2026 NOMINEES

Katherine Bond

I am Katherine Bond and I am running for re-election for the office of President. This has been an amazing year for me. DAS is an amazing organization with a rich history. I have truly enjoyed meeting so many of our members, attending events, engaging with student members, focusing on recognizing our volunteers, encouraging participation, and listening to members as to our future.

I have served on a variety of boards like Chairman of the Madison County Board of Adjustment, President of the Medfield Homeowners Association, officer of the PTA board, and many other positions. I also owned an architectural practice for many years and worked for FEMA helping communities recover from disasters. All of these positions have provided me with experience in leading organizations as well as navigating difficult situations.

In the past year, I am proud of my efforts to recruit new members to our Board of Trustees, change the venue for our Holiday Banquet which was a great success, support our volunteers who manage our many activities, transition our meeting space to a place that will work better with us, recruit new leads for both our Outreach and Inreach Committees, support multiple auctions, and solicit input on the future of our Dark Site.

I am proud of what I have accomplished this year. If re-elected, I will continue to focus on our next generation of leadership, encouraging greater participation from our membership, recognition for our volunteers, and ensuring financial viability for our many program goals.

July Candia

Hello, DAS members! I’m excited for the Denver Astronomical Society in 2026 and for the possibilities to enhance membership. Several of my plans include obtaining a variety of fun and inviting venues for our yearly banquets; enlisting engaging speakers for general meetings (beyond math and graphs); increasing club participation; and ensuring recognition and appreciation of all our amazing volunteers. I’m optimistic about the future of the club, and I look forward to the chance to collaborate with the president and the E-Board to make valuable contributions to project the success of our society, while also remaining receptive to creative ideas from our members.

I’m passionate about women in space and astronomy, and I would love to explore special activities for the women and girls in the club.

My past participation in DAS: Vice President; E-Board member; External Outreach Coordinator; Outreach volunteer; Social media contributor/editor; Open House volunteer; Public Night presenter; Certified Telescope Operator of the historic Alvin-Clark Saegmuller at Chamberlin Observatory; and presenter for the Chamberlin Observatory anniversaries.

“The Cosmos is within us.”
– Carl Sagan

“Do not look at the stars as bright spots only. Try to take in the vastness of the universe.”
– Maria Mitchell

Karli Pigford

I understand there is currently a need for a Secretary for the Denver Astronomical Society, and I would like to formally submit my name for consideration and offer my support to the organization.

As a new amateur astronomer, I am thrilled to have joined DAS and feel a great deal of gratitude toward the individuals who organized and instructed the outreach astronomy series at the Secular Hub. I have also greatly appreciated gatherings at various locations, the fantastic guest speakers, the online programs, and the strong sense of community at the Dark Site.

I am eager to give back to this community and recognize that an all-volunteer organization requires significant effort to maintain programs, manage sites, and support a membership that spans not only the Front Range, but all of Colorado and neighboring states. The generosity and expertise of astronomers, astrophotographers, and stargazers within DAS are truly inspiring and deeply valuable in this era.

I would be honored to contribute to the Society’s continued success. Let’s continue to get together, look up, and smile.

Hunter Cobb

After extensive training by Chris Hamlin (my predecessor as Treasurer), I took on the role of DAS treasurer in the spring of 2024, and was re-elected in 2025.

As Treasurer, my responsibilities include managing the financial resources of DAS, disbursing payments authorized by the Eboard and President, maintaining records using the online Quickbooks software, and participating in DAS decision making. I have a fiduciary role in the organization.

My background is in Information Systems and have been a self-employed trainer in a variety of technical areas (mainly computer systems development) since 1988. I have been Treasurer for another non-profit organization since 2018.

If elected, I will continue to serve as Treasurer, carrying out the duties of the position to the best of my ability.

John is a retired Physicist/Nuclear Engineer and joined the DAS in 2019. He is a current member of the Executive Board. John served previously as the DAS In-Reach Coordination and was later instrumental in organizing the DAS’s Astronomical Observing 101 Program. John’s interests include: Milky Way and astrophotography, simulating the physics of stars, and looking for the physics in the stars with his home astronomical spectroscopy rig.

I received my first book on astronomy and a small telescope when I was nine years old and have been looking up ever since. I joined the Denver Astronomical Society about five years ago with the intention of improving my observing skills, keeping up with the technology and interacting with like minded amature astronomers .

I was elected to the Executive Board two years ago as a mid-term replacement and was reelected last year. In addition to being on the Board, I assist our Quartermaster in managing our equipment inventory, putting on the auctions and keeping track of our loaner program. I also like to participate in our Outreach program as often as I can.

I would like to continue to serve DAS as a trustee on the Executive board and would appreciate your supporting vote.

I got inoculated with an astronomy as a 2nd grader when my Dad propped his 8X30 binocular and showed me the Moon. Subsequent years/decades went by, lots of exposure to things such as the Griffith Observatory, seeing the universe through the telescope, locked in my undying interest.


I majored in astrophysics (UCLA) and was immediately hired by Tom Johnson, owner of Valor Electronics, due, no doubt due to my reputation as a glass grinder. Yes, I made a number of telescopes. Tom was trying to come up with an “astro-optical” division to extend the company into astronomical instruments. This was the birth of the CelestronCompany. Tom seriously encouraged me to go “get something better.”

Off I went to Fairchild Space and Defense Systems, which led to a serious education in the fine (and not so fine) points of computer-aided optical design. While this was going on I also had a part-time job as a tour-guide, and later, planetarium lecturer, at the Griffith Observatory.

When Fairchild gave up the ghost I left the Land of Perpetual Smog and went up the creek (Colorado) and up the Hill (Rockies) and landed in the Denver area and landed at Martin Marietta as an Optical Sciences Specialist. Been to Jupiter, Saturn and Mars! During my 37-year tenure (plus one week) there I was heavily involved in the optical design of the 13 optical instruments on the Huygens Probe that landed on Saturn’s moon Titan. Involvement with the Cassini entry probe at Jupiter and a Huygens probe lens I modified for the Mars Pathfinder lander. Those were some 5% of all the stuff our team did at “Lockmart”. One wild and woolly, and seriously rewarding, ride!

I joined the Los Angeles club (LAAS) 1952, and when I fled LA, I joined up with the Denver club (DAS). Served as Presidents for LA and Denver and their boards. Also several other organizations, IDA, Darksky CO, Assoc. of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO), life member, and a number of like minded organizations. I’ve served on the DAS Board since… seemingly forever!

Joe is 73–year–old member, US Navy veteran. He has had an interest in astronomy since 1962 and has been an astrophotographer since 1968. Joe has been a member of the DAS for 35 years, 32 of which he has served as one of DAS’s trustees.

Joe organizes the DAS annual event calendar, coordinating club meetings and events on and around annual celestial events. He maintains an archive of early DAS history, and has been archiving the ongoing history of the club since 1990. Joe is currently on the Kline-Dodge Dark Sky Site (KDDS) committee, was one of the original founders of the KDDS, and can be found at the site regularly performing routine maintenance.

I am excited to nominate myself for the role of DAS Trustee for 2026. Over the past four years, the Denver Astronomical Society has been an important part of my life, and I am proud to have contributed as a volunteer and leader during a period of meaningful growth and expanded community outreach.

I currently serve on the DAS E-Board as Secretary, supporting the board through meeting participation, accurate documentation, and stewardship of E-Board records. Previously, I had the privilege of serving two years as Treasurer, where I helped ensure DAS’s financial health and transparency while supporting the Society’s long-term mission.

In addition, I was honored to be elected Chair of the VNHA Scholarship Committee for 2026, working with a dedicated team to identify and support students who share our passion for astronomy and science.

Astronomy has been a lifelong passion of mine, and the DAS has given me the opportunity to turn that passion into service. I care deeply about this organization and its future, and I would be honored to continue giving back as a Trustee.

I’m a retired telecommunications engineer and have been a member of DAS for nearly 25 years. During that time, I’ve been active as an E-Board Trustee and served for 6 years as DAS President. I’m passionate about sharing the hobby of astronomy with the public, and am one of DAS’s Astronomy Night volunteer speakers, a regular at many of our monthly Open Houses, an outreach volunteer, and the Society’s media contact.

I bring to the organization leadership experience in the community (former Scout leader, former officer, and director of a homeowners association) and board and officer experience in a 17,000+ member non-profit engineering association.

DAS has grown leaps and bounds over the past several years, reaching more than 1200 members today, the highest ever in the organization’s history. That growth means a lot of behind-the-scenes work is needed to ensure our current and future programs meet the needs of our members and the public. I’d like to continue that work as an E-Board Trustee, representing you and your interests in everything that makes DAS the success that it is.

Pavlina Karafillis is a mechanical engineer who works on mechanisms for deep space missions including the Perseverance Rover, Mars Sample Return, and Artemis 2+. She was introduced to astronomy at the age of 8 when her parents would stargaze with a homemade telescope and share their knowledge of the myths behind the constellations.

Today, she enjoys using her telephoto lens to photograph both stars and starlings (or other wildlife)! Passionate about science communication and hands-on experimentation, she is excited to support and learn with a community of people who share her interest in astronomy and space. As a current Trustee and In-Reach Coordinator, she supports the DAS mission to promote the understanding and enjoyment of astronomy. Pavlina holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from MIT.

Mia Kuchner has been a member of DAS for 3 years and is running for the role of DAS Trustee. She has been most involved with DAS’ Outreach team, though she has also attended Open Houses and In Reach Events. She seeks to bring this experience to the role of Trustee to continue to engage DAS with the Denver community, and increase Member engagement within the club. Specifically, she seeks to engage other young professionals who, like herself, are passionate about space. 

Mia has worked in aerospace for the past 3 years in Satellite Operations and Project Engineering. Prior to this, she attended Georgetown University where she was President of the Astronomical Society. Here, she regularly held astronomy demonstrations and presentations, engaged with the student body and worked on preservation efforts for another Saegmuller telescope. Whether she is operating a satellite or a 19th century telescope, Mia has a wide range of experience, which she seeks to contribute to the role of Trustee to continue the DAS mission.

My name is Maria Schanhals, and I am running for a trustee position on the Denver Astronomical Society E-Board. I’m fairly new to DAS, but I quickly agreed to take over the Outreach program in July 2025 when Steve Barr resigned. Since taking the helm of the Outreach program, I have successfully planned and executed 15 outreach events, with a total attendance of over 1,000, supported by many member volunteers. Looking ahead, I will work to continue to grow Denver Astronomical Society events by developing new partnerships in 2026, including one with the United States Space Force. My prior work experience includes serving as an event planner, successfully planning and managing hockey & ice-skating events with over 200 attendees each. I am currently a grant writer and a Parks & Recreation planner in the Denver metro area.

In addition to my Outreach duties, I have recently agreed to take on the newly created Mentorship Coordinator position for the Denver Astronomical Society, helping DAS support our mission of educational outreach. Supporting students interested in astronomy-related fields is a priority for DAS, and I look forward to connecting them with members who can foster their interests.

Like others in our society, I am not an astronomer by trade, but by passion. I have truly enjoyed being a member of DAS, managing the Outreach program, and supporting other DAS activities. I believe I have many skills that can contribute to DAS’s future, and I can devote the time needed to put them into practice. I would very much like to be part of the next generation of leadership for DAS to ensure its continued success and existence.

2026 Executive Board Nominations

How Nominations Work