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Tacoma Branch Council Elections 2015

Mountaineers Tacoma Branch Council Elections 2015

Please take 5 minutes to read our candidate statements and cast your vote for Tacoma Branch Council Members. Those elected will serve on the council for two years. Please note that 2015 Chair-Elect, Jim Paxinos, will serve as Chair for 2016-2017.
1. Candidate: JIM FELTUS
Position: Mountaineers Board of Directors, Tacoma Representative; Tacoma Council
 
Bio:  I joined The Mountaineers in 1996 to re-learn mountaineering through the Basic Climbing Course.  I was immediately struck and impressed with the level of dedication and passion The Mountaineers community had toward the natural world and teaching the many skills needed to safely move in a potentially hostile environment.  These were people like me and I was hooked and wanted to give back.  After finishing the Basic Climbing Course, I took the Intermediate Climbing Course, the Navigation Course, leadership courses, and other courses offered by The Mountaineers.  I had the pleasure of serving as Branch Chair from 2004 to 2005.  I have helped teach the Decision Making Seminar and have served on our Branch Council for several years.  Along with Chuck Neudorf, I helped create the Sport Climbing Course in Tacoma.  In that same vein, with the help of Justin Canny at the University of Puget Sound, I arranged to bring the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour to Tacoma through the sponsorship of The Mountaineers.  Over the years I have helped teach in both the Basic and Intermediate Courses. Recently, I have helped oversee the construction of the new Program Center in Tacoma and was actively involved in the fundraising efforts directed at the completion of the Program Center.   I still am an active climber.  Currently I am serving on The Mountaineers Board of Directors as the Tacoma Representative, the Board Finance Committee and the Board Collaborations Committee.  I would appreciate the opportunity to serve another term as the Tacoma Representative on The Mountaineers Board of Directors. 

Are you in support of electing this candidate to a two-year term on the Tacoma Mountaineers Governing Council?
 
2. Candidate: TROY MASON
Position: Chair-Elect
 
Bio: Early in life I learned to love the outdoors as a Boy Scout. Currently, my wife and I continue to enjoy the beauty of Washington together as avid hikers and backpackers.
 
I fell in love with climbing after twice attempting Mount Rainier as part of charity climbs with a guide service. Wanting to learn to climb self-sufficiently, I joined The Mountaineers to take part in the Basic Climbing Course. In the following years I completed the Basic Course as well as the Sport and Trad Climbing Courses. I enrolled in Intermediate Climbing in 2011, and I've since served on both the Basic and Intermediate committees. The last two years I've had the honor of sitting on the Tacoma Branch Council and I would enjoy nothing more than to help see a number of projects through to their next stage by serving for another term.
 
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3. Candidate: MICHAEL HOY
Position: Council Treasurer
Bio: I began working in public accounting nine years ago. During my first busy season, I signed up for a guided attempt of Mt. Rainier in an effort to balance the crazy hours I was working.  While the climb did not result in a summit, the experience had a major impact on my life and I couldn’t get the climbing bug out of my system.  I continued to pursue guided climbs with increasing comfort and success and eventually signed up for, and graduated from, the Mountaineers Basic Climbing Course in 2013.  Climbing does not come naturally for me and my experience in the course resulted in some of the most proud moments of my life.  I feel an immense sense of gratitude to the organization and the many volunteers and feel that with my accounting background the Treasurer role is a natural way for me to give back.  I am currently a Senior Accounting Manager in the corporate office of the largest accounting firm based on the West Coast.  I have been a licensed CPA in the State of Washington since 2009 and am a current member of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of CPAs.    

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4. Candidate: RICK YASGER
Position: Council Secretary
 
Bio: I have been with the Mountaineers since 2003. I completed Alpine Scrambles that year, have been a Scrambles Instructor since 2004, completed Basic Climbing in 2009, and am currently actively working through the Intermediate Climbing program.  My volunteer activities also include 13 years having been vice president, treasurer, and president of Peninsula Neighborhood Association, a community-based environmental organization in Gig Harbor; treasurer and other roles with Tahoma Audubon Society since 2002, and treasurer of eight political campaigns including the Pierce Transit and Tim Farrell campaigns in 2011-12. I am currently working on Tom McCarthy's campaign for Tacoma City Council. I am hoping to see continued building of relationships with the South Sound community as well as conservation organizations such as Audubon and Washington Trails. It has been exciting being on the Mountaineers Board during the construction of our new Program Center and indoor & outdoor climbing walls and I would like to continue serving in my role as Secretary.

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5. Candidate: MIKE COURTS
Position: Council Member
Bio: I am a lifelong outdoor enthusiast and volunteer.  I learned my love of the outdoors through family and the Boy Scouts. I am an Eagle Scout and former Scoutmaster. After 30 years in the U.S. Army, I retired in 2011 and now pursue my passion for the out of doors. My main activities are Alpine Skiing, Sea Kayaking, and Golf. I am a PSIA Level 1 Alpine Ski Instructor and Child Specialist at Summit Central's Snow Sport School in Snoqualmie Pass. I joined the Mountaineers in 2011. I am a graduate of the Sea Kayaking Basic Course, Wilderness First Aid, Sea Kayak Roll Class, Trip Planning and Navigation, Intermediate Incident Management/Rescues/Towing/Currents, Coastal Kayak Surf Zone Basics, and Wind and Waves. I am a Basic Kayak Class and Roll Class Instructor, SK III Trip Leader, and am enrolled in the Intermediate Kayak Certification Program. I currently serve as the Outdoor Division Chair in the Tacoma Branch and serve on the Branch Safety Committee.

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6. Candidate: RAPHI GIANGIULIO
Position: Council Member
 
While I have enjoyed the outdoors all my life, it wasn’t until I moved up here from Dallas in 2007 that I became interested in climbing mountains that didn’t have a trail to the summit.  I quickly found that this required skills I didn’t have.  I joined the Mountaineers and have since taken the Scrambles, Basic and Intermediate climbing classes.  These classes have introduced me to many amazing people and have taken me to unbelievably beautiful places.  The completion of each class left we wanting not only to continue on to the next level class but also to give back to the Mountaineers.  I'll be graduating from the Intermediate class this year and am looking for a way to continue being involved with the Mountaineers beyond just leading climbs and teaching at fieldtrips. I think that working with the Tacoma Mountaineers Council will be a great way for me to help keep the branch courses and activities running strong.


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7. Candidate: RICHARD LEVENSON
Position: Council Member
 
I am a 1973 transplant to Western Washington, having grown up and attended  college out east. In 1978, I joined the Mountaineers,  took the Basic Climbing Course of that era and then spent 30 years engaging in professional and family affairs  and many outdoors explorations and adventures.  In 2013 I rejoined the club, took the Basic Climbing Course of the modern era and was reintroduced to the disciplines and the excitement of climbing and to the remarkable people of the Tacoma Branch.
 
I am a long-time attorney focusing on real estate, commercial transactions and business organizations, with sidelines in charitable organizations, healthcare and much interesting miscellany.  I am fortunate to have some skills and experience that will fit well with Council activities and I am committed to giving some energy back to Tacoma Branch in view of the many benefits received.
 

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8. Candidate: MAIZA LIMA
Position: Council Member
 
I first joined the Tacoma Mountaineers in 2013 for a Sport Climbing Course. The next year I decided to go ahead and take the Basic Climbing Course. I fell in love with the community and felt welcome and taken care of.  I didn’t think twice and jumped into the Intermediate Climbing Course of 2015. It’s been a blast and I can’t wait to share this with so many other people in the coming years.
I want to give back, and if possible, make it an even better experience for the new outdoor lovers to join our Mountaineers community in the future. I’m a very active climber and love sharing experiences with people who love being outside like me.
I was born in Brazil and moved to the PNW a few years ago. It blew my mind when I discovered trails and mountains, and now I can’t get enough of it.
I am looking forward to sharing my passion to explore, learn, and conserve.


Are you in support of electing this candidate to a two-year term on the Tacoma Mountaineers Governing Council?
 
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