|
Frank Boecker | President & Membership Co-Director
Email: president_rivastro.org
Frank joined the RAS in January 2006. He discovered the RAS at an outreach at Barnes & Noble and after joining he became quite involved in the club, first as Membership Director (along with his wife) and now as President and Board of Trustee member. He first became interested in astronomy as a child when he saw a telescope he wanted in the Sears Christmas catalog. Many years later he bought an 8" Schmidt-Cassigrain telescope and a whole new world opened up for him. After several years of observing, he decided to venture into astro-photography and is getting pretty good at it. He enjoys being active in the club and participating in the board decisions that help make RAS a great club.
|
|
Norman Van Treeck | Vice President & Speakers Organizer
Email: vp_rivastro.org
What can we say? Norman is a clown. A man of infinte jest and almost infinite girth. Remember, we come not to praise Norman but to laugh inappropriately at him.
|
|
Sharon Olvera | Secretary
Email: secretary_rivastro.org
Sharon joined the RAS with her husband, Larry, in June 2009. Two months before, on a windy April evening, they visited the Landers site for the first time. It was cold as the dickens, but it didn’t deter them from returning. Previous years of secretarial experience and opportunity have blessed her with her current position as the club's secretary.
|
|
Linda Boecker | Treasurer & Membership Co-Director
Email: treasurer_rivastro.org
Linda joined the RAS in January 2006. She became interested in astronomy through her husband Frank. After a year of impatiently waiting for her turn at the eyepiece of his telescope, she went out and bought her own 10" Orion Dobsonian telescope. In just a few shorts years, she's become quite good at navigating her way around the night sky. After sharing the role of Membership Director with her husband, Frank, for about 2 years, she accepted the position of club Treasurer. Her many years of experience in accounting and bookkeeping are sure to serve her and the club well in this role.
|
|
Alex McConahay | AstroImagers Group Director & Prime Focus Editor
Email: astroimagers_rivastro.org
Alex joined the RAS in June 1996, after he visited the RAS in the high desert during the Comet Hyakutake outreach. He quickly discovered he could combine camping and astronomy to make a new hobby. For several years, Alex had served as Star Party Coordinator (along with his lovely wife Judy). He has also been volunteering as painter, weed cutter, and whatever else is necessary at GMARS, and junk dealer for the RAS store at RTMC. As one of the Riverside Amateur Telescope Makers he has built two telescopes and earned an RTMC Merit Award. He has also spent some time chasing eclipses, and volunteering at RTMC. Alex helped establish the RAS's Astro-Imaging group. He became an RAS Trustee in 2004 and was named President in 2006. Alex's Website.
|
|
Gordon Tyler | Chief Observer & Beginner's Corner
Email: chiefobserver_rivastro.org
No bio submitted.
|
|
Stan Broberg | GMARS Site Director
Email: gmars_rivastro.org
Stan joined the RAS in 2010. He began his interest in astronomy in 2009. He is retired and lives in La Quinta. Most of his career was in transportaion with some time in banking. His most enjoyable responsibility was as the Fleet Director for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and his best trip was to East Africa in 2008.
|
|
Eric Elliott | Star Party Director
Email: starparty_rivastro.org
Eric joined the RAS in 2008. He's enjoyed astronomy most of his life. Currently playing the role of Mr. Mom at home, you can also find him squatting on someone's pad or slumming it in the red light district at GMARS. Other than astroimaging, which involves a lot of cursing at his scope, he enjoys backpacking, ancient Egypt, woodworking, and has a medley of other interests. Pay him a visit when you're out at GMARS—he's the guy wearing shorts... even when it's 40°F.
|
|
Ken Little | Promotions Director & Star Party Assistant
Email: promotions_rivastro.org
Ken joined the RAS in September 2008. He enjoys all aspects of astronomy, including volunteer work for the club. Since 2002 or so, his interest in astronomy has increased by leaps and bounds, to the point of becoming a true passion!
|
|
Alfred Fink | Outreach Director
Email: outreach_rivastro.org
Al joined the RAS in April 2000. He became interested in both astronomy and the RAS after meeting the club at the Orange Blossom Festival (OBF) in 1998. That is probably why he enjoys outreach so much. In fact, his first RAS outreach event was the 1999 OBF. He accepted the Outreach directorship just after the Riverside Airshow in 2001. Al says his life with the club has been hectic, fun, rewarding, and would be impossible without the help of several other club members who regularly enjoy sharing astronomy with others.
|
|
Enrique Alba | Outreach Assistant
Email: alcorealba_gmail.com
No bio submitted.
|
|
Al Southern | Outreach Assistant
Email: alsouthern4617_aol.com
No bio submitted.
|
|
Carey Sublette | Director of Capella Operations
Email: capella_rivastro.org
No bio submitted.
|
|
Cary & Vicki Pooler | Merchandise Sales/Fundraising
Email: fundraiser_rivastro.org
Cary Joined the RAS in 2009. He has always had an interest in astronomy but could never find the time to pursue it until he joined the RAS. Since then, Cary has volunteered for many different projects around GMARS and at other RAS-related activities like PATS, RTMC AE, and Nightfall. He is currently sharing the role of Promotions Director with his wife, Vicki. During GMARS star parties Cary can be found trying his hand at astrophotography on pad W7.
|
|
Bill Lennartz | Historian
Email: historian_rivastro.org
Bill joined the RAS in June 1995. He began observing the sky with a 2.4" refractor when he was 9 years old. He has built several telescopes over the years, the largest one being a computer-driven 18". Bill enjoys observing planetary nebulae, and also likes to hunt down any object which, theoretically, cannot be seen with his telescope. In fact, he keeps a "not seen" catalog of objects. He has recently become more involved with the RAS community outreach team, showing the wonders of the sky to anyone who comes within reach of his telescope.
|
|
Mary Lunetto | Refreshments & Beginner's Corner Assistant
Email: beginners_rivastro.org
Mary joined the RAS in 2008. She always dreamed of looking at the planets with her own telescope. When she finally acquired a scope she was having difficulty focusing objects—The only object she could see clearly was the moon. She wondered if the problem was her or the telescope, so she turned to the Internet for some advice. The answer was to join an astronomy club and learn from other local astronomy enthusiasts. That's how she found the RAS and now she has an 8" Orion Dobsonian that shows her more wonders than she has time to see.
|
|
Richard Debus | What's Up Director
Email: whatsup_rivastro.org
Rick Debus joined the club in 2004 after his interest in astronomy was rekindled by the Mars Opposition of 2003. He loves visual observing with friends under the dark skies of GMARS.
|
|
Sandi Eastman (left) & Diane Childs (right) | Door Prize Directors
Email: doorprizes_rivastro.org
Sandi and Diane tirelessly scour the Earth and beyond for bargains, which are then used as our door prizes at the general meetings.
|
|
Steve Meyering | RATs Director (Riverside Amateur Telescope Makers)
Email: rats_rivastro.org
Steve (Doctor Rat) Meyering has been an RAS member since 1987. He has served the Society in many capacities including President, and Chairman of the Board. During his presidency he led the Society in refocusing its efforts on the mission of "Bringing the joys of Astronomy to the Public." He founded the Riverside Astronomical Telescope Makers (the RATs) with the mission of teaching mirror and telescope making skills. He and his beautiful mate Ella enjoy traveling throughout North America in search of the Perfect site from which to observe the night sky!
|
|
Daniel Perry | Webmaster
Email: webmaster_rivastro.org
Daniel joined the RAS in 2006. After being introduced to astronomy in the late 70s by his father, he took the hobby to another level, and went on an equipment buying and selling rampage for the next 30 years. His extremely supportive and beautiful wife actually encourages him to buy new telescopes and cameras. He currently showcases his astrophotos on his personal website, californiastars.net.
|
|
Ashley McDermott | Advisor
Email: advisor_rivastro.org
College of the Desert, Professor of Astronomy and History, Emeritus. Founder, Director and Advisor of the Astronomical Society of the Desert (ASOD). Ashley is a member of the American Astronomical Society and director emeritus of the RTMC. He has received a number of prestigious awards including the G. Bruce Blair Gold Medal, the Clifford W. Holmes Award, and the Robert Burnham Award for outstanding contributions to popular, professional, and amateur astronomy. He has published in Sky & Telescope and the Griffith Observer magazines. Asteroid Ashley (serial #6752) is named for him in honor of his long and distinguished career in teaching and popularizing astronomy.
|
