Annual Spring Banquet

DAS Spring Banquet - Photo by Ron Hranac — DAS Spring Banquet – Photo by Ron Hranac

Every year in mid-March, the Denver Astronomical Society (DAS) gathers for its Annual Spring Banquet. This special event is a time to celebrate the Society’s accomplishments, welcome newly elected board members and trustees, and honor dedicated members with awards. The evening also features a fascinating presentation from a guest speaker. This year, the banquet took place on Saturday, March 15th, at the Embassy Suites in the Denver Tech Center.

Elections

Each year, the DAS holds elections to choose new Executive Board members and officers. The current president appoints an Election Chairperson who is not a member of the Executive Board. For the 2025 election, Ed Ladner served as the Election Chairperson.

DAS members nominate candidates for one-year terms through the Election Chair. These nominations are presented to the membership before the election, which takes place via electronic voting in February. The newly elected Executive Board members and officers officially take office at the Annual Banquet in March.

Board of Trustees

The DAS is governed by a Board consisting of thirteen members, including the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, eight at-large Board Members, and the immediate Past President.

President: Katherine Bond Replaces Douglas Triggs

Newly seated DAS President, Katherine Bond, receiving the President’s Gavel from outgoing President Doug Triggs - Photo by Ron Hranac — Newly seated DAS President, Katherine Bond, receiving the President’s Gavel from outgoing President Doug Triggs – Photo by Ron Hranac

Katherine Bond is the newly elected President, replacing Douglas Triggs. The President serves as the Chairperson of all Executive Board meetings and general Society meetings. The President oversees all Society activities and appoints or dissolves committees as needed.

Vice President: Joe Pineda Replaces Dr. Mehmet Unsoy

Outgoing Vice President, Dr. Mehmet Unsoy, receiving a plaque for his service on the DAS Board - Photo by Ron Hranac — Outgoing Vice President, Dr. Mehmet Unsoy, receiving a plaque for his service on the DAS Board – Photo by Ron Hranac

Joe Pineda is the newly elected Vice President, replacing Dr. Mehmet Unsoy. The Vice President assists the President, presides over meetings in the President’s absence, and may be assigned to lead standing committees. The Vice President also serves as the General Meeting Program Director.

Secretary: Chris Hamlin Replaces Toby Sheets

Outgoing Secretary, Toby Sheets, receiving a plaque for his service on the DAS Board - Photo by Ron Hranac — Outgoing Secretary, Toby Sheets, receiving a plaque for his service on the DAS Board – Photo by Ron Hranac

Chris Hamlin is the newly elected Secretary, replacing Toby Sheets. The Secretary records the minutes of all Society meetings and keeps official records of DAS proceedings.

Treasurer: Hunter Cobb Returns

Hunter Cobb is the returning to his role as Treasurer. The Treasurer manages the Society’s finances, oversees expenditures, and maintains accurate financial records.

At-Large Trustees

The following at-large Board Trustees are returning to their roles from last year: Steve Barr, Dr. John Bickel, Mark Christman, Jack Eastman, Joe Gafford, Ron Hranac, and Bill Kast. And newly elected trustee, David Catlin, will replace Joe Godwin-Austen on the board.

Past President: Douglas Triggs Replaces Dena McClung

Outgoing Past President, Dena McClung, receiving a plaque for her service on the DAS Board - Photo by Ron Hranac — Outgoing Past President, Dena McClung receiving a plaque for her service on the Executive Board – Photo by Ron Hranac

2024 Board President, Douglas Triggs, will replace 2023 President and 2024 Past President, Dena McClung, as the Past President on the DAS Board.

Awards

Each year, the DAS presents awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the Society. This year, two awards were given: the Bill Ormsby Memorial Volunteer Award and the Rising Star Award.

Bill Ormsby Memorial Volunteer Award

Introduced in 2014, this award honors a DAS member who has dedicated significant time and effort to the Society. It is named after Bill Ormsby, who was known for his tireless service at Chamberlin Observatory, ensuring smooth operations during public events.

This year’s recipient is outgoing Treasurer and current DAS Webmaster, Toby Sheets.Toby has for some time now contributed greatly to the club as webmaster, not just for DAS, but also pitching in to help support the upcoming ASTROCON in Bryce Canyon later this year, that the DAS is supporting as one of the clubs in the Mountain Astronomical Region Section (MARS) of the Astronomical League. He’s also helped run various related services such as Slack and our social media. Last year, Toby also agreed to be Board Secretary in a time of need (with some arm-twisting from President, Doug Triggs, who desperately needed the help). He also often supports DAS events and general meetings by bringing audio and video gear, helping to make those things go much more smoothly than they might have without his help.

The previous DAS Members who have been awarded this honor are:

2014 Darrell Dodge
2015 David Shouldice
2016 Dave Tondreau
2017 Dena McClung
2018 Johnny and Eileen Barela
2019 Dan Wray
2020 Jack Eastman
2021 Digby Kirby
2022 Stuart Hutchins
2023 Ronald Hranac
2024 Joe Gafford

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award is an an ad-hoc award given out at the president’s discretion to celebrate a DAS member who has truly stepped up to make the DAS better. This year’s award was presented to DAS member Bart Scully for his service in orchestrating and performing much-needed maintenance at the Kline-Dodge Dark Sky Site.

Guest Speaker

Dr. Brian Kloppenborg give a presentation on T Coronae Borealis at the DAS Spring Banquet - Photo by Ron Hranac — Dr. Brian Kloppenborg give a presentation on T Coronae Borealis at the DAS Spring Banquet – Photo by Ron Hranac

One of the highlights of the Annual Spring Banquet is the guest speaker. This year, DAS welcomed Dr. Brian Kloppenborg, an astrophysicist and the Executive Director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). Dr. Kloppenborg holds a PhD in Physics with an astrophysics specialization from the University of Denver and a BA in Physics from Hastings College. Before joining AAVSO, he worked as a Research Scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, leading teams in astrophysical research.

Dr. Kloppenborg’s presentation focused on T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), a rare nova that erupts on human timescales, making it an exciting object for amateur and professional astronomers. He discussed the history of T CrB, including the poetic observations of Leslie Peltier and the cutting-edge research being conducted today. He also explored what makes this system unique, how astronomers have studied it over time, and why its next outburst is highly anticipated.

Keep Looking Up

The 2025 DAS Annual Spring Banquet was a wonderful evening of celebration, recognition, and learning. With the election of new board members, the presentation of awards, and an engaging talk on T CrB, attendees left inspired and eager for another exciting year in astronomy. The DAS looks forward to continuing its mission of fostering a love for the night sky and sharing the wonders of the universe with the community.

Clear skies!