Board of Trustee Elections 2018
Resumes for six candidates are on this page. Voting is at the bottom of this page, by mail ballot, or in person at NARAM. Shall the following be elected as members of the NAR Board of Trustees for three-year terms beginning at NARAM-60? Vote for no more than three of the six.
Art Applewhite
NAR 80632-L2, TRA 09409 L2
- Senior Advisor, Alamo Rocketeers, NAR #661
- Senior Advisor, Hill Country Rocketeers, NAR #671
- Master Sergeant (Retired) U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1991
- Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, U. of Maryland 1991
I flew my first model rocket when I was 9 years old. Since then, I have never lost my zeal for the hobby. After I retired from the Air Force, I worked as an Air Force contract employee from 1991 to 2001. I finally retired completely and relocated to San Antonio, Texas where I officially became a BAR (Born Again Rocketeer).
In 2001 I started my own business so I could design, produce and sell my own rocket kits and use the profits to support local clubs and to provide low-cost kits and launch equipment to schools, scouts, and other educational organizations. I have been a mentor for the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) every year since its inception.
I founded the Alamo Rocketeers, NAR #661 in San Antonio in 2002. I created, hosted and maintained web sites, Yahoo groups and Facebook pages for several local clubs:
- Alamo Rocketeers, NAR #661
https://www.artapplewhite.com/661 - Hill Country Rocketeers, NAR #671
https://www. artapplewhite.com/671
I am webmaster for the “Texas Rocket Launches” web page at www.artapplewhite.com/launches.html to keep folks informed about all Texas rocket launches and national rocket launches and events.
My goal is to make rocketry as safe as possible for as many people as possible. I believe that, to be truly effective, safety codes and certification procedures should be as simple and objective as possible. Above all, personal bias should be avoided and common sense should prevail. I believe that there is always something new to learn and the amateur rocketry community should be open to innovation.
Ed LaCroix
NAR 11248 L2
I seek re-election to the NAR Board of Trustees because I desire to work on a new, and very important member issue—NAR history.
At NARAM 59, the NAR was approached for funding of the Museum of Flight’s processing of the Stine collection. President John Hochheimer recently announced that at NARCON 2018- Houston, TX, the MoF received a check from the NAR (combined member donation and association dollars totaling $50,000) so that processing of the Stine collection will begin immediately.
But what about the enormous amount of historical material that currently resides in the basements, attics, filing cabinets, etc., of the thousands of “Baby Boomer” NAR members? Baby Boomers who at their youngest are already 53 years old? The NAR should not risk, IMO, the loss of its history (in the form of section newsletters, as an example) to a shredder or a landfill. Our aging members (and I’m one of them) need NAR leadership to provide guidance on how and where to direct their potentially historical materials. The MoF is not a repository for all such materials. They have the Stine, Estes, and Piester collections and that is all they will want. The rest of the materials that tell the story of the NAR over its 60-year existence still need a home.
I would like to represent you as the Board moves forward with discussions about how our history can be preserved. This is why I am asking for your vote.
In closing, if you are a member who doesn’t know who I am and why I might be worth your support, please know the following-
- I led the NAR’s Expanding Competition Subcommittee that worked for 2 years to revamp the United States Model Rocket Sporting Code (the competition rulebook) in the interest of increasing NAR member involvement in competition.
- I am a recipient of the Howard Galloway Award for service to the NAR membership.
- I have been a NARAM Contest Director—NARAM 57.
- I hold a NAR L2 certification.
- I have been an NAR member since 1967.
- I appreciate your consideration and hope you will support my candidacy.
Steve Lubliner
NAR 22152 (life)
I have considerable experience in various NAR functions including being a previous Board of Trustees member, current chair of the Safety Committee, and previous chair of the Sport Services Committee. I have, over the years created the original documentation and process for all levels of high power certification and the NAR’s Trained Safety Officer program. I am an independent member of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Pyrotechnics committee; this committee is responsible for the codes that govern hobby rocketry.
My new interest in running for the NAR Board is to establish programs governing articles of historic interest to the hobby and the NAR, both documents and physical artifacts, and to solicit NAR members for articles of historic value. I believe that the primary priorities for articles of historic significance, in order, should be those articles that established the rocketry hobby, those articles that established the NAR, and those articles that established the regulatory environment. Secondary priorities may be original patents issued for hobby rocketry technology, kits, designs, and equipment of historic significance, and historical articles from hobby rocketry companies.
Establishment of a “preservation” committee is an objective for my Board participation. This committee’s charter could include obtaining articles of historical interest, recommendations regarding the significance of historical articles, arranging display of or accessibility to such articles, and assuring financial support for the preservation of historical articles. Another objective may be preserving oral histories and presentations from hobby rocketry “shakers and movers”; perhaps these presentations can be accessible via the NAR’s website.
If you share my vision for obtaining, prioritizing, creating accessibility to, and preserving hobby rocketry’s history I ask for your vote this summer.
John Eric Thompson
NAR 33053 Level 3
White Salmon, Washington 98672
The National Association of Rocketry has influenced my life directly and indirectly since the 1970s. I was involved with the NASA/Houston NAR section in the 80s. Joined the Marine Corps in 1987 and made a career of it for 20 years and maintained being active with NAR when not deployed. I was an active NAR member with DART in San Diego from the 90s and was a contest director for a short time with DART until I moved up to Washington State in 2007. I am continuing to help establish a NAR section (Gorge Rocket Club 790) in the beautiful Columbia Gorge Area as well as mentoring local students to help them certify for level 1 through the NAR and also have been a mentor with TARC. I have also been given the approval from Greg Warren who started the Student Experimental Payload program (SEP2) to continue his legacy here.
I have always been active and kept informed of what is going on in the hobby and also with real world space events. It is really amazing as to how far the hobby as evolved from the 60s.
I have been active with teaching rocket classes at the community education departments within the current area I reside.
It would be a great honor to be considered as a NAR board member and to help to continue to promote the hobby on a continued positive level.
https://www.gorgerocketclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/My-Background.pdf
Jim Wilkerson
NAR 29221 L3CC
I joined the NAR in February, 1978 as a member of NARHAMS – many thanks to Ole Ed Pearson for regularly taking me to meetings!
I competed regionally, nationally, and internationally through 1987 when I entered active duty USAF service. I flew KC-135s, C-141s, and C-17s in the Air Force and I now work at Boeing as a 747, 777, and 787 instructor pilot.
I was a member of the Wheaton Association of Rocketry national championship section in 1979 and the US Internats teams in 1983 and 1985. I served as the NARHAMS treasurer. I ran one MIT Rocket Society convention in 1985. I’ve launched a Cineroc at Stonehenge and a Quest Totally Tubular in Antarctica. After attending a HPR launch in 2001, I certified L1 and L2 in 2002 and L3 in 2004 (thanks, Pat Gordzelik!). I have held dual NAR-Tripoli membership since 2003. I served as the Washington Aerospace Club (WAC) president in the mid-2000s and ran the Fire In The Sky (FITS) HPR launch in 2005. I’ve attended FITS every year since 2003. I’ve served on the NAR’s L3CC and Tripoli’s TAP since the mid-2000s, mentoring multiple L1, L2 and L3 certifications. I helped generate the first revision of NAR HPR contest events. I served as the NARCON organizer for the 2011 event held at Seattle’s Museum of Flight and supported the 2015 Seattle NARCON. I participated in the annual NASA Student Launch Initiative (SLI) and TARC as a range official.
I have supported the Museum of Flight’s acquisition of the Stine, Estes, and Piester archives. My current interest is HPR, and I have the experience of NAR contest flying. I would be honored to serve all facets of the NAR membership as a member of the board.
Mark Wise
NAR 34702, L1
Jessup, MD 20794
Your NAR has accomplished a lot in the past three years, and I feel fortunate to have played a part in it through my service on the Board of Trustees. Membership is approaching 7000, and we now have 183 sections in 48 states and two Canadian provinces.
We’ve established Extracurricular Activity Grants to support after-school rocketry activities, and we continue to award scholarships to deserving students. We’ve inaugurated the National Rocketry Competition to increase participation in the competitive aspect of the hobby. Our partnership with the Museum of Flight will ensure the preservation of major historical collections.
It’s been my privilege to serve on the Board since 2012, and as NAR Secretary for the past year. I’ve also served as a scholarship judge for several years, and it’s now my honor to be working with the Estes family to establish the Gleda M. Estes Scholarship for the Advancement of Young Women in STEM. (Thank you, Gleda, Vern, and Betty!)
While we can take pride in our successes, we still have challenges to face together. We need to recruit more volunteers to support the work of the NAR. We must remain vigilant to keep rocketry safe and prevent serious mishaps. We need to continue our outreach efforts, such as TARC, to bring new people into the hobby. I would like to continue paying forward and helping NAR meet these challenges, and I thank you for your vote.
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If you will be at NARAM-60, you can instead vote in person at the Association meeting on Monday evening, August 6, 2018. While you can by mail, in person, or online, you can only vote one time! Under the NAR By-Laws only NAR Senior and Leader members (age 16 and older) who have been members since August 6, 2017 or prior (this is NAR number 103724 or lower) may vote in this election.