Welcome, DAS 2026 Executive Board!
President: Katherine Bond
Vice President: July Candia
Treasurer: Hunter Cobb
Secretary: Karli Pigford
Trustees:
Dr. John Bickel
Mark Christman
Joe Gafford
Chris Hamlin
Ron Hranac
Pavlina Karafilis
Mia Kuchner
Maria Schanhals
Each year, members of the Denver Astronomical Society elect Officers and Trustees to serve on our Executive Board. The 2026 election officially begins at the January 12 General Membership Meeting, when nominations will open.
DAS is powered entirely by volunteers—and what a success that’s been. In just over a decade, we’ve grown from about 300 members to more than 1,200 today! We’re now the largest astronomy club in the Astronomical League and one of the largest in the United States. Every one of those accomplishments is thanks to you, our members.
Want to Get Involved? This Is Your Chance
Have you ever thought about taking a more active role in DAS leadership? We need you! Serving on the Executive Board is a meaningful way to help guide the future of one of the country’s leading astronomy clubs.
All adult DAS members in good standing are eligible to run!
Executive Board Overview
The Executive Board consists of 13 members, all serving one-year terms:
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4 elected Officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer
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9 Trustees:
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8 elected Trustees
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1 Past President (automatic seat)
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How Nominations Work
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Nominations open during the January General Membership Meeting
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Members may nominate themselves or others
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Nominations must be submitted by email by Feb 1st at 11:59 pm MT to our Election Chairperson, Toby Sheets — nominations@denverastro.org
- Candidates will be displayed at https://www.denverastro.org/elections/candidates
Voting & Election Results
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Voting will take place electronically on ElectionBuddy.com
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Voting will open on February 3rd at 6 am – one week before the February Annual Business Meeting
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Members will receive:
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Voting instructions
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A link to candidate biographies
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Access to the online ballot
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Election results will be announced after the main presentation at the February meeting.
Important Dates to Remember ️
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January 12, 2026
Nominations open during the General Membership Meeting -
February 1, 2026 11:59 pm
Nominations close -
February 2, 2026 6:00 am
Voting begins - February 9, 2026
Election results announced at the Annual Business Meeting - March 7, 2026
Newly elected Officers and Trustees are seated at the Spring Banquet
More details about the election will be shared with members via email soon.