BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Robert (Bob) McGowan (Board President): Bob is a retired Information Technology (IT) manager with over 20 years of experience managing large national IT organizations. Bob’s hobbies include SCUBA diving, underwater photography, hiking, skiing, and motorcycle touring. Bob and his wife have two adult children, three grandchildren, and a couple of elderly cats who generally run the household.
Peggy Chun: Peggy is a retired systems engineer who led technical teams in research, design, testing, and evaluation to integrate complex systems supporting Navy and NASA programs over a 36-year career. Her personal interests span the gamut from traveling to areas of world cultural interest to learning about and appreciating the world differences, to geology, gardening, hiking, photography, genealogy research, and old cars.
Howard McCauley: Howard is a volunteer from California’s Eastern Sierra who focuses on historic hiking trails and structure restoration. His most meaningful volunteer activities are supporting projects that promote an active lifestyle and improved access to the outdoors for the Pacific Crest Trail Association, California State Parks, and the Bureau of Land Management among others.
Jann Philpott: Jann worked for the US Navy in finance, payroll, supporting the Weapons and Energetics Department. She enjoys making stained glass and working on jigsaw puzzles.
Diane Foucher: Diane has 45 years of experience in federal government procurement for the Army and Navy. Prior to retirement, she was a senior procuring contracting officer. After retirement, she has continued to provide research, analysis, training, and mentoring on complex acquisition issues and policy implementation. Diane is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager and National Contracts Management Association Fellow, previously serving in NCMA leadership positions at the regional and national levels. She is a member of the Kern Community College District Bond Oversight Committee. Diane enjoys travel, scuba diving, camping, hiking, grandkids, dancing, and singing with the church choir.
David Kurdeka: Dave is a retired aerospace/mechanical engineer who worked for the US Navy for over 33 years. During his career with the Navy, he worked as a design and test engineer on a wide range of projects and in numerous technology fields. Dave enjoys photography, hiking, camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains and Mojave Desert, traveling to third-world locals, gardening, and teaching children about the natural world.
Dr. Renee Lesniak: Renee is a retired Supervisory Program Analyst who worked for more than 33 years in the Department of Defense, both in private industry and as a government civilian. Renee performed a variety of jobs supporting many Navy technical programs; she worked in infrastructure, safety, proposal development, financial management, contract management, and public affairs. Renee enjoys hiking in the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley, reading, volunteering at the Maturango Museum, and hanging out with her husband of 30 years, friends, cats, and tortoises.
Dorie Cornell: Dorie is a retired special education specialist who has volunteered with the history curator at the Maturango Museum since 2016, as well as wildflower collecting for the annual show. Dorie has 200 field and school hours as a non-credit student/volunteer for the Adirondack College Archeology Field School at French and Indian War sites. Training included excavation, artifact cleaning, classification, as well as exhibit design in small museums. Living in Kennedy Meadows part-time – interests include time with family, hiking, cross-country skiing, and volunteering with various groups on archeological projects.
Dan Burnett: Dan was raised in the Los Angeles area, and graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in political science as well as graduate work in business administration. He worked for 32 years as a civil servant before retiring from the Naval Weapons Center in 1994. He has been a member of the Maturango Museum since the early 1970s.