I hold a B.S., M.S., and Doctoral degree in engineering and spent the first half of my career on the faculty of several institutions, including the University of Detroit where I served as Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department.
I left academia and spent the remainder of my 40+ year career managing an engineering planning division at the Voice of America where I analyzed broadcast coverage and implemented new technologies for broadcast enhancement and transmission.
I became an Apple convert with my first MacBook Pro in 2010. My hobby is literally "playing" with my brand new 2021 MacBook Pro with the M1 chip, making movies, slideshows and other projects.
I am currently an active board member of the Apple Club in Leisure World Maryland where I reside.
I retired in 2012 as Commissioner of the Public Debt after 42 years with the U.S Department of the Treasury. As Commissioner, I was head of the Bureau of the Public Debt, a primary component with the Treasury Department, with more than 2,000 employees. My first personal computer was a Tandy TRS-80, one of the earliest such computers available. In 1990, I wrote the computer program which, for the first time, automated the calculations for the public auctions of Treasury marketable securities. I have years of experience using personal computers and years of enjoyment helping others work with personal technology.
Upon retiring, I switched from Windows to Mac and have not looked back.
I recently bought one of the new Mac Studio computers proving that it is okay to own much more computing capability than I really need or will ever fully understand. If I am elected to the Pi Board, I would like to continue to educate members (including myself) about Apple products and operating systems and, most importantly, helping increase members' confidence in their ability to effectively use today's technology to get work done and have fun.
My interest in Apple products began in the Apple II days, and my first Mac was an LC with an Apple II card. I have always had at least one Mac in the house since then and currently have four, plus an iPad and iPhone and Apple TV. But I am not an early adopter, and that's why I love the Pi, to learn about the experiences of others before I make my next purchase. I have been on the Pi Board since around 2010 and enjoy the friendships as well as the chance to participate in the club's evolution along with the technologies. I would be pleased to continue as a Board member if reelected.
George Hogeman first joined in the Pi in 1997. He retired following 31 years with the Department of State in 2019. He's been an Apple user since 1983 and first used a Mac in 1984. Besides the standard Apple software, his most frequently used programs include Reunion (for genealogy and which he first learned about at a Pi meeting), Stellarium for astronomy, Wenlin for reading and writing Chinese, MoneyDance for Home Finance and Lightroom, Photoshop and Affinity Photo for photography. He also maintains computers running Windows and Ubuntu Linux. He is a volunteer with Smithsonian Associates and the National Air & Space Museum. He serves as the moderator of the monthly Photos-SIG.
Raju Tonapi has been a Board Member and, at times, Treasurer for WAP for well over a decade. He is committed to providing transparency, integrity, and accuracy in a continuing role of Treasurer. What he has gained while attending the Pi as a member, he has gladly given back more by his contributions to the organization. His background is in Electrical Engineering with a Master's in Business Administration, and has worked in Telecom, Finance, Consumer Goods, and Defense sectors. He is currently working at Raytheon Technologies in the capacity of Cyber Defense.