Neal Baker

Tripoli #6620 L3

Neal Baker - Seeking Your Support for Tripoli Board of Directors

I'm Neal Baker and am excited to seek your support for a Tripoli Board of Directors position. With a lifetime of rocketry experience and having served on the Tripoli board from 2020 to 2023, I bring the knowledge gained during those years and a genuine dedication to our rocketry community.

Transformative Initiatives:

In my previous term on the Tripoli Board of Directors, I spearheaded the transformation of the Tripoli website. This overhaul has yielded better accessibility to crucial information, improved communication with members, introduced digital membership cards, streamlined the signup and renewal processes, and delivered numerous other advantages. Moreover, this ongoing evolution promises additional benefits to members in the future.

IT Leadership:

I currently serve as the Chair of the Tripoli IT Committee. In this role, I am dedicated to enhancing our IT systems' safety and reliability while providing a more accessible information environment for members. Recognizing the evolving needs of our community, we are actively engaged in modernizing our methods of communication, ensuring that they cater to the preferences and requirements of current and future generations of rocketry enthusiasts.

TRATech Triumphs:

As a founding committee member of TRATech, I take considerable pride in its substantial growth. Despite being in its early stages, the summit continues to improve the quality of live and recorded sessions. TRATech has provided an invaluable outlet for Tripoli Members to share their experience and research with other members, further enriching the rocketry community.

Community Contributions:

As President of the Utah Rocket Club (UROC), I have been privileged to organize two successful Large Dangerous Rocket Ships (LDRS) events in Utah. Additionally, I've had the opportunity to assist several other clubs with their LDRS events and other aspects like website development and launch equipment. I've also had the privilege of helping numerous college teams and high school teams with their rocketry projects, fostering a spirit of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. My aim has always been to contribute in practical ways, working to enhance the rocketry community.

Professional Expertise:

In my professional capacity, I currently hold the position of Director of Professional Services at a technology reseller. Leading a team of skilled IT engineers, I guide the delivery of consultative services to diverse sectors, including local and state governments, financial institutions, aerospace companies, and more. Drawing upon my extensive experience in resolving intricate challenges throughout my career, I bring valuable expertise that positions me as a strategic asset for Tripoli's future endeavors.

Commitment to Inclusivity:

I am dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment that respects the perspectives of all members, valuing both the experience of seasoned enthusiasts and the fresh perspectives of newcomers. If elected, I will actively seek input from members of all ages, working towards initiatives that benefit the Tripoli community. If elected, I will work towards a Tripoli that celebrates our differences, ensuring every member feels welcomed and represented in our community.

Commitment to Accessibility:

As a past board member, I understand the importance of making information easily accessible and ensuring the board of directors is available to the membership. I envision regular chats with the board and other committee chairs and fostering a transparent and engaging environment to keep the Tripoli community connected.

Closing Thoughts:

I approach challenges with a collaborative mindset, committed to making decisions that propel Tripoli forward. Your support is pivotal, and I am devoted to serving Tripoli and its members in every way possible. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Best regards,

Neal Baker

Ken Overton

Tripoli #11924 L3



Kenneth J. Overton, Ph.D.

YABAR (Yet Another Born Again Rocketeer) As a kid growing up in upstate New York, the Estes catalog was my rocketry source. I built and flew pretty much every kit from the Alpha to the Saturn V – balsa, cardboard, and yellow glue; before plastic fin cans and ready-to-fly. My favorite kit was the WAC Corporal. Jump ahead 40 years and halfway across the country and I rediscovered amateur rocketry when we saw smoke trails while driving our sons home from some event and followed them back to the launch. This was my first introduction to high power – I was hooked.

This led me to DARS (Dallas Area Rocket Society) and NAR, and soon after TNT (Tripoli North Texas) and TRA.

Before talking rockets, a bit of my professional background… I hold a bachelor’s degree in physics and computer science, and Masters and Doctorate degrees in Computer and Information Science focusing in the subfield of Robotic Sensing Systems.

My professional career began in industrial research where I spent 10+ years in the corporate research labs of Digital Equipment Corporation and General Electric conducting and leading research in robotic systems, parallel and distributed computing, and Artificial Intelligence. My career includes 30 years of management through senior executive experience leading and managing large industrial research, technology development, and commercialization efforts. This experience includes establishing and growing intra- and entrepreneurial ventures. Along the way, I was the inventor on 20+ U.S. and international patents, authored 20 papers, and was co-winner of the 2007 George Wensel Technical Achievement Emmy.

In mid-’23 I retired from the rat race following a career spanning many industries including industrial research, aerospace and defense, medical systems, software products, broadcast television, training and consulting services, higher education, and finally, advanced ammunition development. Retirement has provided the time and flexibility to increase my volunteer work at the middle school, high school, and college levels in rocketry, robotics, and multiple engineering disciplines. While I have considered throwing my hat in the ring for a TRA board position for quite a while, I’m now able to dedicate the time needed.

Key point points in rocketry:

·      15 years of high power rocketry experience

·      Tripoli Level 3 certification (NAR Level 3 as well)

·      Member of the Tripoli Rocketry Association Technical Advisory Panel (TAP)

·      Past Chairman of the TRA Class 3 Review Committee

·      Current Analyst on the Class 3 Review Committee

·      In-class volunteer, Farmersville ISD middle school Rocketry Class (TARC)

·      Mentor for middle school, high school, and college rocketry programs including US and international teams

·      Board Member, Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA)

·      Lead RSO for the Spaceport America Cup (world’s largest international intercollegiate rocketry engineering competition with 140 +/- teams flying level 3 rockets)

Personal interests in rocketry cover the spectrum: avionics, structures, advanced construction techniques, and research motor development. Most of my projects tend to be larger in size and impulse (they’re easier to work on). Projects have ranged from kits to scratch-built (most of my projects), 2-stage, active stabilization, and lots of research motors. My recent focus has been in research motor development including test stand work for propellant development and characterization. For the past 10 years I’ve been a consistent flier of Class 3 projects during the BALLS launches. 

A video introduction is available at the Tripoli North Texas website at the link below. While you’re there, check out all the activities of these great Texas prefectures.

Direct link: www.TripoliNorthTexas.org/Ken-Overton

Tripoli North Texas and Tripoli Houston websites:

www.TripoliNorthTexas.org

www.tripolihouston.wixsite.com/website

My wife of 37 years, Karen, and I live outside Dallas where we have enough space for me to test motor without bothering the neighbors and a workshop far enough from the house that Karen feels safe. We have three kids scattered across the country. When not volunteering or working on rockets, I enjoy precision rifle shooting, cycling, and our new grandson.

Tripoli members build and fly projects at the leading edge of amateur rocketry. What we fly today portends the future of the hobby. Whether flying rockets on H motors with motor ejection, or large projects on O (or larger) motors with complex electronics, we all need a stable environment for our hobby to grow and thrive. Amid a changing economic environment, we face challenges on several fronts: continued availability of a range of commercial motors, availability of materials supporting our hobby from building components to chemicals for research motors, and of course maintaining a vigilant eye on our friends in government to ensure our continued ability to fly. Addressing these challenges is why I want to join the Tripoli board. I have the technical background, experience, interest, and the time to contribute to the Board. 

I would appreciate your vote.

Rick Maschek

Tripoli #11388 L3

Many of you know me either in person, from facebook (I admin several rocketry groups), from many of the student competitions I've been to as a mentor/advisor/judge/safety inspector (NASA USLI, ESRA IREC, FAR-51025, TARC, etc) or by word of mouth. This is mostly for people that know little or nothing about me. 

I've been doing rockets of various size since 1959 when I saw a picture of the X-15 rollout and a TV show called 'Men Into Space',..episodes still on YouTube. I thought it would be so cool to be an astronaut but learned during the Gemini Program that I was too tall for NASA. Liking fire and brimstone, I became a geologist and walked on many active volcanoes and dinosaur digs many for museums, and volunteered on the local fire department and sheriff mountain rescue. All this while I was teaching geology, physics, and chemistry as my 'real job'.

I ‘retired’ from teaching only to miss working with students and have been volunteering as an advisor/mentor for TARC, NASA USLI, ESRA IREC, and FAR 51025 student teams. Last year I was asked to come out of ‘retirement’ and start a rocketry program at the new high school at Edwards Air Force base in California. It has been a rewarding and challenging experience taking students from Estes A-impulse motors to their final group project of a level-3 project for the FAR-51025 unlimited competition, the first time a high school group will be competing with teams from universities.

Rocket-wise, I've built, tested, and flown as an amateur, over 3 million Nsec of propellant in both solid, hybrid, and liquid motors, both commercial and research from Estes A motors to Loki, CTI, and Aerotech and large research projects. I've advised and mentored hundreds of students from elementary school kids building their first Estes to university students doing projects to help prepare them for aerospace and other engineering careers, many that whom now work for Boeing, Lockheed, SpaceX, NASA, and the military. 

While the majority of people in Tripoli and NAR are here for what many call ‘hobby rocketry’ many have also been supportive of student groups. Most of my last flights recently have been done either to introduce students and new people to building and prepping rockets to fly or to help them succeed in their projects by providing guidance and sometimes even motors free of charge.

I know many of you are long-time Tripoli and NAR members and have launched many rockets, but from a recent graph of Tripoli members, there are two peaks, one for us old-timers and one (the largest) for high school/university-age people but then it falls to a low level until we get older, many of them becoming BARs. I would like to increase the number of student flyers either individually or as school team members, to stay active.

When I think of all the rocket events I've been to and watched lots of rockets launched, many for the umpteen times, I think about those flyers 'adopting' a local school team, be it TARC or university level, with small amounts of money ($10?) for these teams to purchase motors and other needed rocketry components...one crashed rocket can seriously set back a team. When I think about some motors costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars, donating either time or money to student rocket projects sounds like a good investment in our nation's future. That's why I'm running as a candidate for the Tripoli BOD.

Rick

Gary Dickinson

Tripoli #5520 L3 TAP

Vice President – Tripoli Rocketry Association

TRA #05520 - L3 – TAP Member

President - Tripoli Mid-Ohio #31

Member: Tripoli Mid-Ohio #31; Tripoli Gerlach; Tripoli Quad Cities

Fellow TRA members, my name is Gary Dickinson and I am seeking reelection to the TRA Board of Directors.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

I grew up a child of the ‘first’ space age. Alan Shepard and John Glenn were my heroes and my favorite science fiction authors were Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov. The thrill of watching those early astronauts and reading sci fi led to many ‘cardboard and blanket space ships’ in my parent’s basement. I was first exposed to hobby rocketry when my best friend in junior high school came into our home room with an Estes catalog. Rocketry gave way to girls, cars, a career, marriage and children.

I re-entered model rocketry in 1991 with my young son Mike. We built and flew rockets together at the neighborhood school yard and had a blast; pun intended. I always knew that there had to be bigger rockets out there somewhere and found out where they were when I was in the Pit Row Hobby Shop in Kenwood on my lunch break in November of 1995. In the magazine rack was a stack of the now defunct “High Power Rocketry” magazines and on the cover was an inset picture of Bob Strauss’ ODESSEY at the ICBM launch. Now THAT’S what I wanted to do! I made a trip to Ross Dunton’s Magnum Inc. store in Mechanicsburg Ohio on New Year’s Eve Day that year and purchased an Aerotech Mustang. The rest is, as they say, is history.

I began my career at Procter and Gamble in 1982 as a contact design engineer, working on updates to the Pampers diaper converters and progressed across numerous business units. I worked process/equipment R&D and led many successful capital projects in a lead design role, responsible for concept through start-up in North American and Europe. I was offered a direct position as a packaging engineer in the Beauty Care group leading package development for aerosol deodorant and body spray products. I transferred to Baby Care after a few years to fill the role of Equipment Platform Leader for Pampers, and moving into the role of Current Business Engineering Leader. I retired in 2015 after I was offered an early retirement package.

I returned to work full time in July 2017 as a contractor, in the role of Global Design Manager for Procter and Gamble’s Feminine Care Business. I have come full circle! My wife refers to this as “flunking retirement”. I am currently the Mechanical Design Team Leader for the North American Fabric and Home Care Soluble Unidose business at P&G, commonly referred to as Tide Pods.

ROCKET ACTIVITES

I am in my second term on the Tripoli Board of Directors, serving as the Vice President. The past six years have been a lot of fun and I have learned a lot about who and what keeps this great organization running. A couple of highlights from my past two terms:

·       Led the implementation for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Spaceport America Cup (SAC) and Tripoli, enabling universities to compete in the SAC without a large expenditure for insurance as long as they were launching solid propellants or hybrid motors and following the Tripoli Revised Safety Code. I was also the liaison between the SAC organizers and the Tripoli board

·       Following the Prefecture audit performed by a couple of my fellow directors, I reached out to those clubs that appeared to be ‘in violation’ of that portion of the Revised Safety Code regarding distances from the launch site to structures. I had some really great conversations with members that I normally would not have had and in the end the matters were resolved.

Of course, I could not have done these without the excellent leadership and cooperation from fellow board members.

I currently manage reviewing new prefecture requests, ensuring that the application is complete and presenting the application to the board for review and vote. Lately these have been for internation prefecture, which have provided an opportunity to chat with members across the globe. It is very exciting to see Tripoli growing, especially on an international scale!

I have had many opportunities to ‘give back’ to this hobby that has given so much to me. Immediately prior to my first Spaceport America Cup, I was approached by the advisor for the Iowa State University “CYROC” team to fill in for one of the professors who was schedule to present on Research motor making at the inaugural Safety Symposium presentation for university faculty. I was a bit aghast at the request as I do not consider myself an expert in this field, but agreed to share what I know. The presentation was very well received by those attending. After the presentation, the advisor asked me to mentor him in HPR as he felt that he should know something about this if he was going to be an advisor to the students. The rest is history, as he is now a Tripoli Leve 3 flyer, punching big holes in the sky and educating the students. In the past few years, I have remained part of the safety presentation as both a presenter and a commentator.

A few years ago, I began mentoring The Ohio State University’s Buckeye Space Launch Initiative (BSLI) as a propellant advisor. The student had had some fantastic success and some spectacular failures. Each year I have watched these students learn and grow, taking on larger and larger motors. I am looking forward to see what the future has in store for this team.

I have had several people ask me why I want to run for reelection to the Tripoli board; my response is simple: I want to continue give back to a hobby that has given so much to me. Within both my original career and my “retirement career”, there exists a “flow to the work” mentality. Go where you are needed and do what needs to be done. If I am reelected, I will continue to bring that same philosophy with me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my resume’. I would welcome the opportunity to serve you and this great organization for another three years and I am asking for your vote in this election.

SYATNL! (See You At The Next Launch)

Debra Koloms

Tripoli #9021 L3 TAP

Fellow Tripoli Members, my name is Debra Koloms, and I am running for what could be my fifth term on the Board of Directors.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’ll start with some background information.

I was born in 1958 in the Chicago area. I got involved in rocketry like so many others of us by first flying rockets as a child, I think I built almost every rocket Estes made back then and can still remember the fun I had. As high school came along and then college, rocketry took a back seat, while more pressing things such as getting a degree, starting a career and family took a priority.

I attended Washington University in St. Louis where I received a BS in electrical engineering in 1980. I then worked at Motorola as a RF design engineer for about a year before attending medical school. I received my M.D. from the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine (located in the Chicago area) in 1985. After medical school I did a one-year transitional internship, and then a 3-year Ophthalmology residency again at Loyola, finishing in 1989. I started practicing ophthalmology in the Chicago area and stayed there until 1997 when I decided to relocate to the Northern New York town of Watertown where I currently practice and live.

In the mid 90’s I played around a little with rocketry by building a few Estes kits and flying them with my children and sometimes with their school’s classes, but I did not seriously get back into rocketry. Around 2000 I caught the rocketry bug again after seeing a web page featuring high power rockets, I became a “Born Again Rocketeer”, and have not looked back since. I bought my first high power kit, a LOC IROC and built and flew it for my L1 and L2 certifications in 2001. In 2002 I flew my L3 flight on a large tetrahedral rocket. My other hobbies include astrophotography and DIY electronics.

 I have previously served for twelve consecutive years on the Board of Directors and am a past President of TRA. I have held many and still hold many positions in the organization. I currently am the Chairperson of the insurance committee and have done so for over a decade. I am also the launch director for Balls and a founding member and prefect of Tripoli Gerlach, the host prefecture for Balls. In the past I have been TAP chair and have been a TAP member since 2004. I have also began mentoring university teams and am working with Clarkson University and RPI. This year I will attend the Space port America Cup for the first time.

Besides bringing my years or experience and institutional memory to the board, I also interact with many fellow TRA members at Balls and local New York launches I attended and will bring their voices and concerns to the BoD.

TRA has changed considerably from when I first joined the BoD. During my early years the overriding concern was the lawsuit with ATF. Once the ATF lawsuit was behind us, I turned my focus to integrating the flying of research and commercial motors at the same launch. This was a major undertaking and took many years to come to fruition. The last step of this integration was to other rocketry organizations to fly commercial motors at research launches. For those members who are new to TRA there was a time when you could not fly a research motor and a commercial motor at the same launch and non TRA members could not fly at research launches. Today all TRA members enjoy this “Freedom to Fly”.

The biggest change I have seen in the last few years is the influx of college students to TRA. We need to continue building on this, by expanding our outreach and continuing to foster collegiate mentorship. There is great opportunity for growth, and these are the future leaders of TRA.

I Love this hobby and have found the twelve years serving on the board a very rewarding experience. I am very proud of what TRA and its members have accomplished.

 I feel I have a lot to contribute and would love to continue to serve on the BoD if re-elected.

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me

Respectfully

Debra Koloms

Christopher Nilsen

Tripoli #12041 L3

I have been blessed to have been involved with Tripoli for 16 years. Growing up at my local launch in Tampa Tripoli allowed me to cultivate my love for rockets from a young age, setting a strong foundation for my career. I currently lead a hypersonic rocket startup, Pluto Aerospace, and mentor over 500 students at Purdue University on various projects, including student-developed solid, hybrid, and liquid rockets. This blend of hands-on technical expertise and mentorship experience in rockets across the spectrum—from student projects to professional settings—equips me with a unique perspective that will be invaluable to TRA as we strive to unify all rocket communities for the greater good of the hobby.

Background

I launched my first rocket in 2008 with an after-school program. The 10-year-old me ran back and forth in the house for hours with that little rocket. My grandfather, a tool and die maker, had a lathe in his garage where I spent my summers learning to machine and build rockets, each one a bit larger than the last. I spent countless hours at Tripoli Tampa, finding rockets between swamps and strawberry fields. We were flying rockets before the Tripoli Mentoring Program existed. At 18, I obtained my own certifications, formally achieving my L1, L2, and L3 a few months later in 2015.

I moved to Indiana to attend Purdue University in 2015, where the rocket club, then experiencing a downturn with only 5 regular members, saw me lead our group to start a Spaceport America team. The club was small, and while I used every penny I had to build the rocket, we couldn't afford the trip. The next year we competed in the NASA SL competition. Although we weren't a strong team, that summer, I spent considerable time reflecting and learning new leadership techniques. I also began working at Purdue’s Zucrow Propulsion Labs, the largest academic propulsion lab in the world, where I was given the opportunity to build and test a variety of rockets for private companies. The following year, I revitalized the club, leading a team that went from concept to the firing of a lox/lch4 rocket within 12 months. Upon graduation, the group had grown to over 300 members, encompassing liquid, NASA SL, and Spaceport America teams.

The group expanded so significantly that Purdue offered me a unique position to oversee the now 400 students in their NASA SL, Spaceport America, hybrid, and multiple liquid rocket teams. Among other things, I secured a private launch site, waiver, and insurance near campus, allowing students to fly large projects safely with a 3-day notice. This year alone we have had 10 HPR flights from the field. From my time as a student to today, I have helped over 600 students in building level 1 rockets and mentored over 40 rocket flights with student teams over 8 years.

In 2021, I decided to pursue my entrepreneurial dream by starting Pluto Aerospace, aiming to enable rapid hypersonic technology maturation to provide the warfighter with cutting-edge technology, helping us not only catch up but leap ahead of our adversaries. While details are confidential, I successfully raised significant pre-seed capital, took delivery of

an Ursa Major Hadley engine, and completed a development payload bay for our flexible trajectory launch vehicle. Despite my entrepreneurial pursuits, Purdue has retained me as a mentor, allowing me to coach students on weekends. It's a dream scenario.

What Can I Do for TRA?

I possess a unique set of skills and experiences, deeply connected with the professional, amateur, and student rocketry communities. I aim to enrich the TRA community by intelligently integrating these groups. Too many student members leave the hobby after competing and graduating. This issue can't be resolved merely with autopay; we need these young professionals to continue flying independently. The more flyers we have, the more vendors they can support, fostering more innovation. Most importantly, this secures the future of the hobby, enabling TRA to continue inspiring the next generation.

Your vote not only enables me to give back to a community that has profoundly shaped my path, but it also entrusts me with the privilege of working diligently on your behalf to nurture and expand our organization. I am eager to devote my energy and expertise to ensure our collective passion for rocketry not only endures but thrives. Together, we can propel this organization to new heights. I look forward to the opportunity to serve and grow with you.

Bryce Chanes

Tripoli #13928 L3

With a lifelong passion for rocketry, I have been actively engaged in the hobby since launching my first model rocket in 2009. As a member of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA), I earned my Level 3 Certification in 2014. I am currently President of the Washington Aerospace Club and have also served as a Board Member the Rocketry Organization of California and Southern Arizona Rocketry Association (SARA). For Tripoli, I volunteer as an active member of both the Records and the TRATech Committees. These experiences have taught me the value of collaboration, communication, and community-building in advancing the field of rocketry.

As a candidate for the Tripoli Rocketry Association Board of Directors, my foremost priority is to champion student involvement in rocketry. As an active mentor for multiple collegiate rocketry teams, I am deeply committed to supporting the next generation of rocketeers by creating more mentorship opportunities, providing valuable resources for connecting mentors and students, and establishing clear guidelines for student teams to excel in both technical and practical aspects of rocketry. Students are the driving force behind the future of our hobby, and as the largest population within Tripoli's demographic, aged 18-25, we must proactively address the high attrition rate in the 28-35 years old group.

If elected to the Board of Directors, I am committed to bringing fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a passion for inclusivity to the organization. I firmly believe that diversity is our greatest strength as a community, and I will tirelessly work towards promoting student engagement and supporting research rocketry. In addition, I am determined to modernize Tripoli's digital presence to reach a wider audience of rocketry enthusiasts, as I believe a strong online presence is crucial in today's world.

Whether we connect in person at LDRS, your local launch, or online ("Bandman444" from The Rocketry Forum), I am eager to meet and collaborate with fellow rocketeers from all walks of life. Let's work together to inspire the next generation of rocketeers and push the boundaries of what's possible in this exciting hobby. Together, we can propel Tripoli into an exciting new era of growth and innovation. Vote for me to represent your vision and make a positive impact on the future of rocketry. Thank you for your support!