nwral.org - About Us

	Gene Dietzen - Chair nestle2@comcast.net I started amateur astronomy at an early age, then like most of us lost interest. Thankfully, I’ve gotten back into it and I’ve enjoyed amateur astronomy for nearly 30 years now. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in the operations side of things during this time. I’ve had the privilege of being the President for the Olympic and Spokane Astronomical Societies. I had the honor of being the Treasurer for the Astronomical League. My favorite memories were the chairmanship of the 1985 Regional convention, and the 1989 National AL convention (ALCON), both held in Spokane. I am a Founding Father of the Table Mountain Star Party and was the Co-Chairman for the event. As recent as just a couple of years ago I was the Door Prize Chairman for the Oregon Star Party. Over the years I have held many offices in local clubs and the Region as well. Today, I am currently the Chairman (again) of the NWRAL. I took over this position again after finding out that the Region was in disarray and dysfunctional. My mission is, and will continue to be, to “make this the most formidable Region in the League’. I strive to do so by developing value added activities and programs for Regional members to be involved with. I consider this to be the ‘member’s’ Region and my job is to make it something that they’re proud of.

	Phil Reid - Vice Chair phil@pixelogix.com My life within astronomy started as a boy scout visiting the Perkins Observatory at the Ohio Wesleyan University. I was eleven years old and it was ten below zero! None the less I've been hooked ever since. Being technically inclined, I've professionally invented, designed, constructed, maintained, and managed for the likes of Bell Labs/ WE, IBM, Tektronix, including a couple of entrepreneurial start-ups, Imagenation(1990) and Digimarc(1995). At this time, being semi-retired, my energies and objectives will be directed towards re-establishing the region as a viable resource in the promotion and leadership of observational astronomy.
	David Tibbals - Secretary dtibbals@clearwire.net My first exposure to amateur astronomy was in the winter of 1961. Looking at mars through my first 4" reflector with my father while ankle deep in snow is something I can still picture vividly in my memories. My observing, like most people, was sporadic during my military service and while raising my family. I have never lost interest and eagerly followed the astronaut and space exploration programs since Sputnik. Now I have more time to devote to observational astronomy and enjoy the fellowship and dark skies at our area star parties. I particularly enjoy working on the different observing programs available through the Astronomical League and observing programs offered at star parties I have attended. My work background is in Electronics, Instrumentation, Computers, and Software. I am currently an IT Specialist for the USDA. I am also the current ALCOR for our local club, the Palouse Astronomical Society. I look forward to being actively involved in the NWRAL. .
	Gary Klein - Treasurer garyklein@alum.mit.edu I attended high school in Palo Alto, California, continuing on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, acquiring a Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1974. Following my beloved interest in bicycling, I formed Klein Bicycle Inc., successfully designing and manufacturing bicycles until selling the business to Trek Bicycle in 1995. I currently consult exclusively under contract to Trek Bicycle Inc. and that aside, I manage tree farms, specializing in Douglas Fir. I became interested in amateur astronomy around 2002 and currently use an old 16 inch Dobsonian with an assortment of eyepieces. My permanent residence being in Chehalis, WA, I'm blessed with very poor observing conditions due to light pollution, thus portability is most important to me. Recently, I've observed in Argentina, but my interest are in the Henry Mountains and the nearby Boulder Mountain, both located in southern Utah. Both are over 10,000 feet and feature very dark skies. Likewise, there's the White Rock Mountain area in eastern Arizona, 8,000 + feet in elevation, also with very dark skies. I enjoy and share my interest with my family, traveling, bicycling, hiking, tennis, and of course, Astronomy. Looking forward, I hope to build a very large portable telescope to be shared with the Outreach program here in the Pacific Northwest. .
	Joe Rottmann Regional Representative joerott@comcast.net Like everyone else I know, my intro into astronomy was looking at Saturn through my Grandfather's Sears refractor. In high school I built my first telescope using an Edmond Scientific 4.5" f10 mirror. Using a six inch stovepipe for a tube and galvanized plumbing pipe for a stand, it didn't look like much but worked reasonable well. I lived at the time outside of Boulder Colorado at ninety five hundred feet, and still remember the views through that scope were stunning. After a fifteen year hiatus I got the bug for astronomy again working with my seven year old son on a scale model of the solar system for his science fair. I purchased a 12.5" reflector and have been captivated ever since.