The Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers (ALPO) is pleased to announce the appointment of five Trustees to its newly created Endowment Trust Fund Board of Trustees.
The Endowment Trust Fund Board was established in early 2021 to provide management oversight and to generate and effectively utilize funds ensuring that both short- and long-term financial goals of the Association, a 501(c)(3) organization now celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary, are met. The five named to the Endowment Trust Fund Board are:
John Bedsole, a Certified Public Accountant, business valuation analyst, and tax professional with the firm Kalifeh Bedsole Adams in Mobile, AL. Mr. Bedsole earned his BS in Commerce and Business Administration in 2002 and an MA in Economics in 2003 from The University of Alabama; and, a Masters of Accounting in 2006 from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been a member of the ALPO for fourteen years.
Matthew Benton, CEO of Mentora Education Group, based in Washington, DC, and Istanbul, Turkey; and, Director of Foreign Languages at Bahcesehir College in Turkey. Mr. Benton earned his BA in History in 2004 from Armstrong Atlantic State University and his MA in Applied Linguistics from Georgia State University in 2009, and has been involved with the ALPO since the early 1990s.
Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Beucher, who serves as treasurer for the Trust Fund of the Astronomical League, an umbrella organization comprising over two hundred and forty local amateur astronomical societies across the United States, and as vice chair of the Missouri chapter of the International Dark Sky Association. Ms. Beucher holds a BS degree in Business Administration from Avila University.
Larry Hardy, chairman of the board for the Prairie Education Research Co-operative, the clinical trial division of Prairie Cardiovascular, and a member of the Board of Directors for Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants. Mr. Hardy earned a BS degree in molecular biology from the University of Illinois. Additionally, he is a vice president with Morgan Stanley in Springfield, Illinois.
Ronald May, a retired business executive with over forty years of experience in corporate marketing and communications, who also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the San Jose Museum of Art in the early 2000s. Mr. May earned his BA in US History from California State University, Northridge, and an MBA in Business Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
“For decades, the ALPO has been recognized around the world for its outstanding contributions to both amateur and professional astronomical observing,” said executive director Carl Hergenrother. “Each of these appointees brings a unique skillset and talent to the Association, and as we prepare to celebrate our seventy-fifth anniversary, the establishment of this Board and the naming of these five Trustees allows us to ensure that the Association is judiciously and wisely managed well into the future.”
The Board will examine and oversee a wide range of issues, including digital archiving of over a half-century of technical bulletins, observing reports, and studies; examining the viability of a new headquarters location; and, establishing a long-term administration process for funds entering and leaving the Association. “It’ll be a pleasure to work with my distinguished colleagues as we guide the ALPO towards a bright future,” said Jackie Beucher, one of the newly appointed Trustees. “I am a longtime admirer of the ALPO, and my involvement will allow me to help grow this critical resource for both amateur and professional astronomers alike for generations to come.”
About The ALPO
The Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is an international organization devoted to study the Sun, Moon, planets within and beyond our Solar System, asteroids, meteors, and comets. The Association’s goals are to stimulate, coordinate, and generally promote the study of these bodies using methods and instruments available within the communities of both amateur and professional astronomers.
The ALPO collects and analyzes observations of various Solar System bodies and associated phenomena and publishes detailed reports concerning these bodies in its quarterly publication The ALPO Journal, also known as The Strolling Astronomer.
For more information, please visit www.alpo-astronomy.org
Media Contact:
Matthew Will
matt.will@alpo-astronomy.org
