There are some new faces on the SMCAS Board and we are very excited to introduce them. One has jumped into the Society with both feet by not only becoming a new member but a board member, too. Please welcome Kimberly Alger to the Society as one of our newest Board Members at Large. Kimberly has been attending Star Parties for the past few months and become a board member because it sounded like a fun way to get more involved in the club. Her parents introduced her to astronomy by taking her to meteor showers and the Space Center in Houston. There she saw retired rockets from the Apollo era and looked through a solar telescope for the first time when Venus transited across the sun. Currently she’s a middle school teacher who loves talking math and science with her students.
Another new face to the board but not to Star Parties is Stephen Kwong. Though he’s been attending Star Parties since 2022, Steve didn’t become an official member until this year and is also jumping with both feet into the Society by being a Board Member at Large. Stephen became a board member because he’s passionate about stargazing and wants to help spread the joy of stargazing to our communities.
“It’s really rewarding to me when I witness the joys of others viewing astronomical objects for the first time through a telescope!”
As with others, his interest in astronomy was sparked by his kids. When his youngest son was in kindergarten, they saw Saturn and Jupiter through a telescope during the Great Conjunction of 2020. From then on, he was hooked.
Another new face to the board but very familiar to the Society is Chanan Greenberg. Most know Chanan and depending on how long you’ve been a member, you might remember him serving on the board as vice president between 2007 and 2013. Chanan became a board member, both then and now, to be more active in the club’s public outreach and support club activities. You might also recall that during that time, Chanan moved from San Mateo to the South Bay but is still continues to be a very dedicated and active member. It was Chanan’s grandfather that introduced him to astronomy with a pair of binoculars and a 60mm refractor. His first viewing of the moon hooked him. However, it wasn’t until many years later that his wife encouraged him to pursue astronomy as a hobby, just before the birth of his daughter.
Chanan also shared that before he became vice president, they had tradition of going to Denny’s after Star Parties and hanging out and talking more about astronomy topics. Many members helped and inspired him to then pursue astrophotography. To see more of his images go to www.greenhawkobservatory.com.
Lastly, the Board has appointed a Youth Board Member since a young member was interested in serving but wasn’t old enough to serve. We’re fortunate that Kaelyn Chutczer agreed to the appointment and is another new face at the board meetings. Kaelyn wanted to be a board member in hopes of getting more students interested in astronomy. She knows there are a lot of other teenagers who would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about science. Her father, Marc Chutczer, a five-year member, introduced her to the Society. She’s been going to Star Parties for as long as she can remember! She started attending the monthly meetings about a year ago. Kaelyn shared that ever since her father got a telescope, she’s been able to understand the science in astronomy much more than when she was a child. In addition, at her school, Kaelyn is in two choirs and a political speech and debate club.
“I’m very excited to get to work with the board this year!”