NAR Board of Trustee Nominations 

The NAR is holding an election for the three seats that are open on the NAR Board of Trustees. There are four candidates running for the three seats, so your vote counts!

Resumes for four candidates are on this page. Online voting opens April 20, 2026 and closes July 3, 2026.

John Hochheimer

NAR #74537, Level 3
Life Member
Boulder, Colorado

My rocketry interests include sport flying, HPR flying, national and international competition, and educational programs. I am honored to have served as NAR’s President since 2017. During this time, we have accomplished a lot to maintain and improve the business aspects of the organization as we have grown by over 2500 members and more than 250 NAR Sections.

I am continuing to work closely with the chair of the NAR National Events Committee to make our national events more appealing to a broader cross-section of the NAR. Our educational programs continue to grow, including NAR teacher certifications and updated educational resources. Last year we completed the conversion of our website and member database to ClubExpress, which has greatly improved the efficiency of our operations. I continue to support student related activities such as The American Rocketry Challenge, NASA Student Launch Program, ARLISS, and International Rocketry Challenge.

It has been an honor to serve the NAR as a Trustee and its President. I wish to continue my service to the NAR by remaining a member of its Board of Trustees and to complete the exciting projects the Board of Trustees has initiated.

Kevin Johnson
NAR #40676, Level 1
Life Member
Columbia, Maryland

My name is Kevin Johnson and I am asking for your support to remain a member of the NAR Board of Trustees. In my current role as Treasurer this past term has seen increased support for the NAR through charitable donations via employee matching and giving platforms. We continue to add more ways for members to support the NAR through new partnerships with the United Way, and the major donation platforms used by businesses to manage and track employee giving.

During the upcoming term, if elected, I plan to continue working with the President to create processes that allow sections to benefit from the NAR’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation.

We are working to streamline the ways the NAR uses our new ClubExpress member database and website to serve the members through the specific pages for grants and donations, enabling the accurate processing of automatic renewals, and answering member concerns quickly.

Thank you for your support.

Stephen Maire
NAR #20116
Weston, Massachusetts

As member 20116, I have seen the NAR go through many changes. I run for Trustee not in any expectation that I will win, but rather to express my concern for the future of the NAR.

The past two years have seen NAR leadership disregard our own rules for running the NRC even as NAR officers have been unresponsive to members seeking an explanation.

In January, the membership was informed that the November/ December issue of Sport Rocketry would not be printed and that the magazine would change from a bi-monthly to quarterly. Both changes were explained as being necessary for financial reasons. Neither change was advised by NAR leadership, rather the changes were announced in the editorial in the January issue.

Indeed, the finances of the NAR are quite concerning. The Trustees do not release financial statements, but as a non-profit, the NAR files a IRS form 990 annually and this is available on several websites.

Over the 6 years 2019-2024, the NAR had operating losses in 4 of the 6 years. Cumulative losses are $204,983. To give you a sense of the scale of the losses, average annual dues revenue, the largest component of NAR revenue, were $457,674.

The NAR has staved off disaster only because of what appear in the financials as significant government and NASA grants. These have been received in the 5 years 2020-2024 and have totaled $466,903, so they significantly mitigated potential losses. However, a reliance on government grants for financial existence is a precarious strategy.

I may not be the person that you want as Trustee and respect your opinion. But if the NAR is to survive its 70th anniversary and beyond, please elect as Trustee someone who will ask the hard financial questions and put the NAR on a firm financial footing. Thank you.

Emi Sears
NAR #117940, Level 2
Madison, Wisconsin

Good Afternoon, I’m Emi Sears—I served as one of the inaugural Young Adult members of the Board (2024-25) and am interested in continuing my service representing rocketeers of all levels, interests, and generations as an Adult Trustee.

I aim to help the Board address topics of increasing relevance, including:

AI: AI systems/models such as Claude and ChatGPT are tools of the future and will hold an important place in many technical niches. Like people, they can perform strong research, but can also make mistakes and incorrect assumptions. The NAR Board is in the right position at the right time to help rocketeers understand how to use AI as a tool responsibly.

Helping members living in urban areas safely participate in rocketry: Two logistical issues make it difficult to enjoy the hobby if you live in dense urban housing, like many members and potential members do: 1) access to assembly space, and 2) safe storage for solid rocket motors. I can speak from experience on both issues, having maintained my rocketry career while at university.

The NAR Board can encourage collaboration with hobbyist resources (e.g. Makerspaces) in local communities. This could include standard outreach materials or “information kits” that sections can use to help their local Makerspaces understand model rockets, required building skills, and materials used.

Similarly, I believe the Board should present sections with clear recommendations and best practices on safe long-term solid rocket motor storage for all power classes, as well as consider guiding a volunteer “Quartermaster” program where NAR section members can provide safe storage of motors for fellow members.

Thank you very much for your consideration, and I hope I can continue to serve as one of your representatives on the Board of Trustees.

Very Best,

Emi Sears