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WMAS Presidency 2009 |
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Position |
Name |
Phone |
Message Board Name |
Email |
President |
Adam Blundell |
809-ADAM |
Adam Blundell |
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Vice President |
Will Spencer |
957-0792 - home 913-5634 - cell |
Will Spencer |
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Council Members and Committees |
Camille Grimshaw |
801-906-0661 |
mermaidcamille |
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Amy Newbold |
966-0089 |
sukie |
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Jake Pehrson |
673-1197 |
Jake Pehrson |
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Dion Richins |
641-3006 |
Holdencraft33 |
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Shane Heil |
(435)723-6613 - home (435)720-2599 - cell |
Shane H |
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Mike Savage |
455-3560 |
Mike Savage |
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President |
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Adam Blundell
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Other Responsibilities: I'm Adam and I'm a science guy. I love this club and I love our club members. I first started coming to WMAS meetings before I could drive and have spent years making some wonderful memories with new friends. To me, that's what this club is about. Friendly people enjoying a hobby. My experience with this hobby has been going on for 20 years. Like most people I started with a small 10 gallon freshwater aquarium, and then two, and then a 55 gallon, and then some saltwater tanks, and eventually a basement filled with fish stuff. Learning about reefs, ocean ecosystems, and all the life they support is just fascinating to me. As club president I have two jobs. First, is to lead by example with hard work, and open arms. Second my responsibilities include being a team leader. Utilizing not only the presidency, but all the wonderful people we have in this club to make the hobby fun and successful for all. Please join us as we celebrate the wonderful world of marine aquaria. |
Vice President |
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Will Spencer
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Other Responsibilities: Treasurer Shortly after that meeting I went on my first Reef Tour. I saw many beautiful tanks that day and knew I just had to have one of those for myself. Over time I learned where I had gone wrong with my office tank and went about the laborious task of overhauling it, including a trip with Mark out to the desert to get some Utah Rock. I learned so much from the club in my first couple of years that I decided that I just had to give back to the club and ran for office. The first year I ran for a presidency position I didn’t make it. Very few people know who I was. The next year I made sure I had gotten acquainted with more club members and ran again. Since becoming a presidency member I have had many opportunities to serve my fellow hobbyists and have learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing so. I look forward to serving the club as Vice President this year and hope to help make the club even better in 2009. I’m not only about Fish though. By trade I am a tax accountant and have recently started my own business out of my home preparing personal and business taxes and doing accounting work for small businesses. I enjoy the outdoor sports of fishing, hiking, camping and horseback riding. My wife and I joined the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Posse last year and we took 1st place in State in Arena Drill and 2nd in State in Parade Drill as well as placing in a few western events. I have a new horse this year, a big black Friesian named Titan. I can’t wait for him to be done in training so we can start showing off. |
Presidency Council - Council members are the support staff for the president and the vice-president. |
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Camille Grimshaw |
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Other Responsibilities:
I got my first fish aquarium when I was 10 and it was nothing more that a bunch of inbred guppies. I retired from large tanks and went with a Beta. Years later after much negotiation I talked my uncle out of his 135 gallon tank and kept it as fresh water, always hearing how neat it would be to see it as a salt water aquarium. I always heard how hard it was to keep a salt water aquarium so I never gave it much thought until I came across an ad for a salt water aquarium. I got it not having a clue what I was doing and pretty much crashed the tank in one month. Thankfully a month later I went on the Reef Tour and discovered the WMAS. I now maintain over 200 gallons of salt water aquariums and love every minute of it. My husband Bryan and I have one daughter and another baby expected in May. I just recently “retired” from education after five awesome years of teaching middle school where I taught art and special education. I now work from home as artist selling my artwork online and to retail stores around the country. |
Shane Heil |
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Other Responsibilities:
I've been involved in the salt water aquarium hobby for nearly 15 years! Like many of my good friends, what began as a hobby has ultimately become a lifestyle. I plan many of my activities - even vacations, to include or work around my reef keeping hobby. My first salt water aquarium was 55 gallons and I've kept many tanks of varying sizes since then. My showcase accomplishment (to date) was my 120 mixed reef. You can view pictures of it in the glory days here: http://www.utahreefs.com/tankofthemonth/ShaneHeil/tank_of_the_month.htm I have also kept many smaller tanks dedicated to certain species of fish, coral or invertebrates. My wife Heidi and I have a large family – two boys and four girls. We’re all very active in the community and competitive sports. If it involves a ball of some type, you will likely find one of our family members participating. When we find the time, we enjoy skiing together in the winter and boating together in the summer. The family is very supportive of my hobby and they enjoy seeing my tanks develop. It is always thrilling to me to see them gather around to see what new and exotic “thing” dad has brought home this time. They can each recognize most common fish and they will even reluctantly help with water changes if they don’t have practice. I have learned so much on my journey through the reef keeping hobby. I've learned more biology and chemistry through my aquariums than I ever gleaned in a classroom. I've learned to appreciate the reefs of the world and how dependent we are on their continued success. I've learned that a community of hobbyists can have far more success (and fun) than any single person on their own. I've learned patience and tolerance for the opinions of others. These lessons will be with me long after my tanks are dry. |
Amy Newbold |
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Other Responsibilities: Special Event Coordinator
Salt Water was very intimidating to me - mostly I stuck w/ fresh water and bettas. My first tank would have to be the classic 10gal, then I had to get bigger! My husband and I got a 20gal that sat on our kitchen counter in our first apt. We loved getting the fishies to fill it up. Back then, there wasn't as much support as we have now, we were pretty much amateurs. Both of us left the hobby for a couple years and got roped back in when my brother in-law purchased his first betta. We babysat it for a week and I instantly wanted to jump back in. From there I started getting rare and wild bettas to breed. I was roaming around the internet looking for a good deal and came upon utahreefs.com. I would have to thank Adam Blundell for his pm's encouraging me to snatch up good deals and giving me the confidence to start in the marine hobby world. I would also like to thank Mark Peterson for 1. getting me the f-r-e-e materials and 2. letting me pick his brain. Currently, I have one 90gal reef . Do I see myself going bigger. . . . Maybe. I think that if products didn't get better and better then I would be happy where I'm at. Lets be honest, bigger is better - IT'S THE AMERICAN WAY! But the current tank I have is keeping me on my toes as far as maintenance is concern. I'm married to a wonderful guy named Brad. We have one 9-yr (soon to be 10 ) son, named Lucas. You'll probably see him running around the meetings hanging out with Cameron Winterbottom playing his games or trying to win raffles for his mom's hobby. During the days, I work as an office manager in a computer networking company. I handle all the accounting and HR aspects. I look forward to my 3nd year in the WMAS Presidency, see you around the forums and at the meetings! |
Jake Pehrson |
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Other Responsibilities: Web Master I have been a member of the club for quite awhile and have served as Vice President, Presidency Member, and Web Master. I'm the guy cooking bugers at the Member's BBQ (I have even been known to cook up some veggie burgers). When I was ~17 I started a company called Your Design Computers with a friend of mine. Your Design Computers morphed into a company called Design Technologies. I worked for myself until about 10 years ago I left the company and started working for a company called Omnicare as their "IT Director" or "Computer Guy". About that same time I stated a side company called Coral Planet with the intent to sell live rock. Coral Planet has "morphed" over the years from an Internet only company selling live rock->selling fish and corals->aquarium maintenance->Internet hard-goods->retail store->wholesale selling fish and corals->wholesale selling aqua-cultured corals, which is where it stand today. Coral Planet sells to a limited number of Pet Stores. We specialize in aquacultured corals. I have started and ran a few other businesses over the years (flowers, web design, restaurant review, sporting goods, financial, etc., etc.), so I am an entrepreneur at heart. I still work at Omnicare and currently hold the title of "Purchasing Manager". I consider myself a "Jack of Many Trades and a Master of None". I also have a website called aquaticdatabase.com, check it out. I have been married 10 years to my wife Pepper. We have 3 children. Natalie, Nicole Coral, and Jake. I am lucky to have them as they all put up with me and my hobby. Some of my other hobbies are fishing, camping, boating (wake surfing), paintball, board/card games, retro computer games, scuba diving, hiking, backpacking, and others.... |
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Dion Richins
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Other Responsibilities: Merchandise
Thanks for the opportunity to serve on the presidency council for another year. It is my joy to serve on such an awesome and active council as this club has elected. I have found the pursuit of marine aquaria to be an absolute addiction. The pursuit to achieve environments that can support and sustain these precious life's is what drives me in the hobby. At this time we have a little over 600g of salt water, 80g of fresh water and a 300g pond. We breed and sell Bangaii Cardinals for the pure joy of it. We enjoy pursuing the knowledge necessary to achieve these things and in sharing all that we have learned and in helping any one interested. Besides this addiction, I have the most wonderful wife in the world. Alice and my 6 children (3 mine, 3 hers) and grandson are my life and the driving force in my existence. We have a small carpentry company that specializes in custom cabinets and remodeling. Welcome to our home away from home. Hope you enjoy your stay. |
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Mike Savage
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Other Responsibilities: Membership |
Past Presidencies: |
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) of setting up a 240 gallon reef (which is getting closer
).