Rocky Mountain Region Officer and Board of Directors Election
Expect to see an online election ballot in your email from electionrunner.com.
The online election will be held from February 15th through March 15th - your vote is important!
Superintendents – encourage your Division members to vote. If you know of an NMRA RMR member that does not have an email address, they can still vote with your help. Send an email with their name and NMRA number to silversanjuan@outlook.com. You will get a one-time voting authorization sent to your email. With your assistance a RMR member that does note have an email address can use your email to vote. There is no provision to vote using any other method.
Election Committee - Joe Lemmo, Blaine Holbrook, Mark Fuerstenberger
2024 Rocky Mountain Region Election Candidates and Positions - in alphabetical order
OFFICERS Vote for one candidate for each Officer position
President
Gary Myers
Vice President 2020-2024 (2 Terms)
Director 2017-2019 (1 Term)
President 2012-2016 (2 Terms)
Sunrise Supt 2010-2012 (3 Years)
Director 2008-2010 (1 Term)
During my previous 2-term stint as Region President, I tried to bring order by updating our bylaws and financial policy, and established better organization to our meetings. I also set new standards for accountability and ethics. Since January 2016, I have also served as your Achievement and Contest Chairs. If elected, I plan to focus on helping our Divisions get some much needed help, recommending possibly merging some Divisions or realignment, and rebuilding our volunteer corps. Some Divisions are in trouble (300 lb gorilla #1), and I think that is an area of major concern. The Region was a lot larger after I took over the reigns from past President Harold Huber in 2012, so I think we need to seriously tackle that other 300 lb gorilla in the room. To state the obvious, we have had a lot of attrition from our aging membership and have had a minimal influx of new members. Also, if elected, I plan to turn over AP Chair as a minimum.
Vice President
Blaine Holbrook
I had served on the BOD for 4 years when Stan Jennings passed away. I was then asked to fill in his Treasurer position. I served as Northern Utah Division Treasurer for 5 years. I have been serving as the Assistant Superintendent for the past 2 years. I am also serving as a Regional Board of Directors for a third term. We started the Pizza Box layout project which now has national attention with a national roll-out pending this month. We currently have around 500 families or about 1500 individuals participating. This is huge for our division recognition.
Treasurer
Denny Krausman
I was born and raised on a farm in central Iowa and received a BA Degree in Physics from Northern Iowa and later received an MBA Degree from the University of Colorado. I spent nearly 50 years in the Heavy/Highway construction business and retired several years ago.
I have been a member of the NMRA since 1976 and have been a member of the Rocky Mountain Region since 1981. I have served as the Secretary, Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, AP Chair, and Newsletter Editor of the South Suburban Division and am currently serving as the Treasurer of the Rocky Mountain Region. I am also a longtime member of the Santa Fe Historical & Modeling Society. I model the Santa Fe RR in southeastern Colorado in HO scale with the time period of 1968/1969. I recently received my Model Master Railroader Certificate #622.
During the past 40 some years of modeling I have built scratch-built models and a number of resin craftsman kits. One of the things I enjoy most is researching the prototype so that I can accurately model what I am building. This has helped me to build a number of award-winning models. I have given a number of clinics on these topics and have been published in the SFRH&MS Warbonnet, NMRA Magazine, and Railroad Model Craftsman. I would like to continue as the Treasurer of the Rocky Mountain Region of the NMRA for another 2 years.
Secretary
Mark Fuerstenberger
At a very young age trains grabbed my attention and didn’t let go. I grew up in Cripple Creek, Colorado and spent a lot of my summers sitting downtown watching the local tourist train depart and arrive from the station. Through those years I always had a couple 4x8 boards with trains running on them,. After graduating from Colorado State University I moved to Colorado Springs and work for the top home builder there as the Director of Purchasing & Estimating. Currently I serve as the Superintendent & Module Coordinator for the Pikes Peak Division. As time allows my wife Amber and I try to help out and volunteer with many other railroad projects and organizations throughout Colorado.
Jean Melvin
I have been very active in division activities having recently served more than two years as Superintendent of the 7th Div. Roadrunners. I am a former RMR Director and member of the local Southern New Mexico N-Scalers club. Before moving to southern New Mexico, I was a member of the Pacific NW 4th Div. and served as secretary under several Superintendents. I joined the NMRA in 2002.
Directors (in alphabetical order) - vote for up to five
Larry Carter
I am seeking the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors. I have enjoyed the hobby for more than 30 years, serving as the OT&W president for more than 14 years, followed by 10 years as the Co-chairman of the “Thanksgiving Point Show”, that is presented by the Ophir Tintic & Western train club. I am looking forward to serving at the Division level with and for my friends and fellow hobbyist. Please vote for me.
Joe Costa
Been a model railroad and tourist railroader for years. For the past several years I have been a volunteer for Operation Lifesaver and a BSA Railroading Merit Badge volunteer. Looking forward to NMRA convention next summer in Long Beach my home town.
John Emmot
I have been a model railroader in Colorado Springs since I retired from the Air Force and returned in 1990. I have been associated with the Pikes Peak Division modular layout for most of that time. I have a broad interest in the railroads of Colorado, but my focus has always been the Moffat Road since I discovered it while assigned in Denver in 1970. I have served as module coordinator, newsletter editor, website monitor and Division Secretary since my retirement. I have also been a minor player in the TECO organization for many years.
Al Hovey
20 year NMRA member and have served 2 terms as a RMR director. Conducted numerous modeling clinics throughout the RMR. Handled marketing/promotion Rails Along the Rio Grande 2008 RMR Convention. Chair of Rails Along the Rio Grande 2013 Convention. Presented “Along the Glorieta Sub” PowerPoint presentation throughout the region. Presented “Kids N Trains” PowerPoint presentation throughout the region and at RMR conventions. Started the Rio Grande Model Railroad Club for kids 5-18 in 2014. Built club to 40+ members preCOVID. After being ordered to “cease and desist” our RGMRR kids club by the then NMRA national president and legal counsel at the Salt Lake City national convention, I led the reorganization of the club under the Youth In Model Railroading Albuquerque Division name with the guidance of Larry Price. Note that the Rio Grande Division 6 of the RMR has always been and continues to be a direct or indirect supporter of our Youth in Model Railroading ABQ Division. I continue to be very active with Youth In Model Railroading.
Sean Jackson
Lives in Bayfield, CO, near Durango. He currently models in HO and Hon3, focusing on a garage-sized, freelanced layout set in Southwest Colorado in the 1940s. Sean also has a dormant 18 inch gauge outdoor railroad. This year will be Sean’s 30th as an employee of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Currently a full-time carman in the railroad’s mechanical department, Sean is also painter, diesel engineer, conductor, former Car Shop foreman and general jack of all trades. Sean has also worked at the Georgetown Loop Railroad and was a qualified Birney trolley motorman at the Fort Collins Municipal Railway. Sean and his better half, Danette, and two grown sons and two canine companions.
Greg Jennings
I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Greg Jennings. I have been model railroading for 37 years. My modeling railroading experience is in HO and N scale modular. I am not not an expert in any of the fields of modeling but a jack of all trades. I enjoy learning new skills, and sharing the skills that I have learned. I am a member of the Clovis Area Train Society. I have served as president, and vice president. I’m currently the treasurer and on the Board of Directors. As a member of the Clovis Area Train Society I’m hyperactive within the club. I am a member of our public relations through which I am the editor for the monthly newsletter that our club produces. I tend to stir the pot a bit. In doing so it keeps our club active and learning. Rather we’re planning for our next show, building new modules or working on existing modules, I am an active member in each of these endeavors. As a leader I try to remain objective with a mind for other modelers ideas and input.
Thank you for your consideration.
Neil Mahoney
Received college degrees from Brigham Young University and Georgia State University. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ licensee. Neil has adult twin sons with cerebral palsy, autism, and intellectual disability and currently works at Oak Wealth Advisors, a firm focused on serving families with special needs nationwide. Neil has served as a board member and Treasurer for both the Financial Planning Association of Utah and the Northern Utah Division of the National Model Railroad Association. Neil’s model railroading interests include operating sessions, N scale, and the Denver & Rio Grande Western. He is currently modeling Soldier Summit in Utah.
Kristin Phillips
If elected as a Director I would like to improve communication in the Region. This could include face-to-face interaction such as visiting other Divisions and events such as train shows as well as different forms of social media. Currently, I am the Youth Chairman and would like to expand our contact with youth. I have been active in the Pikes Peak Division for several years, and I am a BSA Railroading Merit Badge Counselor. I also am an Operation Lifesaver volunteer which allows me to promote the hobby and the NMRA in different ways.
Martin Pirnat
I came relatively late to the model railroad hobby in my late 30s as a newby, joining the NMRA in 1987. Over the years I served as a Region Director for 4 years, and for a much longer term participated as a Board member as Superintendent of the Silver San Juan Division. I am currently the Assistant Superintendent of the division as well as publisher for our quarterly Flyer.For the past 4 years I have been the Rocky Mountain Region Secretary. Initially I modeled in N-scale, but have been building a layout in HOn3 since the early 2000s.(After all, I live in Durango.) For the past 20 years I have participated in the NMRA Achievement program and was recently awarded MMR #750. I look forward to continuing to serve again as a Director if elected.
Melinda Watson
I have worked in the Northern Utah Division Pizza Box project for 8 years as a manager. It had grown into a major nationaly recognized program. I have assisted the Chair and co Chair at our train shows including other train shows not part of our division.