Board of Directors Election for 2021

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* 1. Ben Davoren for President

My name is Ben Davoren and I am running for the office of President of the Redwood Region PCA Board of Directors. This will be my ninth year as a member of Redwood Region, and I continue to make new friends that I never would have met anywhere else. I have been Vice President for the last two years and recognize the challenges that affect our ability to be the club we want it to be: a social, fun club centered around driving the tremendously fun machines made by Porsche.

In my non-driving life, I just celebrated my 25th year as an oncologist at the San Francisco VA and as long as there is snow in winter, you will find me out on the slopes with my wife Lisa.

My goals for the next year are threefold: to ensure that new members receive a warm welcome into the club, to identify new, creative ways to enjoy our Porsches together, and to ready ourselves for the time when we will be able to restart our favorite tours along the backroads of Northern California. I would enjoy your support and your vote!

If you see a 991.2 Sapphire Blue Carrera S Cabriolet out and about, if the driver has a matching cap and a huge grin, it’s me!

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* 2. Andy Cole for Vice President

It is a privilege to have been asked to become the 2021 Vice President and this is a role I would welcome and look forward to executing. I am currently the Redwood Der Riesenbaum newsletter editor and have enjoyed this role for the past 12+ months. I trust you have also enjoyed these newsletters especially through the challenging past 7-8 months.

I am originally from Leeds in the north of England and grew up following, and still do, the Formula 1 motor racing and the Le Mans annual races. It was the Le Mans races back in the 70s and 80s that inspired me to focus on Porsches and although it has taken me many years to achieve my motoring dream, I am now fortunate to be a very happy Porsche owner for the past 3+ years. I started with a 987 Boxster and was encouraged to enter many Concours events culminating in 2nd place at the 2019 Werks Reunion in Monterey. Late in 2019 I replaced my Boxster with my lifelong dream of a 911 Carrera convertible and have spent the last year making this car my own with Martini striping, Soul Performance sports exhaust, and some carbon fiber interior upgrades. As with many other PCA members, one of the biggest benefits of being involved with a club is the great like-minded people you meet and the lifelong friends that you make.

For those that know me, I have spent my career in IT, and for the past 10 years worked at Dell Technologies running their Customer Service organization for the West & Texas. I love new technology especially when it moves into the auto industry and I am very interested in the electric/hybrid vehicles we see popping up from all auto manufacturers. That said, there is nothing that beats a screaming flat 6- or 8-cylinder Porsche and I believe these will be here for some time to come.

I would very much appreciate your support and vote for my role as next year’s Redwood PCA board VP. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

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* 3. Vern Rogers for Treasurer

Those of you who have been members for a few (maybe more than a few now) years will know that I got my start on the Board by being appointed to the VP position. That was back in the Spring of 2010.

My VP duties consisted mainly of being responsible for the Redwood calendar, entering Redwood events on the National calendar and keeping RSVP lists for events.  I held the position for almost two years, at which time I ran for and was elected President.

I served in that capacity for three years, then served an additional two more as Past President during Mike Hinton’s Presidency.  My stay on the Board lasted through 2016 at which time I relegated myself to being “just” a PCA member.

If you attended a Redwood event during my years on the Board, you and I have most likely had a conversation.  I believe it is the duty of our board members to welcome and speak with each and every person attending events. 

This past July I retired from a career supporting medical records interfaces at the UCSF Medical Center. I also recently completed the rebuilding of my Forestville home after the devastating floods of March 2019. 

I am ready for a new challenge, and with our longstanding Treasurer, Jerry Gladstone, stepping down, I am tossing my hat in the ring for that position on the Board. Though no one can ever replace Jerry, I hope to be able to fill some part of his shoes.

Please vote for me, Vern Rogers, as the Treasurer of the Redwood Region of PCA.

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* 4. Rick Duste for Secretary 

I have been asked and am willing to take the role of club Secretary in 2021 replacing Alan Geddes who desires to step down next year. I have been attending the Board meetings for the last year and am familiar with the current activities of the Board. 

I am a newcomer to the Redwood Region PCA having purchased a 2014 911 Carrera in mid-2019 and joined PCA and the region at that time. But I’m not new to officer roles in automotive-related clubs or leadership roles in community and civic organizations.

I was one of the founders of Northern California Karters (NCK) back in 1979, holding the position of President for the first six years, and bringing road-race karting to Laguna Seca and Sears Point (now Sonoma Raceway) for the first time.  In 1983 we hosted the International Karting Federation Grand Nationals at Laguna Seca with over 700 entries over the seven-day event. I’m proud to say NCK is still thriving 40 years later and hosting races at Laguna, Sonoma and Thunderhill.  In 1987 I decided to try my hand at racing in SCCA and was voted Rookie of the Year for the San Francisco Region in 1987 and won the Regional Championship (1987) and Division Championship (1988) in a Sports Renault (now called Spec Racer Ford).

I am currently the Chairman of the City of Petaluma Airport Commission and have been recently appointed by Supervisor Rabbitt to represent District 2 on the Sonoma County Aviation Commission. I was Finance Officer for the USCG Auxiliary in Houston Texas which included the year hurricane Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast.

I found the Club to be welcoming when I first joined and would like to help support that continuance, and help reestablish our active membership participation through fun and varied events as we navigate through COVID and especially as restrictions go away. I would enjoy your support and vote. Thank you.

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