and Judge. John has taught over a thousand students to freedive (with 500+ certified through AIDA) and organized the first ever official AIDA Depth competition in the USA. John was nominated to the USA Freediving Board as Member at Large in 2026.