“Many of the students are really nervous
during the interview process, so we try
to ease their nerves while we discuss the
projects with them. We want to motivate
them to continue on with [science, technology, engineering and mathematics]. It
is typically a very rewarding activity for
students and judges alike.”
Dayton-Wright
Chapter Throws Membership
Appreciation Bash
The chapter thanked its members with
an appreciation event in November to
cap off another great year. More than 100
attendees gathered at the Hope Hotel and
Conference Center at Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base in Ohio. The chapter has hosted
similar events for more than 16 years. Doni
Uphus, vice president of membership,
signed up new members, and one lucky
attendee received a big-screen TV. The celebration also was an opportunity to thank
corporate sponsors that have supported
scholarships and grants. Golf sponsors for
2016 included Segue Technologies (
platinum); Insperity (food); Array, Exeter and
MITRE (gold); ICS (practice area); CDO
Technologies, Evanhoe and Associates and
Today’s Technical Solutions (bronze); and
DCI, Dldc LLC, Gartner, Insperity, JJR
Solutions, LMSkinner LLC, Mailsail and
TEKsystems (tee box). MITRE is an annual
sponsor.
Celebrating Fourth-Quarter
Chapter Wins
The chapter wrapped up the final quarter of 2016 with some big wins. Ashley
Cigolotti of Brooksource and Technical
Youth LLC received one of 13 Distinguished Young AFCEAN Awards. The
chapter also was one of 22 Model Young
AFCEAN Program Award honorees.
These wins were the result of the efforts of
Young AFCEAN Chair Kameke Mitchell;
Claire Revalee of TEKsystems; and Brent
Ahlers of Gartner Inc. Chapter Executive Vice President Dennis Drayer praised
the recipients: “Congratulations for your
leadership over the past year in our Young
AFCEAN program. You’ve set the bar
high for both our young rising stars and
our senior chapter leaders.” In November, the chapter partnered with Technology First to host the 10th annual Taste of
Information Technology. Chapter volunteers supported 250 attendees, exhibitors
and industry education sessions. Also,
Mitchell and volunteers finished landscape cleanup in the fall at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Fallen Warrior
Memorial Park.
Greater Omaha
Chapter Hosts Holiday Mixer
The chapter held its sixth annual holiday
mixer in December. The event is an opportunity to give back to the general membership and program sponsors. Presentation
of the chapter’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) grants to
bolster STEM programs in area schools is a
primary component of the gathering.
CENTRAL MARYLAND—Volunteer judges at
the Meade Senior High School science fair in
December are (back row, l-r) Nikkia Vinston;
John Garcia; Steve Simchak; Ellen and Charlie
Brown; (middle row, l-r) Kathleen Berganski;
Gene Besel; Jessica Morgenstern; and (front
row, l-r) Adam Eng and Karen Young.
DAYTON-WRIGHT—Attending the
November bash are longtime AFCEA
members and present and past officers
(l-r) Dennis Drayer, Jim Masonbrink, David
Hart and Billy Grill.
DAYTON-WRIGHT—The chapter’s
membership team checks in attendees for the
membership appreciation event in November.
DAYTON-WRIGHT—The November party
was an opportunity to thank the chapter’s
corporate sponsors. Pictured is signage from
2016 golf sponsors Array, ICS and Insperity.
GREATER OMAHA—Col. Sean Murphy,
USAF, chapter president (2nd from l), presents
AFCEAN of the Month certificates at the
December holiday mixer to the team that
put together the chapter’s first charity run.
Team members include (l-r) Dr. Bernie Lichvar,
iConsult4u; Staff Sgt. Samantha Ziegler, USAF,
55th Intelligence Support Squadron; and
Airman 1st Class Jacqueline Campos, USAF,
55th Intelligence Support Squadron.
GREATER OMAHA—At the December
mixer, Col. Murphy presents a $1,000
STEM grant to Tara Petersen, a sixth-grade
science teacher at Mary Our Queen School.
GREATER OMAHA—Col. Murphy presents
a $1,000 STEM grant to James Crum,
ninth- and 12th-grade engineering and math
teacher, Thomas Jefferson High School, at
the December event.
