Burch Kittle K6WEF
President
Say "hi" to Butch Kittle, the current president of KN6NUA - a title he won in a heated competition of "who can hold their handheld radio the highest." Butch drives a big truck, compensating for something, no doubt. But rumor has it his wife drives an even bigger one. Talk about keeping the man in his place! Butch brags he can track his bride using his Kenwood handheld when she's out riding horses. Let's be honest, it's probably the only way he can keep up with her. Speaking of horses, Butch rescues them for a living. We're not sure if he's saving them or if they're saving him from having to socialize with humans. He's got a big ranch outside South San Jose, so secluded it makes witness protection look like Times Square. Word is, even his GPS gets lost trying to find it. His real name is William, but he goes by Butch. Probably because "William Kittle" sounds like a character from a Jane Austen novel who faints at the sight of mud. So here's to Butch Kittle - horse whisperer, radio enthusiast, and the only man in California who needs a radio tower to call his wife in from the backyard!
Bill Walters WA2IBM
Trustee
Please let me introduce the man, the myth, the walking radio tower - Bill Walters. He’s the trustee of the WA2IBM ham radio repeater, and yes, that's also his call sign. But don’t let the fancy title fool you; he’s mostly just the guy you call when your radio needs a tune-up and when you have no one else to talk to. Bill’s a dog lover to the core. He's had three pooches named Sammi, Angel, and Lucky. It's hard to tell if the dogs were lucky to have him or were just named that way to boost their street cred. When he’s not broadcasting to the world or talking to his dogs, you can find Bill setting sail on the Chardonnay II out of Santa Cruz. He's convinced he’s a sailor, even if the only knot he can tie is the one in his shoelaces. And let’s not forget his epic travels to the bustling metropolises of Oceanside, California, and the exhilarating Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy, where he’s probably plotting his next public broadcast or trying to find a signal. Just remember, if you ever see Bill lugging around a heavy black bag, don’t panic. Chances are he's not moving into your garage – he's just preparing for his next ham radio session... whether you’re ready for it or not!
Dave Schultheis WB6KHP
Club Secretary
People, gather around and allow me to introduce Dave Schultheis— the ham radio maestro, amateur television guru, and someone who could bore even the most active adrenaline junkie into taking up knitting. In the world of amateur radio, Dave is essentially the Encyclopedia Britannica. If there's an amateur radio club out there, Dave has not only joined it but probably started it, held a high-ranking position, and worn out his welcome. Dave's knowledge of amateur radio is so extensive that even the FCC asks him for updates. With a collection of call signs and repeater frequencies that would make NASA jealous, Dave has dedicated his life to ensuring the airwaves remain as nerdy as humanly possible. If there’s a signal bouncing around North America, you can bet Dave has a finger in that pie. Shifting from airwaves to blacktop, Dave's vehicular history reads like a scrapbook of poor decisions – a 1964 El Camino here, a 1979 Ford Fairmont there. Don’t let that sweet 1996 Harley-Davidson fool you; it doesn’t mask the auto graveyard that is Dave's past. When he's not making waves (pun intended), Dave’s TV choices include Animal Planet and Late Night with anyone who’ll entertain his myriad dad jokes. Crocodile Hunter and Conan O’Brien, you've been warned – Dave’s tuning in religiously, waiting to mispronounce "Kevorkian" or debate the merits of "nu-cle-ar" energy in the comments section. So give it up for Dave Schultheis – the man, the myth, the frequency-hogging legend. May his signals always be clear, and his vintage cars always start (eventually).
Rick Dexter W5RJD
Treasurer
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Rick, WD5ICZ—licensed in '77 and still trying to figure out which end of the antenna goes up! This radio Romeo started his love affair with ham in Dallas, then decided California needed more static. It only took him until the '90s to set up an HF station in Santa Cruz—apparently, he was using Internet Explorer to download the instructions. By '95, Rick was living large in a San Jose yard so small, his antennas needed bunk beds. Surrounded by more power lines than a spider's web, he played the world's saddest game of antenna whack-a-mole until he stumbled upon a TAK-Tenna—probably while looking for his lost marbles. When the pandemic hit, Rick thought, "Why not annoy people remotely?" and dove into FT8. Now he's amassed more radios than friends, with his Flex 6400 as his main squeeze (don't tell his significant other). For SOTA activations, he lugs around an Elecraft KX2, because nothing says "I'm an outdoorsman" like hauling a radio up a mountain to talk to other people hiding from their families.
Marschal Babin KN6YUZ
Officer
Gather 'round as we unveil the enigma, the stealthiness, the shadow in the night – the one and only Marschal Babin! Hailing from the majestic San Francisco Bay Area, Marschal is our very own Security & Compliance Leader at IBM Cloud Technical Sales, which sounds impressive and probably means he’s really good at forgetting passwords and ensuring the coffeemaker is GDPR compliant. But wait, the mystery deepens! Marschal spent 16 years at IBM, likely navigating cubicle mazes and collecting certifications like they're Pokémon cards. From Sr. IT Auditor globetrotting the world to whispering sweet nothings to IBM Watson, his career sounds like a tech version of Spies Like Us, minus a Drogan's decoder wheel. He did a stint at Wells Fargo as a VP, which we're pretty sure involved telling third parties they’re doing it wrong and dodging meetings like Neo dodges bullets. Marschal’s educational journey took him through the corridors of Kennesaw State University and the invigorating De Anza College – no doubt, the breeding grounds for his ultimate privacy-inducing superpowers. Despite speaking English like a pro and Japanese at a "trying-his-best" level, Marschal remains the master of elusiveness. So, next time you hunt for him on QRZ – good luck, and may the search results be ever in your favor!
Tom Nichols KQ6OT
Board Observer - Club Trustee
Meet Tom Nichols, the radio-wielding juggernaut who's been terrorizing the ham radio airwaves since September '93. First licensed as KE6CCJ, Tom went through the license classes faster than his beloved Yaesu radios went out of stock. He’s the reason half the club members upgraded their licenses; we suspect Tom gets secret kickbacks from radio manufacturers and the FCC. When he worked as an aviation mechanic, he trusted planes enough to fix them––but not enough to fly in them. So now, instead of soaring through the clouds, Tom prefers dragging a camper across America at the speed of snail mail. Tom reached the Extra class in May ‘97, right after the code requirement disappeared, proving that he's only fast when convenience strikes. His shack? It's basically a Yaesu shrine; FTDX-10 ruling the roost, FT-950 in reserve for those "just in case" moments, FT-991A for his camping escapades, and a few FT-8900s and FT-7900s thrown in for good measure. Don’t even get us started on the FT5DR and FT-60 HT’s. Tom started a Thursday night ragchew on 146.520 MHz in San Jose, making sure no one forgets he's basically the Kanye West of ham radio. Photos of his shack have us convinced he’s preparing for a zombie apocalypse, but until then, we'll keep listening to his endless monologues about upgrading our licenses or the magical wonder of Vara HF (because he won't shut up about it).
Mark Eastus WB6JMR
Officer
Meet our resident adrenaline junkie and radio hoarder, Mark Eastus! This guy’s idea of fun is risking his neck on a 2008 BMW R1200GS motorcycle or pretending he's James Bond on a 2001 Searay boat. His extensive radio collection probably interferes with local air traffic and could easily broadcast his action-packed life on prime-time TV. Mark doesn't just stick to one thrill; he lives out epic travel adventures. He rubs elbows with royalty in Jordan like it's part of his daily grind. Camel rides and GID (General Intelligence Directorate) headquarters? That’s his Disneyland. His encounter with King Abdullah II included full motorcade service and a GID tour that would make Indiana Jones jealous. While most of us are hitting snooze on our alarms, Mark’s living the dream. The excitement doesn’t end there. After retiring from law enforcement, he upped the ante by babysitting Fortune 100 CEOs on private jets. Talk about a midlife crisis! His radio shack looks like a Best Buy explosion, packed with gadgets like the Kenwood TM-D710G, Yaesu FT-891, FT-991A, and more HTs than you can count. If the apocalypse comes, we know whose shack we'll be raiding for communication gear. Mark Eastus is living the action movie life we all dream of.
Scott Kennedy KN6KHV
Officer
Meet Scott Kennedy, the man who's spent his life trying to prove that gravity is just a suggestion. Residing in San Jose, Scott has a mountain cabin at 4,500, he's too cool for sea level. Catch him on CARLA, bragging about his elevation and extensive radio gear. He’s equipped with everything from a Yaesu FT-991a to a gadget collection that might as well have come straight from NASA. But remember, while Scott’s using all that gear, he’s also probably muttering about how much he wishes he had his ham license back in the day. Back in his glory days—which Scott insists are ongoing—he sailed from San Francisco to Hawaii at the tender age of 19, defying his own navigation skills with a sextant because GPS is clearly for wimps. He survived 14 days to Hawaii and 21 days back, dragging his family along for the ego boost. Nowadays, he's leveled up to a Beneteau First 32, probably so he can also brag about his 105' trimaran experience where he hit 40 knots in the SF Bay. Not to forget, Scott keeps a B-25 Mitchell in the air, a BMW R1200R on the road, and pizza and beer within arm’s reach—because, you know, even Macho-Man needs a break. Scott Kennedy - pirate, pilot, biker, and the ultimate poster child of every mid-life crisis overachiever. If it’s extreme hobbies you want, he’s not just ticking boxes—he’s bulldozing them with a smirk on his face.